Jacks...

[fajrdrako]

When I was a kid, one of my favourite heroes was named Jack: he was one of the heroes of Enid Blyton's Adventure series, and he had a parrot named Kiki.

maaseru and I were talking this evening about how popular the name Jack has become, and how often we are encountering it in popular fiction. The first time I encountered Captain Jack Harkness, it was when a fannish acquaintance mentioned that they had written a Jack fic, and I thought this was funny, because there were so many Jacks, I had no way of guessing what fandom she was writing in. Turned out to be someone on Doctor Who. I never would have guessed.

So who else is there on TV named Jack? I know of Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean), Jack Bristow (Alias), Jack O'Neill (Stargate SG-1), Jack Bauer (24), Jack Shepherd (Lost) - are there others I've forgotten, or don't know about?

Comments

[ladykoori.livejournal.com]

There's Capitan Jack Aubrey in Master and Commander and Dr. Jack Hodgins on Bones.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes; though Aubrey was created for the novels, he's a cool character, and his popularity keeps growing. I like Aubrey and it isn't his fault I don't much like the books.

I didn't know about Dr. Jack Hodgins. Is that the David Boreanaz character?

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about Dr. Jack Hodgins. Is that the David Boreanaz character?

No, he's one of the tech guys, cute geeky type. He's a great character.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good name, anyway!

A lot of our Jacks seem to have titles: a Colonel, several captains, a doctor. Is this a sub-pattern?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Two doctors at least: I was forgetting that Jack Shepherd was a doctor, too.

Ahem.

[dewline.livejournal.com]

I co-created a Jack: Evening Shift's Jack Douglas.

Oh, wait. You said TV, not comics. But since you've already thrown in a movies-only Jack...

Re: Ahem.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I co-created a Jack: Evening Shift's Jack Douglas.

I approve heartily! Great name!

You said TV, not comics. But since you've already thrown in a movies-only Jack...

I did, but I'm perfectly happy to include recent comics in the list.

Yay for the League of Jacks.

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

Jack Rudolph, on Studio 60.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You're kidding - ! Oh, that's wonderful!

(I've been meaning to watch that.)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I saw a list of these when I first joined LJ - it was about 20 names long! I'll see if I can find it again.

Also: Jack Malone (Without a Trace), Jack Ryan (Clear and Present Danger)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Not found the list, but I did find the comm captains_jack. There's a character in "The Rivals" called Captain Jack Absolute, who was once played by...

...David Tennant!

There's also Jack Skellington (Nightmare before Christmas) and Jack Napier (aka The Joker in the first Batman film). Will post more as and when they occur to me :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*shuffles in*

You can tell I'm not at work this morning, can't you? Too much time + internet = long list

So there's Jack McFarland (Will & Grace), Jack Flowers (Saint Jack (book and film)), Sheriff Jack Carter (Eureka) and, um, Samurai Jack (Cartoon character).

Also, if film characters are allowed, what about comic ones? I've not read them, but the Authority series has Jack Hawksmore.

Right, really should go out now, before it starts to rain again...

*shuffles out again*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That's a wonderful list of Jacks - I hadn't heard of Saint Jack but it sounds intriguing. Jack Carter, yes! (I did see an episode of Eureka).)

Yes, I would certianly allow comic book characters on my list. And I've read The Authority, some of it - it was created by Warren Ellis, a madman who is one of my favourite comic book writers; and the series is popular among slash fans because it has a canonically gay couple on its roster, Apollo and Midnighter.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Glad to help :) I kicked myself for not thinking of Will&Grace's Jack, but I had to hunt a bit for the others.

I've heard quite a bit about Authority but haven't delved into it - I have too many things on my "must read/watch" list already!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I liked The Authority when Warren Ellis was writing it, but I never really came to love the characters except occasionally. When I read it, it was through getting the trade paperbacks from the public library. I haven't read much of the rest of it, though glancing through the entry on it on Wikipedia... it looks pretty good.

Yeah, right, I'm already months behind on my comic book reading. Don't even know how Marvel's Civil War ended yet.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

David Tennant played Jack Absolute? Is this on film?

Love it.

Yes, let me know when you think of more Jacks!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you - add two more to the list!

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

I created a Detective Jack Lewis. (for my COP series... she's female but goes by Jack...)

also we have Jac (k?) Naylor from Holby City... female but her name does seem to be spelt with a K on the credits a lot...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Detective Jack Lewis. (for my COP series... she's female but goes by Jack...)

What a wonderful name!

I must watch more Holby City. I do't remember Jack Naylor. Must look her up.

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

hehe I just remembered I also have Jack Innes (from my Scientific Questions series)

I love that name for my girls... makes them different.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's a great name whoever wears it.

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

Too true...

[chazzbanner.livejournal.com]

Jack McCoy (Law & Order), and someone already mentioned my Jack Malone (Without a Trace). :-)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes! Add them to the list.

[ilovedoyle.livejournal.com]

Jack McFarland: Will & Grace

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Definitely! Does he play will?

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

Jack's the character's name.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Right... Significant role?

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

One of the two main guys I think?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Cool!

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

I think you need to uopdate with a list lol

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I will, but I'll see if I can collect some more, first!

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

Okay, good luck... I'll see if I remember anyone else.

[ilovedoyle.livejournal.com]

No, thats the name of the character! He's played by someone called Sean...something.
He's Will's best gay friend.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many of the Jacks in our list are canonically other-than-straight. We know several of them are very slashy!

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

While he did not play a "Jack" on TV, I can think of at least one actor with an appropriate stage name: Jack Lord (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Lord) from Hawaii Five O. Before he was chosen to play Steve McGarrett the cop, he played James Bond's ally "Felix Leiter" in the film Doctor No and was considered for the role of Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek. [He lost that role because he also wanted to be co-producer, and neither Gene Roddenberry nor "Desilu Studios" wanted to give up that much authority.]

I wondered how Star Trek would have turned out with Lord instead of Shatner at the helm.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Star Trek would have been quite a different show - I wonder if it would have been as good? I've never really seen Jack Lord in action, though he's a familiar face and name. Actually... I probably saw Doctor No, but don't specifically remember him.

it all started with Jack Tales

[(Anonymous)]

like Jack The Giant Killer. Or Jack And The Beanstalk. They're an entire folk genre in themselves, and Jack is both protagonist and hero.

Re: it all started with Jack Tales

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Jack jumped over the candlestick. Jack Spratt could eat no fat. Jack'o'lantern. And so on. In fairy tales and nursery rhymes, Jack is the alternate to the Prince, the non-aristocratic hero of the people.

Out of curiosity, I had a look at Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_%28name%29#Movies. Chuckled to see they misplaced Captain Jack Harkness under American television - though they have him under 'British Television' too.