Jack Webb was a genius. He had real world ideas. This is the movie that started a wonderful series. Of the series, it is my favorite. It was the forerunner of series like ER and Third Watch. Before 1972, it was common not to want anyone to take care of you except a doctor, but doctors couldn't be everywhere. Even in the few years after the paramedic program started, it was still a novelty and difficult to trust those firemen and policemen who had been trained. Not only was this series fun to watch, but it broke important ground to make the public aware that a new public service was a available and safe. It was because of this series(it was a romantic vision, to be sure.) that I became an EMT and since my training I have enjoyed assisting several people. There is nothing in the world to compare with giving CPR to an injured person and that person waking up.
23 Reviews
Emergency--now this was "Must See TV"
johnfuen22 June 2005
I remember that a few years ago, NBC used "Must see TV" as their network slogan. They should have used it back in 1972. I was about 14 when the show hit the air and I don't think I missed more than a couple of episodes during its network run. Much like Adam 12, the show concentrated on the day to day activities of its main characters, in this case 2 LA county Paramedics, and the hospital staff that helped them save the lives of people in trouble. Just like Adam 12, there was humorous interplay between the younger team member, Johnny Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and the older, senior member Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe).
It was particularly funny to see the ever on the make Gage trying his moves on nurses. In a way, he was the forerunner of Frank "Ponch" Poncherello in his constant attempts on charming single females.
It was particularly funny to see the ever on the make Gage trying his moves on nurses. In a way, he was the forerunner of Frank "Ponch" Poncherello in his constant attempts on charming single females.
How L.A. paramedics got their start
robsturner29 May 2005
This was a series profiling how the current paramedics got their start on the Los Angeles COUNTY Fire Department. Sort of an early-70's version of reality TV. It may or may not have been historically accurate, but it does do a good job at showing just how important paramedics are at saving lives.
The station used in the series is in Carson, CA, and is still in use as a county fire station. However, it does not house the mythical Squad 51.
It was kind of interesting to see how Adam-12 tied into this series, even though the officers were L.A. City, and the paramedics were L.A. County and the two generally don't interact since they are in different jurisdictions.
The station used in the series is in Carson, CA, and is still in use as a county fire station. However, it does not house the mythical Squad 51.
It was kind of interesting to see how Adam-12 tied into this series, even though the officers were L.A. City, and the paramedics were L.A. County and the two generally don't interact since they are in different jurisdictions.
Ahead of its time!
stgcomm-18 February 2004
We tend to take for granted that when we dial 911, or another emergency number, that police, fire, paramedics, etc will be there to assist in a timely manner. While firefighting has been strongly established in the United States since the Colonial days of Ben Franklin and bucket brigades, and rescue techniques have been studied and taught for a century, it is only in the past 35 years that emergency medicine in the field has come into being. Before that, ambulance attendants trained in basic first aid and oxygen administration would pick up patients, many of whom would die from lack of timely emergency medical attention in cases like heart attack, stroke, and trauma. Military medics returning from Korea and Vietnam in part spurred a call to establish emergency field treatment for civilians as well.
And this remarkable made for TV movie tells that story, using real facts and situations worked into a fascinating drama.
Many people were hesitant to move the hospital out into the field, and there were very few believers at first, even among the rescue-trained firefighters who would become these paramedics. Johnny Gage himself is a doubter when his battalion chief approaches him in the beginning of the episode, since he is worried that he would become an "ambulance attendant" and not the firefighter and "rescue man" that he had trained to be.
However, through incidents in the episode, including a near-fatal accident with Nurse Dixie and a tunnel cave-in, the worth of the LA County FD paramedics are proven, even to Dr. Kelly Brackett, the original greatest doubter who goes on to become the physician director and greatest proponent and defender of the program in later episodes. Brackett's speech before the California Assembly committee expressing his belief that short of more doctors and hospitals, trained paramedics were the best alternative, is vital in getting the bill passed that authorized the program.
Emergency! was definitely a show ahead of its time because it brought the reality of rescue into the living rooms of America and spurred countless people to support, and even join, paramedic and EMT programs. A show that still sparks discussion 31 years after its premiere and 25 or so years after its network series finale definitely deserves credit. The show is still relevant in firefighting and EMS circles especially, both from a historical perspective, and as examples of how incidents are handled. The only sad thing is that there is no restored DVD box set available, because although the message lives on, some film prints available on video have not survived well in color and sound quality, and some shown on TV have been shortened for time.
Still an all time favorite for me, I watched it with my father, and now I watch it with my 4 year old son.
And this remarkable made for TV movie tells that story, using real facts and situations worked into a fascinating drama.
Many people were hesitant to move the hospital out into the field, and there were very few believers at first, even among the rescue-trained firefighters who would become these paramedics. Johnny Gage himself is a doubter when his battalion chief approaches him in the beginning of the episode, since he is worried that he would become an "ambulance attendant" and not the firefighter and "rescue man" that he had trained to be.
However, through incidents in the episode, including a near-fatal accident with Nurse Dixie and a tunnel cave-in, the worth of the LA County FD paramedics are proven, even to Dr. Kelly Brackett, the original greatest doubter who goes on to become the physician director and greatest proponent and defender of the program in later episodes. Brackett's speech before the California Assembly committee expressing his belief that short of more doctors and hospitals, trained paramedics were the best alternative, is vital in getting the bill passed that authorized the program.
Emergency! was definitely a show ahead of its time because it brought the reality of rescue into the living rooms of America and spurred countless people to support, and even join, paramedic and EMT programs. A show that still sparks discussion 31 years after its premiere and 25 or so years after its network series finale definitely deserves credit. The show is still relevant in firefighting and EMS circles especially, both from a historical perspective, and as examples of how incidents are handled. The only sad thing is that there is no restored DVD box set available, because although the message lives on, some film prints available on video have not survived well in color and sound quality, and some shown on TV have been shortened for time.
Still an all time favorite for me, I watched it with my father, and now I watch it with my 4 year old son.
This was the Beginning of the best Series in the World!
andreastreinen16 October 2001
This was the Pilot Movie for the Long-Running Series EMERGENCY.Directed by the Dragnet Star Jack Webb. The Authentic Story of the Paramedic Program in the USA is very Interesting. This Series has One of the Best Cast Ever. The Theme is Composed by the Jazz Legends Billy May and Nelson Riddle.
This Series is an Important Part of My Life and I Love It!
This Series is an Important Part of My Life and I Love It!
Excellent beginning
mitchrmp10 July 2012
This is actually a movie length first episode about how the paramedic program got started. It's a landmark episode, since the beginning of paramedics has saved thousands of lives over the years.
In this episode, we meet the doctors and Dixie of Rampart, as well as Johnny Gage and Roy Desoto. This is the only episode we see Roy's wife. Besides them, none of the other characters are the same. In episode two, we get to meet the fellows of Squad 51 (though the chief in the beginning is different).
This series trumps ER and any of those other emergency shows. From what I understand, firemen were on staff to make sure things were done right, and these scenes were taken from actual calls.
Also, in the first few episodes Dixie and Cal are a serious couple, madly in love and talking about marriage. But within just a few episodes, Dixie just becomes "one of the guys."
In this episode, we meet the doctors and Dixie of Rampart, as well as Johnny Gage and Roy Desoto. This is the only episode we see Roy's wife. Besides them, none of the other characters are the same. In episode two, we get to meet the fellows of Squad 51 (though the chief in the beginning is different).
This series trumps ER and any of those other emergency shows. From what I understand, firemen were on staff to make sure things were done right, and these scenes were taken from actual calls.
Also, in the first few episodes Dixie and Cal are a serious couple, madly in love and talking about marriage. But within just a few episodes, Dixie just becomes "one of the guys."
show that made ER and CSI possible
omallemplif-17 March 2006
Although I don't remember the first run of Emergency!, I remember seeing it in syndication from 1976 to 1980. For my friends and I, it was the THE show to watch. I was 8 in 76 and yes I loved this drama. Yes I did like shows like Happy Days and Mork and Mindy and Kotter and Whats Happening! . But this was the first drama show I (and my friends) would stop a backyard whiffle ball game to see. It had ACTION! It had CAR CRASHES!! It had FIRE!! Now as an adult I see that without a show like Emergency and Adam 12, Shows like Hill Street Blues would not have happened, St. Elsewhere and ER would not have happened, Third Watch would not have been and CSI(Vegas, Miami and NY) and Law and Order would not be. I got season 1 of Emergency and am enjoying it as much maybe even more now!
Bring Emergency series to DVD !
johnnjen512 October 2002
This was a wonderful show...unique in the sense that it made the public aware of the Emergency services that were becoming available to those in need...Also it was instrumental in thousands of people becoming paramedics and/or firefighters because of the impact this show had on them. How many shows can say this?..not many, that's for sure... I remember watching this show when it originally aired and was totally hooked from the beginning. Not only were the rescues exciting and realistic, but the show contained a very human side to it. Every red blooded girl fell in love with Johnny Gage, including myself. smile. But all kidding aside, this fine show paved the way for many good quality medical show's that followed. I would love to see this entire series, all 124 episodes, on DVD.
Nelson Riddle's Theme Begins, and There You Are
n9fzx8 October 2005
...back in the early 1970s. Emergency!, now available on DVD, is a time capsule of post-Vietnam Los Angeles. A time when firefighters and doctors were men, nurses were women, and the former chased the latter. Long hair and miniskirts. Druggies and love beads. Loud suits and pastels. And when it was okay to have heroes.
But in the end, Emergency! is a buddy story of two guys who set out to make their world a better place. Roy DeSoto is the older buddy, wise in the world, somewhat cynical. Johnny Gage is the young upstart, full of optimism and charisma. And although the doctors at Rampart received top billing in the credits, they are at best supporting roles to the adventures of two guys in a red truck with sirens and lights.
Thirty years hence, this show is a beloved memory of millions of people, and thousands of emergency workers of Generation X. I'm sure I watched every episode as a kid, yet, until the DVDs came out, I could only remember a few story lines. NBC's current products, ER and the unwatchable Third Watch, pale in comparison, because in the name of "realism", everyone is fatally flawed and nobody is a hero. Both are merely evening soap operas in an emergency services setting. True, Emergency! did have its soapy moments, but those never detracted from Jack Webb's vision of homage to those who run into, and not away from, danger.
But in the end, Emergency! is a buddy story of two guys who set out to make their world a better place. Roy DeSoto is the older buddy, wise in the world, somewhat cynical. Johnny Gage is the young upstart, full of optimism and charisma. And although the doctors at Rampart received top billing in the credits, they are at best supporting roles to the adventures of two guys in a red truck with sirens and lights.
Thirty years hence, this show is a beloved memory of millions of people, and thousands of emergency workers of Generation X. I'm sure I watched every episode as a kid, yet, until the DVDs came out, I could only remember a few story lines. NBC's current products, ER and the unwatchable Third Watch, pale in comparison, because in the name of "realism", everyone is fatally flawed and nobody is a hero. Both are merely evening soap operas in an emergency services setting. True, Emergency! did have its soapy moments, but those never detracted from Jack Webb's vision of homage to those who run into, and not away from, danger.
EMERGENCY is great!
marshall_69157 October 2002
I grew up watching the pilot(which I now own a copy of) and the long runnning episodes that followed. I am looking to get some more episodes as time allows(and for other reasons). Watching Kevin and Randy work together was a blast. They are both great character actors.
50 yrs of Emergency!
black_dragon200013 April 2022
Love this show. The Wedworth-Townsend Act started it all. And because of Emergency! Many men, women, and children became paramedics. Without the show and only the wedworth-townsend act, it would have taken much longer for the program to become what it is today and many more lives would've have been lost.
Never a moments rest for Squad 51!
yenlo10 December 1999
Along the same lines as the Dragnet and Adam 12 format this 70's action series dealt with the adventures of a Los Angeles Fire Department/Paramedic crew. Each week they were fighting fires, rescuing various boneheads who had gotten themselves entrapped in everything from wells to car wrecks etc. I often wondered if any real life paramedic/firefighter had this much action each and everyday they would probably just throw up their hands and say "I never get a moments rest in this job" The show now starting to show a little datedness the episodes are never dull.
A Nearly True-to-Life "Reality Show"
waynewass4273 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This was THE show that helped introduce the entire United States to the idea of "emergency medical care in the field" (or, pre-hospital medical treatment).
Thanks in large part to Emergency!, within a matter of only a few years, 90% of Americans were within 10 minutes of EMS care.
Each year, thousands of lives are saved that would be lost because people whom suffer a heart attack, stroke, motor vehicle accident, and dozens of other life-and-death situations can be treated "at the scene", many minutes before arriving at the emergency room. Thousands of lives were lost annually during these critical minutes before EMS care became widely available.
And, to think, some doctors were against the idea of "90-day Dr. Kildare's" (as Dr. Brackett put it) treating people in the field with limited training.
The concept of "Paramedics" was really started in Miami Florida. Not long after, L.A. County adopted it with a small pilot program. The county fire department was chosen to expand on this, because they had the fire department rescue trucks that could carry the equipment, and had personal that already had basic first-aid training.
This pilot episode introduces us to the origins of the L.A. County Fire Department paramedic program, with all of its trials and tribulations. After doing unauthorized treatment at the scene of a car accident, the two main characters (Roy and Johnny) nearly kill the program before it has a chance to pass legislation.
The head doctor in charge of the program & training of the paramedics is convinced by the assemblyman sponsoring it to give a speech to the members of the state assembly. Although skeptical, his impassioned speech convinces them to pass the bill.
Meanwhile the L.A. County Fire Department is dealing with a major disaster at a flood control construction project during a deluge. Roy and Johnny start to doubt themselves, and worry if they make any mistakes, they could ruin the program. Fortunately, they come through in the clutch. Dr. Bracket and Dixie show up, not knowing Roy and Johnny having seen the news that the program was passed into legislation.
The paramedic program is now officially a go, and emergency medicine in the United States will be forever changed!
Thanks in large part to Emergency!, within a matter of only a few years, 90% of Americans were within 10 minutes of EMS care.
Each year, thousands of lives are saved that would be lost because people whom suffer a heart attack, stroke, motor vehicle accident, and dozens of other life-and-death situations can be treated "at the scene", many minutes before arriving at the emergency room. Thousands of lives were lost annually during these critical minutes before EMS care became widely available.
And, to think, some doctors were against the idea of "90-day Dr. Kildare's" (as Dr. Brackett put it) treating people in the field with limited training.
The concept of "Paramedics" was really started in Miami Florida. Not long after, L.A. County adopted it with a small pilot program. The county fire department was chosen to expand on this, because they had the fire department rescue trucks that could carry the equipment, and had personal that already had basic first-aid training.
This pilot episode introduces us to the origins of the L.A. County Fire Department paramedic program, with all of its trials and tribulations. After doing unauthorized treatment at the scene of a car accident, the two main characters (Roy and Johnny) nearly kill the program before it has a chance to pass legislation.
The head doctor in charge of the program & training of the paramedics is convinced by the assemblyman sponsoring it to give a speech to the members of the state assembly. Although skeptical, his impassioned speech convinces them to pass the bill.
Meanwhile the L.A. County Fire Department is dealing with a major disaster at a flood control construction project during a deluge. Roy and Johnny start to doubt themselves, and worry if they make any mistakes, they could ruin the program. Fortunately, they come through in the clutch. Dr. Bracket and Dixie show up, not knowing Roy and Johnny having seen the news that the program was passed into legislation.
The paramedic program is now officially a go, and emergency medicine in the United States will be forever changed!
Fun episode.
wkozak2215 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I like this episode for several reasons. We find out DeSoto was in the Army. You find out Brackett and McCall never married and are a couple. You get to see McCall's legs for a minute. You see Mike Morton was there since the pilot. Also Gage was as Station 10 first.
Quick Tidbit
bigden196230 August 2019
Based my life's ambitions on this show
JLJ06121 August 2003
Emergency! still looks very authentic, even in today's standards of ER, Third Watch and NYPD Blue. It's truly a shame that TV Land no longer airs the show. Though I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to personally meet Randy Mantooth a few years ago in Chicago during his Project 51 tour. He is a real gentleman and was obviously very comfortable around his fans, both young and old!
The show that started it all!
dragon1122 May 2006
Emergency spawned a generation of EMTs and Paramedics and I'm one of then. Became a paramedic in 1984 and made it a career. You don't get rich, but it's one hell of a profession. I remember how we used to see how far we could flip the caps off the prefilleds just like Johnny and Roy. Sure we laugh now how kind of hokey the show is. But at the time, it was cutting edge. For EMS Week this year, I won Season 1 and 2 DVD Box set. Twas thrilled. Our young pups in the unit can't believe the time we used to have to call for orders for all of our treatments. I remember sending Lead II telemetry(from a Lifepac 5) to our command hospitals. Today, 2006, we now send full 12 lead telemetry to the receiving facility. What is old, is new again!
Actual location
dengle9 March 2003
The location for the show was actually Firestation 127 in Carson, CA. The address is 2049 E. 223rd St., Carson 90810. During many of the shows that involved industrial accidents, these took place in the same neighborhood as the firestation.
Grew up not too far from the station. Many times during the show the other local fire stations (Station 36, actual Station 127 trucks and others) were actually involved in the show.
Favorite show of our family just to see if there was someplace nearby where they staged the show.
Grew up not too far from the station. Many times during the show the other local fire stations (Station 36, actual Station 127 trucks and others) were actually involved in the show.
Favorite show of our family just to see if there was someplace nearby where they staged the show.
Interesting Local History Lesson
Teach-88 January 2001
This movie, which acted as a pilot for the TV Series "Emergency!" is a fascinating story about the start of the paramedic program in California--specifically, through the eyes of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The plot clearly shows the supporters and opponents of the system at the time--yes, there were people that were against the program for a variety of reasons--and how the system pulled itself together and proved its worth. It is interesting to note that today, as a resident of Los Angeles County, most people take the paramedic program for granted; we need to see this movie again so that we can see just how close the program came to never happening. It is definitely a good history lesson--even though it is a dramatisation, it is very faithful to the true story, just as most of Jack Webb's productions were.
Route 66 connections
wageman1029 November 2005
Bobby Troup wrote Nat "King" Cole's hit song "Route 66" based on a suggestion from his first wife, Cynthia Hale, who inspired the song by conceiving the memorable line, "Get your kicks on Route 66".
Martin Milner starred as Tod Stiles in the television series, "Route 66", which was inspired by that famous road and also, presumably, by the song.
Many years later, Kevin Tighe (Roy DeSoto in "Emergency") starred in a film called "Road House", as the owner of the "Double Deuce" bar and dance hall, ostensibly located in Jasper, Missouri. Jasper is located approximately just ten miles north of where Route 66 ran through Missouri. Today there is a bar called the Double Deuce in East St. Louis, just a few miles from old Route 66.
And finally, Route 66 once ran through the town of Webb City, Missouri.
Martin Milner starred as Tod Stiles in the television series, "Route 66", which was inspired by that famous road and also, presumably, by the song.
Many years later, Kevin Tighe (Roy DeSoto in "Emergency") starred in a film called "Road House", as the owner of the "Double Deuce" bar and dance hall, ostensibly located in Jasper, Missouri. Jasper is located approximately just ten miles north of where Route 66 ran through Missouri. Today there is a bar called the Double Deuce in East St. Louis, just a few miles from old Route 66.
And finally, Route 66 once ran through the town of Webb City, Missouri.
thoughts about DVD
mom2joshua26 August 2005
I just bought and started watching the DVD of Emergency. It was always one of my favorite shows and I was really excited to find out it was coming on DVD. I started watching the series late so I never saw the pilot movie or first couple of episodes. Very interesting to see how medicine has changed, today no one would think about holding a choking child upside down and shaking him to dislodge a quarter in his throat. Also,l did not realize that Dr. Brackett was such an expert on emergency medicine, I guess his expertise was what enabled him to diagnose a man with an insulin problem after the man became violent in the ER and tried to punch out the guards.
Has not aged too well.....
drosse6710 September 2004
....but I loved this show as a kid. Heck, I even had the board game, which would be a real collector's item had I not lost the pieces at age 10. I saw an episode on TV Land recently and its age shows. Randoph Mantooth's character Gage was some sort of ladies man, something I didn't notice when I watched the show as a kid. I remember the realistic emergency calls--some really unusual, like a woman being caught in a huge cactus. And the show usually ended with a spectacular (for '70s TV, at least) fire.
Its influence can be felt in the current reality TV craze, not to mention a little show called "ER." But this was the first of its kind, and despite its corniness, we must praise it. The DVD release must be inevitable. I may just pick up a copy.
Its influence can be felt in the current reality TV craze, not to mention a little show called "ER." But this was the first of its kind, and despite its corniness, we must praise it. The DVD release must be inevitable. I may just pick up a copy.
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