SCU: Serious Crash Unit
| SCU: Serious Crash Unit | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Factual Television Series |
| Narrated by | Shane Cortese, Craig Hall |
| Composer(s) | Liquid Studios |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Andrea Lamb |
| Location(s) | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Camera setup | OPC, multi single-camera crews |
| Running time | 22 minutes (approx) |
| Production company(s) | Greenstone TV Ltd - www.greenstonetv.com |
| Distributor | TVNZ |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TV2 |
| Picture format | 576i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original run | 2 April 2004 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Crash Investigation Unit |
| External links | |
| Production website | |
SCU: Serious Crash Unit is a New Zealand documentary series, which airs on TV2 in New Zealand, and other networks around the world. The show is currently in production of a 4th series, due to be released early 2008, while an Australian version of SCU is premiering in 2008 under the title Crash Investigation Unit.
Overview
SCU: Serious Crash Unit follows an Auckland based crash unit as they investigate crashes, and then join up the evidence found at the crash scene to find out what really happened, and what caused the accident. The series also talks to family members whose loved ones where involved in the crash.
Even though the media commonly refers to road crashes like these as accidents, the police do not use the word 'accident' as it suggests that it was no one's fault. The truth is that every crash has a cause or causes that are usually related to human factors. To quote the former head of the Waitemata SCU (the unit featured in the series): "There is no such thing as an accident".
Episodes
Season 1
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Albany/Novotel" | 2004 |
| Two vehicles are destroyed in a fatal head-on accident on Albany Bridge, but who was to blame? | |||
| 2 | 2 | "Okura/Stanway" | 2004 |
| The SCU investigation into a crashed four-wheel-drive reveals disturbing facts about the vehicle and the road. | |||
| 3 | 3 | "Simpson Rd" | 2004 |
| The morning drive to work for two West Auckland factory workers ends in tragedy on Simpson Road in Ranui. | |||
| 4 | 4 | "Windy/Wellsford" | 2004 |
| When a young father loses control of his vehicle on his way to visit his children, the SCU suspect his brakes may have been at fault. | |||
| 5 | 5 | "Whangaparaoa/joe Dee" | 2004 |
| The SCU are called to two separate and horrifying crashes - both on Whangaparaoa Road. Were both fatal? | |||
| 6 | 6 | "Bush/Dome" | 2004 |
| When a young motorcyclist is killed in a collision with a truck, it is a complex job to analyse the many factors that could prove the truck driver is innocent or guilty. | |||
| 7 | 7 | "Upper Harbour/titrangi" | 2004 |
| When a bus veers out of control in Titirangi with fatal results, the SCU uncovers the shocking facts behind the crash. | |||
Season 2012
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Mangatawhiri" | 2012 | ||
| the SCU investigate a crash where a truck driver is killed after he swerves to avoid crashing into a line of traffic on a busy state highway. How could this tragic accident happen on a road he's driven practically every day for over forty years? | |||
| "Wellsford" | 2012 | ||
| many lives are shattered when two young women are killed and three women are seriously injured after a horrific multi vehicle high speed crash south of Wellsford. | |||
| "Pinewoods" | 2012 | ||
| the SCU investigate a serious crash where a rising touch rugby star is killed when he is thrown from a car as it plunges over a 25 metre cliff at a camping ground north of Auckland. How did the driver manage to walk away from the incident practically unscathed and did alcohol and drugs have a hand to play in this shocking crash? | |||
Broadcasting
The following list is ordered by the date of the series premiere.
| Country | TV Network(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly Schedule | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 New Zealand | TV2 | N/A | All episodes aired | |
 Australia | Channel Seven | 17 March 2008 | Monday 8:00pm | All episodes aired |
Ratings
Australia
In Australia, SCU: Serious Crash Unit was watched by 1.4 million viewers in its premiere episode, and received similar ratings in its second week.[1] In its premiere week in Australia, SCU: Serious Crash Unit was the third most watched program in the five mainland state capitals.[2]
The second series premiered Monday 8:00pm at 1.2 million viewers,[3] and ratings have remained between 1.2 and 1.7 million viewers, following a strong lead in from Border Security: Australia's Front Line.
References
- ↑ "Stay In Touch", Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 14 December 2006
- ↑ Five mainland state capitals include Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
- ↑ "The Tribal Mind", The Sun-Herald, retrieved 28 April 2008