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Third Watch

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This article is about the television show. For information about naval watches, see Watch system.
Third Watch
Fifth season cast of Third Watch
The cast at the beginning of the fifth season.
Created byJohn Wells
StarringMichael Beach
Coby Bell
Bobby Cannavale
Amy Carlson
Eddie Cibrian
Nia Long
Molly Price
Kim Raver
Anthony Ruivivar
Skipp Sudduth
Tia Texada
Jason Wiles
Cara Buono
Josh Stewart
Chris Bauer
Bonnie Dennison
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes132 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time1 hour
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 23, 1999 –
May 6, 2005

Third Watch is an NBC television drama set in New York City that ran from 1999 to 2005. It followed the exploits of a group of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics in the fictional 55th Precinct 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." 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.

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.

Third Watch was listed in the Bergen Record, The Times and other newspapers as a TV show that was cancelled too early.

The theme song for the show was "Keep Hope Alive" by The Crystal Method.

Cast

NYPD

FDNY — Paramedics

FDNY — Firefighters

Others

Famous guest stars

Famous guest stars include: Joseph Cross, Aidan Quinn, Mykelti Williamson, Rosie O'Donnell, Haylie Duff, Corbin Bernsen, Henry Winkler, Kate Jackson, Lonette McKee, Nick Turturro, Anson Mount, Wendell Pierce, Eve, Gene Simmons, DMX, Roy Scheider, Method Man, Marc John Jeffries, Paul Michael Glaser, Wyclef Jean, Veronica Hamel, Ethan Suplee, Khandi Alexander, Treach, Adam Beach, Mia Farrow, Tom Berenger, Sherry Stringfield, Jason Sehorn, Ann-Margret, and many others.

Episode List

Main article: List of Third Watch episodes

Broadcasters

Third Watch was broadcast in many countries. This is a non-exhaustive list of the show broadcasters worldwide:

DVD releases

DVD Name
Cover Art
Release dates
Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
The Complete 1st Season Season 1, Region 2 DVD release N/A May 22 2006 May 3 2006

Trivia

  • The series exists in the same television universe as Medical Investigation. 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.
  • The series has been prominently featured in the comic book series Ex Machina. A janitor steals a firefighter's costume from the set and uses it to commit burglary; he is captured after a dog rips his sleeve off and the name "Doherty" is seen inked on the cuff.
  • 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 won an Emmy Award.
  • Third Watch cast members Eddie Cibrian and Michael Beach left the series within two episodes of each other in 2004. Cibrian left after the show's 101st episode, while Beach made his departure after the show's 103rd episode.
  • Series regular Bobby Cannavale (1999-2001) asked to be written out of the series due to lack of character usage and development. He asked for his character, Roberto 'Bobby' Caffey, to go out with a bang. After a huge fan reaction, he appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in 2001 to explain his decision to leave the show.
  • Series regular Kim Raver (1999-2005) left the show after its sixth-season opener, and returned just twenty-one episodes later for the show's series finale. She was joined by fellow former cast members Michael Beach and Eddie Cibrian.
  • Eddie Cibrian's departure marked the first time a main character was written out of the show without dying.
  • Third Watch's original ensemble cast (1999) 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, Bobby Cannavale willingly left the series, and at the start of Season 3 that year 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. 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 until the show's series finale on May 6, 2005. 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 in late 2004, after the show's sixth-season opener. Two episodes later, Josh Stewart was introduced as a main cast member 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 Bauer left the show to pursue his new show Tilt, but made sporadic guest-star appearances in season six. Beach, Cibrian, and Raver then re-joined their former costars in the series finale "Goodbye To Camelot."
  • The series' 100th episode, "A Call For Help", was based on a case show creator Edward Allen Bernero was involved in when he was with the Chicago Police Department. It was also filmed in the same alleyway used to open the first episode.
  • Michael Beach (Monte 'Doc' Parker) was a recurring guest star on ER as Al Boulet, the HIV-positive husband of Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben). He, Coby Bell and Lisa Vidal played different characters on both series. Bell guest-starred in one episode in 1997 while Vidal played lesbian firefighter Sandy Lopez, the girlfriend of ER's Kerry Weaver and birth mother of their son, Henry, after Vidal's character Dr. Morales was written out of Third Watch.
  • 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.
  • In the season four finale of Third Watch, fan favorite character Fire Lieutenant Johnson (portrayed by actor John Michael Bolger) was seriously injured in an explosion. According to www.thirdwatch.net, the original plan was to have an extensive story arc involving Johnson's recovery in season five, but the idea was scrapped when series regular Molly Price became pregnant. The idea of having Price's character (Faith Yokas) seriously injured in the season finale and having to recuperate at home (mostly M.I.A.) became a major storyline during season five. Instead of having two recuperation storylines happening at the same time (one for Johnson and one for Yokas), Fire Lieutenant Johnson was written out of the show.
  • Coby Bell is the only cast member to have appeared in all 132 episodes.
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