Emergency - General Discussion

[peacheslatour]

50 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

The last episode/clip show TV movie was on COZI-TV last night, where Johnny, Roy & others (including the PITA Craig Bryce being played by an African-American actor—I wonder if James G. Richardson had died by the time they filmed this movie?) were promoted to Captain. I know the promotion ceremony being strictly for the firefighters was a function of the storyline, which was mainly about Johnny & Roy reminiscing afterwards about how they met & a lot of the serious, average & weird things they got into during their time as partnered paramedics, but now it’s starting to bug me that Roy’s wife, Joanne, & their kids weren’t at the ceremony, like most families would be, even though nobody else’s families were there.

I also hope things might’ve changed, even though it wasn’t mentioned, so that Johnny & Roy could still at least keep up their paramedic certifications offscreen once they became captains. Though I guess they could since 1 ep had Johnny doing extra duty at a station where the captain (“Stoney”) had been a paramedic before becoming a captain. Johnny asked him if he still kept the certification up, he said he did & had the patch on his uniform sleeve to prove it. This ep, in my opinion, may contradict the 1 where Roy ranks highly enough on a test to be promoted to engineer (driver of the fire engine) within a year, but if he takes the promotion, it’s said he can’t be a paramedic any longer. Maybe Roy can’t be a working paramedic anymore, but why not at least be able to keep his paramedic certification valid like Johnny’s friend the captain who was able to be a captain & keep his paramedic certification valid?

Last comment: The show’s title had an exclamation point at the end which is missing from the thread title. Can it be added please?

I saw that too and wondered the same thing.

[peacheslatour]

When I was a kid and this show first came out, I had a massive crush on Gage. I still think he's really cute but upon rewatch, DeSoto is more my type. Gage is too goofy and kind of intellectually incurious. Roy is much more interesting and educated.

[BW Manilowe]

On 7/7/2016 at 8:56 AM, DCCFanInKy said:

"Welcome to Santa Rosa County"

I remember them having legit ambulances in the above (I think). A real ambulance took that boat explosion burn victim to the small hospital that looked like a cabin & the sheriff met Johnny & Roy there. I think the funeral home ambulance was in “Snakebite”, where Johnny, Roy & Chet were coming back from another fishing trip & came across an accident with a mother & minor-age son, who had an injured jugular vein or carotid artery & they had to convince Dr. Morton to allow treatment in an area where they weren’t certified. Then the long-haired young doctor showed up & apparently fixed the kid’s neck, Johnny, Roy & Chet went back to work, & Johnny later ended up getting bitten by a rattlesnake after going back to a rescue site in the mountains to retrieve a forgotten handy-talkie before taking the Squad to Rampart to meet Roy & the rescued patient(s).

[BW Manilowe]

On 7/9/2016 at 6:47 PM, sigmaforce86 said:

I use this for episode info........I try to watch in order but my station shows them just a little out of order, they'll do things like show ep 3 then 5 and 6 then 4 but sometimes the'll throw in a couple from a different season 

Wiki Emergency episodes

COZI shows the 2 TV movies with the female paramedics in San Francisco out of order EVERY TIME! They show “The Convention”, where we know the guys know the female paramedics, THEN they show “What’s a Nice Girl Like You...?” where the guys DON’T know the girls. And I don’t know how they don’t realize they’re showing those out of order. I also wonder if John De Lancie was playing the same doctor in the San Francisco TV movies as he did in “The Steel Inferno”? 

[BW Manilowe]

On 5/13/2017 at 7:16 AM, magicdog said:

COZI just showed the final Emergency! TV movie which had Johnny & Roy promoted to Captain and moving on with their professional lives while reminiscing about their past rescues.  

I guess that means we're back to the pilot on Monday.

The movie seemed to hint that Chet had died in the line of duty - speaking of him in past tense.    It was also a bummer that we didn't see the rest of the cast one final time - as opposed to the clips from past episodes.  Considering the occasion, they deserved better.  A clip show (or movie) are such a cheap way to go out of a popular, long running series.

Regarding the bolded: The weekday & Saturday eps are on different broadcast cycles. 1 of the eps today had Audrey Landers & Donny Most as a teenage couple, & the girl’s father didn’t necessarily like the boy, who got into a car wreck trying to get to the hospital from the beach because she was having OB-GYN type cramps while surfing; he ended up at least temporarily quadriplegic (he was beginning to regain feeling in a foot by the end) & she spent most of the ep after her character arrived at Rampart lying about being/not being pregnant (when she was/may have been) because Dr, Early suspected she had an abdominal injury he wanted to get X-rays of, but he wouldn’t do them while he didn’t believe she wasn’t pregnant. The DUMB thing about this was, nobody ever did anything about the OB-GYN cramps she was having & going to the hospital for, or if she actually had an abdominal injury. All anybody cared about was finding out if she was pregnant or not so Joe Early could safely get his X-rays!

[BW Manilowe]

On 5/9/2017 at 5:41 PM, magicdog said:

If it were set in LA in the present as a continuation, we could bring back as many surviving cast members for a reunion

Of the 5 leads (Fuller, Troup, London, Mantooth & Tighe), Robert Fuller retired from acting, moved to Texas & became a rancher after the show ended (probably why Brackett was only in “The Steel Inferno” except in clips), Troup & London have both passed on. Mantooth & Tighe are both still alive; as far as I know, Tighe is still acting. I’m not sure about Mantooth—I know he was into speaking about paramedic-type medicine around the country, as well as acting, after the show ended. The last link I found that supposedly went to his website ended up being a 404. Basically a dead link. So I don’t know if he’s still acting, or not.

[peacheslatour]

19 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

Of the 5 leads (Fuller, Troup, London, Mantooth & Tighe), Robert Fuller retired from acting, moved to Texas & became a rancher after the show ended (probably why Brackett was only in “The Steel Inferno” except in clips), Troup & London have both passed on. Mantooth & Tighe are both still alive; as far as I know, Tighe is still acting. I’m not sure about Mantooth—I know he was into speaking about paramedic-type medicine around the country, as well as acting, after the show ended. The last link I found that supposedly went to his website ended up being a 404. Basically a dead link. So I don’t know if he’s still acting, or not.

According to his IMBD page, the last thing he was in was 2013. Some cheapy horror movie called Killer Holiday where he plays a detective.

[BW Manilowe]

OK. Something which bugs me—which isn’t necessarily a big thing, but it still bugs—about the show is how far off John & Roy estimate at least some of the victims’ ages when giving the patient info to Rampart. At least the adults; I’ll give them a pass on at least most of the child victims they’re supposed to be treating. Like, the guy who broke his leg(s) trying to clean his chimney with gasoline in the ep in which Bobby Sherman guested (he then left show biz & became a real life paramedic, sheriff’s deputy, &/or cop, or some combination of the 3) as an intern/young resident & second generation doctor who wasn’t very good with people (sort of like the early version of Dr. Morton, but at least he got better with his people skills as the show progressed) or trusting of the paramedics (he told them to defib a patient because his monitor at Rampart Base showed that was indicated, but 51’s monitor showed a cardiac rhythm that would’ve killed the patient if 51 had defibrillated as ordered, due to some brief electrical fault in Rampart’s area during the rescue that Brackett discovered later). Anyway... 51 told Rampart the fireplace guy was approximately 30 (& yes I know they always say “approximately” on ages, so I probably shouldn’t bitch), but the guy actually looked to be at least 5, or even 10, years older than estimated for his character.

And, honestly, I know it’s a function of the show (& Dixie & Brackett apparently had a “thing” between them in the Pilot TV movie), but Kel, Dixie, Joe & Dr. Morton really shouldn’t be using first names with each other on the job in front of anybody—not anybody from Station 51, the patients or any supporting medical people, except all doctors can use first names—if at least the supporting character nurses have to use their titles (supporting character doctors calling Joe & Kel by their first names is OK professionally). My late dad was a doctor & I worked in his office after I got outta college. Unless anyone (mostly other doctors, but also some patients) who might call or come to the office already knew us/our family, or might see a pic of me in his office, then end up seeing me at work for some reason, nobody was supposed to know he & I were related/I couldn’t call him dad at work unless we were around someone who knew he was my dad or it was just him, me, & the office manager in the office.

[Raja]

The age anomalies were a feature of Jack Webb productions. He had his troupe of actors with many them playing an "age" since the 50s Dragnet often the same role in a 60s color remake of a Dragnet episode which carried over to Emergency. Looking at them today you would think that the wars prematurely aged the greatest generation.

[cynicat]

On 2/22/2021 at 2:39 PM, peacheslatour said:

When I was a kid and this show first came out, I had a massive crush on Gage. I still think he's really cute but upon rewatch, DeSoto is more my type. Gage is too goofy and kind of intellectually incurious. Roy is much more interesting and educated.

Add me to the fangirl list for John Gage.  I was an early teen and this was my Saturday night staple.  I was delighted to find out that Randolph Mantooth was in some of the soaps I watched later in life.  It was a pleasant surprise to see him as different, sometimes smarmy characters.

[peacheslatour]

I was watching The Promotion yesterday. There was a multiple injury pile up on a very fogged in road. It was only the second time the show made me cry. When Chet was giving CPR to that little two year old girl just broke my heart. The first time was the baby goat. To paraphrase: "We have a million dollars worth of equipment, hundreds of thousands of hours of training and we can't save one damned little goat."

[Egg McMuffin]

On 4/17/2021 at 10:15 AM, cynicat said:

Add me to the fangirl list for John Gage.  I was an early teen and this was my Saturday night staple.  I was delighted to find out that Randolph Mantooth was in some of the soaps I watched later in life.  It was a pleasant surprise to see him as different, sometimes smarmy characters.

He played Pam Ewing’s date on an episode of Dallas. Bobby pushed him into her pool IIRC.

[BW Manilowe]

Legacy.com: Tim Donnelly (1944-2021), Actor Known for “Emergency!

This obit was posted to Legacy.com on the 21st. He died on the 19th. The only info I know about it is posted at the link. He was the brother of frequent Emergency! director Dennis Donnelly. He leaves behind other survivors, who are either kids or grandkids.

[BW Manilowe]

The LA County Fire Museum’s Planning a multi-day celebration in January Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Show’s Premiere

Among the activities is an evening with Randy & Kevin, talking about the show & doing a Q&A. It might include the other actors who made up Station 51, because there’s a reference to a cast Q&A sometime, but so far Randy & Kevin are the only cast scheduled to appear. I doubt Robert Fuller will attend; he retired from acting after the show & took up ranching in Texas, I’ve read, plus I think he’s in his 80’s now. He’s the only surviving actor, that I know of, whose character was on staff at Rampart. Maybe the actor who played Dr. Morton’s still around. Otherwise, the evening with the cast will be the same as the evening with Randy & Kevin.

[BW Manilowe]

Emergency! 50th Anniversary Celebration UPDATE: 

As of December 22nd (yesterday, as I write this), the LA County Fire Museum regrets to announce that the activities surrounding the show’s 50th Anniversary celebration have to be postponed at this time, due to circumstances beyond their control. They say they are currently evaluating the situation and working on a new date, which will be announced when it’s chosen.

[peacheslatour]

Shit, shit, shit. Cozi has taken Emergency! off the daily schedule. Thanks a lot Cozi.

[Egg McMuffin]

It’s still on the daily schedule - they just moved it, to 8:00 am and 9:00 am. And on Saturdays, it’s still on at 6:00 and 7:00 pm.

[peacheslatour]

5 minutes ago, Kyle said:

It’s still on the daily schedule - they just moved it, to 8:00 am and 9:00 am. And on Saturdays, it’s still on at 6:00 and 7:00 pm.

That must be Eastern because here my guide is showing Quincy MD at those times. 

[Egg McMuffin]

Yep - if you’re on Pacific time, then Emergency is on at 5:00 and 6:00 am. I’m a bit surprised that COZI doesn’t have a west coast feed like MeTV does.

[BookWitch]

FETV is now showing two episodes back to back every night. They're in the 3rd season right now.

 

[peacheslatour]

7 hours ago, BookWitch said:

FETV is now showing two episodes back to back every night. They're in the 3rd season right now.

 

I watch two episodes back to back every day except Sunday on Cozi TV. In my market FETV has turned into some weird religious channel.

[cynicat]

Did anyone else watch the 50th anniversary special they had on Cozi TV?

[peacheslatour]

6 hours ago, cynicat said:

Did anyone else watch the 50th anniversary special they had on Cozi TV?

I did! I loved it. And it was so much fun seeing the guys and hearing their stories.

[cynicat]

5 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I did! I loved it. And it was so much fun seeing the guys and hearing their stories.

The stories were great, especially some of the peeking behind the curtains, like John Gage was an homage to Jim Page.  (not to be confused with the Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page)

As I was watching, it brought me back  and I think I may have leaned into the field of medicine because of this show.  If only so that one day I too could say: "Start an IV with Ringers lactate D5W TKO", and know what it meant.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, cynicat said:

The stories were great, especially some of the peeking behind the curtains, like John Gage was an homage to Jim Page.  (not to be confused with the Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page)

As I was watching, it brought me back  and I think I may have leaned into the field of medicine because of this show.  If only so that one day I too could say: "Start an IV with Ringers lactate D5W TKO", and know what it meant.

I love that!

[BookWitch]

The show is on FETV now. Watching "The girl on the balance beam" about the helicopter father guilting the daughter to keep competing despite injuries. God forbid they put them both in the same room and tell them to fess up! One of the frustrating things about this show was the lack of communication with anything!!

[mrsfish]

On 3/31/2014 at 6:38 AM, bigskygirl said:

Does anyone know what is on Roy's and John's nametags?  I have been trying to look at them while watching them on the show's dvd box sets, but I cannot figure it out.

J. Gage, Paramedic or R. DeSoto, Paramedic on first line. Mobile Intensive Care Unit on second line.

[bmasters9]

One thing I wonder-- why would the show be apparently remastered for its showings on FETV (especially for seasons 3, 4 and 5), yet have commercials out the wazoo, whereas the DVD presentations are seemingly more complete, despite the poor picture quality of much of seasons 3, 4 and 5?

[Raja]

3 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

One thing I wonder-- why would the show be apparently remastered for its showings on FETV (especially for seasons 3, 4 and 5), yet have commercials out the wazoo, whereas the DVD presentations are seemingly more complete, despite the poor picture quality of much of seasons 3, 4 and 5?

Business trumps show, especially when its hard to do an A to b comparison. You are just competing with old memories thinking something else was here when I saw it 40 years ago.

Then many 70s shows have extended establishing shots that this century's shows have abandoned.  I remember a decade ago picking up on the pitch of Adam-12's siren going higher as they sped up those scenes and then dropping lower when it slowed back down for dialog. And worse on the music history/biography show Unsung they sped up the music clips of the artist and slowed the playback back down when the narrator started reading his script again. 

I would hope that any edit would just get rid of the squad going to the scene rather than drop an entire rescue or fire station/hospital banter.

[BookWitch]

Michael Norell Captain Stanley 😪

Passed away May 12th. 

Edited May 26, 2023 by BookWitch
more info

[bmasters9]

On 5/26/2023 at 10:09 AM, BookWitch said:

Michael Norell Captain Stanley 😪

Passed away May 12th. 

 

Long good life he led (Capt. Stanley was his best role, and now we have all the memories on DVD).

[Raja]

Emergency! has replaced Adam-12 in the early evening slot on ME TV. The first half of the pilot aired on 10/07/24. Going down a refresher rabbit hole I found  Johnny and Roy guest starring on a one season and done TV show about Park Rangers, Sierra. It looks like the very beginning and end of the episode are missing. It plays like an hour version of the TV movies with other fire departments Jack Webb made near the end of Emergency's run.

 

[peacheslatour]

I watched it yesterday. That cold open gave me chills. I could not be happier. I am not a fan of Adam 12.

[bmasters9]

On 10/8/2024 at 2:02 PM, peacheslatour said:

I watched it yesterday. That cold open gave me chills. I could not be happier. I am not a fan of Adam 12.

Why don't you like Adam-12?

[peacheslatour]

7 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

Why don't you like Adam-12?

It just doesn't sit right with me for some reason. It has too much of the Jack Webb feel to it. 

[bmasters9]

23 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

It just doesn't sit right with me for some reason. It has too much of the Jack Webb feel to it. 

IMO, so did Dragnet, especially the 60s ones that were all about the "message" (I don't recall "messages" preached in the old B/W 50s ones).

[Raja]

5 hours ago, bmasters9 said:

IMO, so did Dragnet, especially the 60s ones that were all about the "message" (I don't recall "messages" preached in the old B/W 50s ones).

The 50s, at least in the greatest hits DVDs were just about all homicide while the color version was like a tour through the LAPD organization right before it changed coming out of the Watts Riots.

On Emergency! The Wedworth-Townsend Act pilot movie was full blown Sergeant Friday like with Firefighter DeSoto and Dr. Bracket. But as an hour show as opposed to 30 minutes the effect was muted somewhat 

Edited November 3 by Raja
Wedworth-Townsend Act

[Raja]

On 2/22/2021 at 1:37 PM, BW Manilowe said:

I remember them having legit ambulances in the above (I think). A real ambulance took that boat explosion burn victim to the small hospital that looked like a cabin & the sheriff met Johnny & Roy there. I think the funeral home ambulance was in “Snakebite”, where Johnny, Roy & Chet were coming back from another fishing trip & came across an accident with a mother & minor-age son, who had an injured jugular vein or carotid artery & they had to convince Dr. Morton to allow treatment in an area where they weren’t certified. Then the long-haired young doctor showed up & apparently fixed the kid’s neck, Johnny, Roy & Chet went back to work, & Johnny later ended up getting bitten by a rattlesnake after going back to a rescue site in the mountains to retrieve a forgotten handy-talkie before taking the Squad to Rampart to meet Roy & the rescued patient(s).

Taking a Thanksgiving football break I ran across the episode and in my original description from old memories did merge two episodes of the guys out in the middle of nowhere helping out.

Given current shows the last episode I saw before this one had a shooting victim. It was later in the run since Vince was a police officer and no longer a LASD deputy. But everyone was so casual about a possible shooter on the loose.

[Raja]

I don't know how long it has been streaming there but I just looked at my mom's Peacock, 7 seasons worth.

[peacheslatour]

3 hours ago, Raja said:

I don't know how long it has been streaming there but I just looked at my mom's Peacock, 7 seasons worth.

I had heard that some channels, such as those owned by Sinclair, have extensively censored some of these older shows. I don't know if that's true but ever since they moved from Cozi to ME TV, I've seen many scenes that I had no idea existed.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

I had heard that some channels, such as those owned by Sinclair, have extensively censored some of these older shows. I don't know if that's true but ever since they moved from Cozi to ME TV, I've seen many scenes that I had no idea existed.

I know that ME did the speed up establing shots trick to squeeze in more commercials. I can't say if content has been dropped 

[peacheslatour]

56 minutes ago, Raja said:

I know that ME did the speed up establing shots trick to squeeze in more commercials. I can't say if content has been dropped 

I can say I'm seeing a lot more than I ever did on Cozi.