905-Wild 

The staff of the local Los Angeles Country Animal Control department office assist Fire Station 51 and Rampart Hospital on some animal related emergencies.

Director:

Jack Webb

Writers:

Harold Jack Bloom (created by), Robert A. Cinader (created by) (as R.A. Cinader)

Stars:

Robert Fuller, Julie London, Bobby Troup

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Fuller	...	Dr. Kelly Brackett
Julie London	...	Dixie McCall, R.N.
Bobby Troup	...	Dr. Joe Early
Randolph Mantooth	...	Paramedic John Gage
Kevin Tighe	...	Paramedic Roy DeSoto
David Huddleston	...	Barney 'Doc' Coolidge
Albert Popwell	...	Ofcr. II Les Taylor
Mark Harmon	...	Ofcr. Dave Gordon
Gary Crosby	...	Supervisor Walt Marsh
Rose Ann Deel	...	Patty Burns (as Rose Ann Zecker)
Ruth McDevitt	...	Mrs. Quincy (as Ruth Mc Devitt)
Virginia Gregg	...	Rosa Bernardi
Stephanie Steele	...	Sandy
Ned Romero	...	Officer Garcia
Ron Pinkard	...	Dr. Mike Morton

Storyline

Roy and Johnny respond to Bernardi's Market, called by the owner's wife who believes her husband was attacked by a maniac with a knife. Johnny investigates and comes face to face with 500 pounds of mortality: a roaring tiger. Roy asks the dispatcher to call Animal Control. Officer Dave Gordon (Mark Harmon) recognizes a Bengal tiger when he sees one; and his partner, Les Taylor, recognizes she is 450 pounds. A local man is operating an unauthorized zoo and mistreating animals. LA Animal Control is concerned with the animals' health; they want to tranquilize, not neutralize. At County Animal Shelter 2, Supervisor Walt Marsh, works with one vet, Dr. Barney Coolidge, and an assistant, trying to "catch and release" various types of wildlife displaced by modern civilization; often, they must also treat wounded or sick animals. Gordon and Taylor meet the paramedics again, trying to help an old man and his little disabled granddaughter who lost her pet Pygmy goat, William, in the brushfire. ...

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Plot Keywords:

number in episode title | pilot within series | backdoor pilot | animal | pet goat | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Only episode in in the Emergency! (1972) series where a main character (Nurse Dixie McCall) is shown smoking. Julie London was a heavy smoker in real life.

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Goofs

When the paramedics arrive at the grocery store it is dark outside. When the animal control officers arrive it is daylight. When the tiger gets onto the roof of the building it is dark once again. At the end of the rescue the sun is just rising.

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Quotes

Barney 'Doc' Coolidge: Thoase people at Rampart, they did all right on this. I'd like to meet that fella Brackett one of these days.
Supervisor Walt Marsh: Why don't you give him a call?
Barney 'Doc' Coolidge: Nah. They're busy over there. I wouldn't want to bother him.

User Reviews

A Miss On Several Levels

Whether a separate project edited into an episode of "Emergency!", or an episode of "Emergency!" meant from the start as a backdoor pilot, this clearly*was* a trial run for another series idea, in this case about animal services.

Unfortunately, it fails on several levels.

First and foremost is dramatic jeopardy. The tension seems forced throughout this very long, slow hour. It's impossible to imagine sustaining a level of interest through multiple episodes of a series.

Then there's dialogue. There's a certain timbre and cadence to a "Joe Friday" lecture. Jack Webb had it (obviously), because he originated it. So did Robert Fuller. David Huddleston simply did not.

Finally, there are the production values. The level of OBVIOUS stock footage breaks the feeling of continuity, without adding anything.

Taken all together, an interesting concept tgat fails in both execution and viability.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1975 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 30, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark VII Ltd., Emergency Productions, Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1