Third Watch.html



This article is about the television show. For information about naval watches, see Watch system.

Third Watch was an NBC television drama set in New York City that ran from September 23, 1999 to May 6, 2005. It followed the exploits of a group of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics in the fictional 55th Precinct and Fire Station 55 whose shifts fell between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m, the "third watch." The precinct and fire station were located on the corner of King St. and Arthur St.; hence the nickname "Camelot." Exterior shots of the 55th Precinct and the Firehouse were filmed in Long Island City, Queens. Third Watch succeeded in presenting all three branches of New York City's emergency services in the same show, reviving a failed attempt to do so nine years prior with the similarly-themed H.E.L.P. running for only one season in 1990.

The show balanced numerous single-episode events with other, ongoing storylines, some of which spanned multiple seasons. While Third Watch was lauded for its emotional and honest portrayal of the events surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it was also criticized in some circles for extremely detailed violence and prevalent (by network television standards) profane language. The show was created, produced, and written by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. The theme song for the show was "Keep Hope Alive" by The Crystal Method.

Third Watch was not renewed by NBC in the spring of 2005, making the sixth season the show's last. The series' finale, "Goodbye to Camelot," was aired in the United States on Friday, May 6, 2005. It was listed in the Bergen Record, The Times and other newspapers as a TV show that was canceled too early.

Conception

Co-creator John Wells had wanted to do a show about paramedics for some time before Third Watch began, but did not think he had enough material to make such a show. Ed Bernero, a former Chicago cop, had wanted to do a police drama partly based on his own experiences. The two worked together on the short lived show Trinity, and after cancellation Wells asked Bernero if he wanted to co-create a show with him. Third Watch was a combination of Wells' paramedics show and Bernero's police show¹.

Originally the show was only going to be about the police and paramedics, but firefighter Jimmy Doherty was added to the show after actor Eddie Cibrian auditioned for the role of police officer Maurice 'Bosco' Boscorelli. Cibrian lost out to Jason Wiles, but impressed the producers so much that they decided to put him in the show as a new character, Bernero said, "Well, we don't have any firefighters", and the fire aspect of the show was added in to produce a show revolving around all 3 emergency services ².

Episodes

Main article: List of Third Watch episodes

The series consists of six seasons with a total of 132 episodes produced and broadcast from September 23, 1999 to May 6, 2005.

Cast

Third Watch's original ensemble cast in the series' first season consisted of Michael Beach, Coby Bell, Bobby Cannavale, Eddie Cibrian, Molly Price, Kim Raver, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, and Jason Wiles.

In 2000, Amy Carlson was added to the cast as Paramedic/Firefighter Alex Taylor. In 2001, Series regular Bobby Cannavale willingly left the series after he asked to be written out of the series due to lack of character usage and development.³

At the start of Season 3, Chris Bauer was added to the main credits as Fred Yokas after being a recurring guest star previously. Tia Texada became a recurring guest star, and later, a full cast member, in 2002. Carlson left the show in 2003. Later that year, Nia Long was introduced as Officer Sasha Monroe (her rank was changed in season six in one of the show's most shocking plot twists). Yvonne Jung became a recurring guest star also in 2003 although she had been a guest in Season 3 episode "Act Brave" as a lawyer defending Kim in her custody battle with Jimmy. Also in 2003, Bonnie Dennison was added as Emily Yokas, previously being recurring.

In 2004, just after celebrating the show's 100th episode, Eddie Cibrian and Michael Beach left the show. Cibrian's departure marked the first time a main character was written out of the show without dying. Series regular Molly Price's character, Faith Yokas, made very few appearances in season five of the series because Price was pregnant throughout much of the season. The writers for Third Watch explained her absence by her character being seriously injured in a shootout, and then trying to recuperate at home. In the few scenes Price was in, her growing belly was frequently hidden by blankets piled on top of her while she lay in bed. Cara Buono joined the cast as Paramedic Grace Foster late in the show's fifth season in 2004.

Kim Raver decided to leave the show after the show's sixth-season opener and became a series regular on 24. Josh Stewart was introduced as a main cast member of Season 6 as Probationary Officer Brendan Finney. After a several-month absence, Dennison reclaimed the role of Emily Yokas for the rest of the final season, while Chris Bauer left the show to pursue his new show Tilt, but made sporadic guest-star appearances in season six. Beach, Cibrian and Raver re-joined their former co-stars in the series finale, "Goodbye To Camelot."

Main casts

• Emily Yokas was played by P J Morrison in Seasons 1-3.

Recurring cast

The following cast members are listed by the season in which they were introduced. Recurring cast members Bill Walsh and Derek Kelly are firefighters in real life.

Notable guest stars

Notable guest stars include Ossie Davis, Roy Scheider, Helen Mirren, Joseph Cross, Mykelti Williamson, Rosie O'Donnell, Haylie Duff, Corbin Bleu, Henry Winkler, Kate Jackson, Nick Turturro, Anson Mount, Eve, Gene Simmons, DMX, Method Man, Paul Michael Glaser, Wyclef Jean, Veronica Hamel, Ethan Suplee, Treach, Adam Beach, Mia Farrow, Tom Berenger, Sherry Stringfield, Chris Elliot, Jason Sehorn, Lev Gorn and Ann-Margret.

Crossover

The series exists in the same television universe as ER and Medical Investigation. Molly Price, Jason Wiles, Kim Raver and Amy Carlson appeared in a two-part crossover episode of ER, while Sherry Stringfield appeared in the corresponding episode of Third Watch. However, ER was mentioned as a pop culture reference during season two episode "Jimmy's Mountain," and Michael Beach guest starred on ER in several episodes. In addition Lisa Vidal, who played Emergency Room doctor Dr. Sara Morales, Monte Parker's (Beach) love interest, had played on ER firefighter Lt. Sandy Lopez, Dr. Kerry Weaver's lesbian love interest before joining Third Watch.

A special two-part crossover event aired on February 18, 2005, establishing the television-universe connection by featuring the Third Watch and Medical Investigation teams working together.

Broadcast and ratings information

All six seasons of Third Watch were originally broadcast on NBC in the United States.

Third Watch was also broadcast worldwide including Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East.

DVD releases

Reception

The hit series won the prestigious Peabody Award for Season 3 episode "In Their Own Words", in which series regulars Michael Beach, Coby Bell, Amy Carlson, Eddie Cibrian, Kim Raver, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, and Jason Wiles introduced clips of interviews with the real-life NYPD and FDNY members who responded to the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. Series regular Molly Price was interviewed in a segment because she is married to FDNY firefighter and Third Watch recurring guest star Derek Kelly.

Many Third Watch former cast members were nominated for awards for their work on the show. Among them, both Bobby Cannavale and Anthony Ruivivar were nominated for ALMA Awards for their positive portrayals of Latino characters. Nia Long also won several NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal of the African-American character Sasha Monroe. Other cast members, including Michael Beach, Molly Price, and Tia Texada also were nominated for various awards. The show itself was nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Stunt Coordination and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, which it won in 2000.

Factual Inconsistencies

Whilst set and filmed in New York, Third Watch was not an entirely accurate portrayal of the New York emergency services. This was partly due to Bernero being from Chicago - the term "watch" is used to refer to a shift in the Chicago Police Department, but not the NYPD (which uses the term "platoons"); thus the title of the series is itself a misnomer. Chicago terminology made its way into the show, such as the often-uttered phrase "jag-off". "The interesting thing about Third Watch is that we're actually portraying Chicago in New York," Bernero said, adding that New York-born Michael Beach (Doc) refused to say the phrase¹⁰.

Paramedics in the FDNY do not reside in firehouses, instead being posted on the street - this was referred to in one episode where it was revealed the 55 was the only house in the city with this arrangement.

The 55th precinct building is nicknamed "Camelot" because it is supposedly located at the intersection of King St. and Arthur St. This is impossible because while King St. is located in Manhattan, Arthur St. is in Queens.

References

External links

• Third Watch's official UK website
• Filming location Third Watch in Google Earth