FedTV

So, once upon a time, back in May, the Council for Excellence in Government released a poll they'd commissioned Gallup to do about young people's attitudes towards public service. One thing that struck me as entertaining at the time was that the survey respondents said their favorite public servant on TV was the Simpsons' Mayor Quimby, followed closely by Detective Olivia Benson from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Jack Bauer from 24. I've been thinking about that lately, because I am completely obsessesed with Fox's federal procedural, "Bones," and because I think it's a shame that the only federal employee on the list is Jack Bauer; ;it's a great time for feds on TV.

The FBI in particular comes across quite well. Special Agents Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) on "Bones" and Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) on "Numb3rs" are complex, compelling characters who see their work at the Bureau as a mission, and make great sacrifices, like getting shot in karaoke bars and living in the shadow of their brothers, to get their work done right. And these FBI-oriented shows do a good job of showing another side of federal employment by showcasing the work of the non-law enforcement feds their main characters work with. On "Bones," the Jeffersonian Institution, a federal research lab, comes across as a top-of-the-line scientific facilty populated by extremely smart, often extremely nerdy, extremely attractive people. Charlie Eppes, the mathemetician on "Numb3rs," often finds his federal consulting work more interesting than his academic committments.

All in all, these shows make the federal government look like a fantastic place to work: it's got good resources, cool colleagues, and a sense of mission. "24" may have become part of the national conversation about interrogation tactics. But "Bones" and "Numb3rs" couldn't be a better advertisement for federal employment if the Partnership for Public Service or the Council had ordered them up.