History RankUp / LiveActionTV

* ''IDreamOfJeannie'': Capts. Tony Nelson and Roger Healey were promoted to major late in the first season or early in the second.

* ''{{Chuck}}'': Major John Casey gets promoted to colonel toward the end of Season Two.
* ''{{CSI}}'': Jim Brass gets a side-ways promotion to Homicide detective from Head of the CSI Lab team after Holly Gibbs get killed at a crime scene in the first episode. For the rest of the series, he is the main cop dealing with the crime lab.
* ''{{CSI NY}}'': Danny Messer was briefly promoted to sergeant after passing the exam, but then he [[spoiler:felt betrayed by his rookies and went back to the crime lab and his old detective rank]].

* ''BarneyMiller'': In the last episode, Barney gets promoted to inspector, and uniformed officer Levitt gets promoted to detective.

* ''LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': John Munch was promoted after he took the sergeant's exam as a bar bet. He ended up acting squad commander of the SVU for half an episode when Cragen got transferred to the Chief of Detectives office as punishment for his team's tendency to be {{Cowboy Cop}}s.

** Also, in the last two seasons or so Klinger, is promoted from Corporal to Sergeant, and Father Mulcahey from First Lieutenant to Captain.

** NewGuy John Clark is promoted to detective for meritorious service; at the same time, Sipowitz is promoted to detective first class, which pisses off John Clark Sr.

** Though it went unremarked, odd for a main character, Julian Bashir started out with the rank insignia of a lieutenant, junior grade (one gold pip, one black pip), then sometime in season four started wearing the insignia of a full lieutenant (two gold pips). A similar thing happened with Jadzia Dax, who started the series as a lieutenant and started wearing lieutenant commander insignia later.

* 'Series/RizzoliAndIsles'': Jane's love interest 'Casey' Jones is a Lt. Col. in the US Army. After recovering from injury and returning to active duty, he is offered a promotion to Colonel. His decision to take the promotion and stay in the army is one of the reasons he and Jane break up.

* ''Series/{{Mash}}'':

* ''GomerPyleUSMC'': An episode revolved around Gomer and the rest of his platoon going for corporal. (Or maybe it was PSC to PFC, it's been a long time since I've seen the episode.) Gomer didn't want to at first, he "liked being the backbone." (Privates are - or were - called the Backbone of the Marine Corps.)

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'':
** Harmon Rabb, Jr. gets promoted from Lieutenant (O-3) to Captain (O-6) through the entire series.
** Sarah Mackenzie gets promoted only once, from Major to Lieutenant Colonel.
** Bud Roberts goes from Ensign to Lieutenant Commander in nine seasons.

** Jack's first act as a general? To promote Sam Carter from major to lieutenant colonel. She had started the series at Captain before being promoted to Major. Sometime between ''Film/TheArkOfTruth'' and Season 4 of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', she gets her promotion to full ("full-bird") colonel.

** Nog gets bumped up to ensign mostly because, as even he admits, that [[GodzillaThreshold Starfleet is in a war and desperate for any men they can get]].
** Though it went unremarked, odd for a main character, Julian Bashir started out with the rank insignia of a lieutenant, junior grade (one gold pip, one black pip), then sometime in season four started wearing the insignia of a full lieutenant (two gold pips).

** Troi went for a promotion to commander; the test's SecretTestOfCharacter was whether or not she'd send a friend [Geordi] on a SuicideMission in order to save the ship.

* ''StarTrekVoyager''. At the beginning of Season 4, Tuvok gets a promotion from lieutenant to lieutenant commander. After being demoted to ensign in "Thirty Days", Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Tom Paris soon gets his pips back as StatusQuoIsGod; this is in noticable contrast to StaticCharacter Ensign Harry Kim whose lack of promotion after seven years in the Delta Quadrant is a RunningGag among fans.

* ''Series/BandOfBrothers'': Happens to many characters, with the protagonist Dick Winters being the most conspicuous example: he starts the series as 2nd Lieutenant and ends it as [[MajorlyAwesome Major]].

** In early seasons, Lt. Colonel Flagg from Military Intelligence was a recurring character. In the fourth season he became Colonel Flagg. This paralleled the head of 4077th going from Lt. Col. Blake to Col. Potter, because Flagg couldn't be subordinate to the CO; otherwise his orders could be easily countermanded.

** Wesley was promoted from boy to acting ensign to actual ensign.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** Jack O'Neill gets a double treatment: promoted from colonel to brigadier general in season 8, and to head of Homeworld Security in season 9.
** Jack's first act as a general? To promote Sam Carter from major to lieutenant colonel. She had started the series at Captain before being promoted to Major.
*** Also, sometime between ''The Ark of Truth'' and Season 4 of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', she gets her promotion to full ("full-bird") colonel.

** Geordi La Forge from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' goes from lieutenant junior grade in the first season, to full lieutenant in the second season, to lieutenant commander in the third to seventh seasons, to commander in the movies. And in a flash-forward in an episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' he's a captain.

* ''TheBill'': Happens to multiple characters over the course of this show.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': Benjamin Sisko started off as a commander and was promoted to captain later.

** Major Kira Nerys gets bumped to lieutenant colonel in the Bajoran Militia (and then commissioned as a Starfleet commander).

** Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart was promoted to Brigadier between his first appearance and his second appearance.

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': Harmon Rabb, Jr. gets promoted from Lieutenant (O-3) to Captain (O-6) through the series.

* ''Series/{{Mash}}'': In early seasons, Lt. Colonel Flagg from Military Intelligence was a recurring character. In the fourth season he became Colonel Flagg. This paralleled the head of 4077th going from Lt. Col. Blake to Col. Potter, because Flagg couldn't be subordinate to the CO; otherwise his orders could be easily countermanded.

* ''NYPDBlue'': Detective Martinez takes the sergeant's exam and passes, so he can get PutOnABus to another precinct. (Earlier he had been promoted from undercover officer to detective, but it was never shown or mentioned in much detail.)

* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': Upon returning to Philadelphia with Danny, Captain Neville is promoted to Major.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Jack O'Neill gets a double treatment: promoted from colonel to brigadier general in season 8, and to head of Homeworld Security in season 9.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': Riker got a field promotion to captain when Picard was captured by the Borg. When Picard was rescued Riker got demoted back to Commander.

* The FramingDevice of ''Series/GoldenBoy'' is that Walter Clark rises through the ranks of the NYPD and becomes police commissioner after less than ten years on the job. In the pilot he is promoted to detective due to his heroic actions during a robbery and chooses to be assigned to homicide where all the other detectives have at least ten more years seniority than he. A recurring plot point in the first season is that both Det. Don Owen and Det. Tony Arroyo are eligible for promotion but Owen has been effectively blacklisted by the senior staff for the last twelve years and he needs to close a high profile case to finally get his promotion. In the season finale Owen finally gets his promotion after he and Walter catch a ProfessionalKiller who committed 15 murders during his career.

* ''{{MASH}}'': In early seasons, Lt. Colonel Flagg from Military Intelligence was a recurring character. In the fourth season he became Colonel Flagg. This paralleled the head of 4077th going from Lt. Col. Blake to Col. Potter, because Flagg couldn't be subordinate to the CO; otherwise his orders could be easily countermanded.

* In ''{{Chuck}}'', Major John Casey gets promoted to colonel toward the end of Season Two.
* Happens to many characters in ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', with the protagonist Dick Winters being the most conspicuous example: he starts the series as 2nd Lieutenant and ends it as [[MajorlyAwesome Major]].
* In early seasons of ''{{MASH}}'', Lt. Colonel Flagg from Military Intelligence was a recurring character. In the fourth season he became Colonel Flagg. This paralleled the head of 4077th going from Lt. Col. Blake to Col. Potter, because Flagg couldn't be subordinate to the CO; otherwise his orders could be easily countermanded.
** Also, in the last two seasons or so Klinger, is promotoed from Corporal to Sergeant, and Father Mulcahey from First Lieutenant to Captain.
* ''NYPDBlue'': Detective Martinez takes the sergeant's exam and passes, so he can get PutOnABus to another precinct. (Earlier he had been promoted from undercover officer to detective, but it was never shown or mentioned in much detail.)
** Bobby Simone gets promoted to detective first class (or whatever it's called) in a big ceremony.
** NewGuy John Clark is promoted to detective for meritorious service; at the same time, Sipowitz is promoted to detective first class, which pisses off John Clark Sr.
** Sipowitz takes the Sergeant exam; he passes and becomes the desk sergeant downstairs from the squad. In the final episode he gets promoted (ahead of others waiting) to be the squad commander, still as a Sgt. He promises that this will be his last job - he's not planning to try for another promotion or transfer.

* Jack O'Neill of ''Series/StargateSG1'' gets a double treatment: promoted from colonel to brigadier general in season 8, and to head of Homeworld Security in season 9.
** Jack's first act as a general? To promote Sam Carter from major to lieutenant colonel. She had started the series at Captain before being promoted to Major.
*** Also, sometime between ''The Ark of Truth'' and Season 4 of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', she gets her promotion to full ("full-bird") colonel.
* Benjamin Sisko in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' started off as a commander and was promoted to captain later.
* On ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Riker got a field promotion to captain when Picard was captured by the Borg. When Picard was rescued Riker got demoted back to Commander.
** Wesley was promoted from boy to acting ensign to actual ensign.
** In the episode "[[LowerDeckEpisode Lower Decks]]", several ensigns are concerned about who will be promoted. After the most likely candidate got killed in action, her friend was promoted but he didn't feel he deserved it.
* More ''Star Trek'' examples:
** Geordi La Forge from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' goes from lieutenant junior grade in the first season, to full lieutenant in the second season, to lieutenant commander in the third to seventh seasons, to commander in the movies. And in a flash-forward in an episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' he's a captain.
** Major Kira Nerys gets bumped to lieutenant colonel in the Bajoran Militia (and then commissioned as a Starfleet commander).
** Troi went for a promotion to commander; the test's SecretTestOfCharacter was whether or not she'd send a friend [Geordi] on a SuicideMission in order to save the ship.
** Worf was promoted twice, starting as Lieutenant J.G., moving up to full Lieutenant off screen between seasons 2 and 3, then promoted on screen to Lieutenant Commander in the first Next Gen movie.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova is promoted to Commander and later to Captain. In the DistantFinale, she's a General.
** Lieutenant JG David Corwin is promoted to full lieutenant.
** Other characters on B5 to get promotions possibly include Captain Lochley (she is a colonel in ''The Lost Tales'', but it's not clear if it was a promotion or just part of a rank restructuring) and Zack Allen (goes from officer to chief of security. Since Station Security is set up more like a police department than a military force, those appear to be the only two named ranks, though Zack does end up replacing Garibaldi's first right-hand man after the first one [[TheMole shoots Garibaldi in the back]]).
* Capts. Tony Nelson and Roger Healey of ''IDreamOfJeannie'' were promoted to major late in the first season or early in the second.
* In the show ''Series/TwentyFour'', Tony gets promoted to director of CTU in season 2.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart was promoted to Brigadier between his first appearance and his second appearance.
** Corporal Benton (coincidentally?) got a promotion every time the Doctor regenerated: Corporal Benton appeared with the second Doctor, Sergeant Benton with the third, and Regimental Sergeant Major Benton with the fourth.
* On ''{{CSI NY}}'' Danny Messer was briefly promoted to sergeant after passing the exam, but then he [[spoiler:felt betrayed by his rookies and went back to the crime lab and his old detective rank]]
* [[LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit John Munch]] was promoted after he took the sergeant's exam as a bar bet. He ended up acting squad commander of the SVU for half an episode when Cragen got transferred to the Chief of Detectives office as punishment for his team's tendency to be [[CowboyCop cowboy cops]].
* Harmon Rabb, Jr. from ''Series/{{JAG}}'' gets promoted from Lieutenant (O-3) to Captain (O-6) through the series.
* Happens to multiple characters over the course of ''TheBill''.
* ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' has its first Rank Up at the beginning, when Sky, Bridge and Syd are promoted from being police cadets-in-training to being the department's Power Rangers (though Sky is pissed to learn that he's only the Blue Ranger, while the role of team leader and Red Ranger went to new draftee Jack instead). It then has another one in the finale when Jack decides to leave the force; Sky (having matured since his last promotion) becomes the new Red Ranger and Bridge moves up from Green to Blue. And when Bridge makes a guest appearance on ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'' a couple seasons later, he reveals that a third set of promotions happened offscreen: the team's commanding officer was promoted to head the entire organization, Sky replaced him as head of the Earth branch, and Bridge replaced Sky as Red Ranger.