there are F-18 at NAS other than the Blue Angels. And yes, the show has very little to do with P'cola, besides the name.
Here are ways that it does: 1)no mountains, but the only time the actually show the mountains is after they have taken off and have gone some distance to run flights. You don't have to go very far for mountains. Alabama has them. 2)Their beaches....not quite as nice as they really are. 3)palm trees??? if you have ever been to P'cola in the winter, you know that palm trees won't survive that well. I don't think in the 9 years that I lived there I ever saw a palm tree like the ones on the show. Even the ones there now, don't look half as good. 4)They never say that the entire base is commanded by a Marine, just the people they report to... which is the way it would actually be, Marines in charge of Marines. And obviously you have never told these thoughts to a Marine, because I know a few that would kill you for saying that they work for the Navy. They may be branched off of the Navy, but they don't work for them. You aren't military either, because none of the branches work for the other, they all try to work together.
While the show may not have been the best, there were some good aspects of it (both casts). I never got to watch it when it was on because P'cola didn't show it till 2 am on Sat. But now I am getting back into it. And every so often they show something from home. The intro usually has the "City of Five Flags" sign that is at the main way into the city. A few epis ago I saw one of the cast actually reading the Pensacola News Journal in one of the epis. And every so often you get a second or two of footage that is actually from P'cola.
You have to remember it is television. Most shows take place in NYC or LA or a major city cloe to there. P'cola isn't a major city (you're lucky if it is a city) and it is now where near NYC and LA. Most of the show was probably filmed in Cal. somewhere south of LA, probably San Diego. It is cheap to film there and it is only a few hours away. No one would actually want to go out to P'cola and spent 3 months there to film the show. It would cost a fortune. But they tried.
Just give the show a try if you want. It really isn't that bad. Just don't go to P'cola looking for what you see on TV.
