Police Rescue

Police Rescue
Also known as Police Rescue – Gefährlicher Einsatz (Germany)
Polizia Squadra Soccorso (Italy)
Sydney Police (France)
Záchranáři (Czech Republic)
Written by Christopher Lee
Debra Oswald
Philip Cornford
Directed by Peter Fisk (1989-1993)
Michael Carson (1991–1993)
Scott Hartford-Davis (1995–1996)
Starring Gary Sweet
Sonia Todd
Steve Bastoni
John Clayton
Tammy MacIntosh
Belinda Cotterill
Jeremy Callaghan
Doug Scroope
Steve Bisley
Frank Holden
Marshall Napier
Tim McKenzie
Peter Browne
Ada Nicodemou
Salvatore Coco
Leah Purcell
Composer(s) Martin Armiger
Garry Hardman
Country of origin Australia
United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 5
No. of episodes 61 + pilot
Production
Executive producer(s) Penny Chapman
Kim Williams
Errol Sullivan
Producer(s) John Edwards
Sandra Levy
Editor(s) Various
Location(s) New South Wales, Australia
Cinematography Steve Arnold
Russell Bacon
Stephen Windon
Running time 50 minutes
90 minutes (pilot)
Production company(s) Australian Broadcasting Corporation
British Broadcasting Corporation
Southern Star Xanadu
Distributor Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Release
Original network ABC
Picture format PAL (576i)
Audio format Stereophonic
First shown in Australia
Original release 15 March 1989 (1989-03-15) – 22 November 1996 (1996-11-22)

Police Rescue was an Australian television series which originally aired on ABC TV between 1989 and 1996. It was produced by ABC and Southern Star Xanadu in association with the BBC.[1]

Apart from the 61 episodes, there was a 90-minute pilot episode (first screened in 1989) as well as a feature film in 1994, starring Zoe Carides.

The series dealt with the New South Wales Police Rescue Squad based in Sydney and their work attending to various incidents from road accidents to train crashes. The show was very well received for the first four series, however a decline in ratings by the commencement of the 1996 series saw the cancellation of the show, following an almost epitaph in the final three episodes.

Police Rescue was shown in the United Kingdom first on BBC1 and later on Sky One, in the Czech Republic as Záchranáři on TV Nova, in parts of Italy as Polizia Squadra Soccorso on T9, in France on TF1 as Sydney Police, in Germany on VOX as Police Rescue – Gefährlicher Einsatz, in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark on the United Kingdom-based TV3, and in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ.

Major cast

Recurring minor cast

In mid-1989, Southern Star Xanadu broadcast the pilot episode of Police Rescue via the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The 90-minute telemovie established the background of the protagonist of the series, Sergeant "Mickey" McClintock. Several issues were raised in the pilot, such as women's discrimination, sexism and street violence. The plot evolved around the entrance of the first woman member to the Police Rescue Squad, Constable Georgia Rattray and then the search for a missing boy in Sydney's sewer system.[2]

The telemovie was well received and spawned the series of Police Rescue, which carried on shortly after the pilot.

Rescue Pilot Movie

Number
in series		 Number
in season		 Title Original air date
PilotPilot"Rescue"15 March 1989
The 90-minute telemovie established the background of the protagonist of the series, Sergeant "Mickey" McClintock. Several issues were raised in the pilot, such as women's discrimination, sexism and street violence. The plot evolved around the entrance of the first woman member to the Police Rescue Squad, Constable Georgia Rattray and then the search for a missing boy in Sydney's sewer system.

Season 1

Number
in series		 Number
in season		 Title Original air date
11"Mates"
A highly successful businessman who threatens suicide makes mickey realize how lucky he really is.
22"Angel After Hours"
A visiting psychologist learns to respect the RESCUE team when he joins them for a rugged night shift and angel is forced to share his family crisis with Mickey.
33"LPG"
44"The Cosmic Lightbeam"
55"Mad Dog"
66"Saturday Night"
77"Reunion with Snake"
88"Raid"
99"One for Dad"
1010"Hostage"
1111"Up a Tree"
1212"Saving the Princess"
1313"By the Book"

Season 2 (1992)

Number
in series		 Number
in season		 Title Original air date
114"The Right Stuff"
215"Off the Track"
316"The Hard Way"
417"The Big Canary"
518"Judgement Day"
619"Stakeout"
720"Sugar"
821"With a Vengeance"
922"Reasons to Live"
1023"From This Day Forward"
1124"Angel's Devils"
1225"The Real Meaning"
1326"Heartbeat"

Season 3 (1993)

Number
in series		 Number
in season		 Title Original air date
127"Lifeline"
228"Wild Goose Chase"
329"On a Roll"
430"Prodigal Daughter"
531"The Loaded Boy"
632"Good Buddy"
733"Rush Hour"
834"Speeding"
935"Lift Sixteen"
1036"Whirlwind"
1137"Cold Snap"
1238"Double Illusion"
1339"The Last to Know"

Police Rescue: The Movie (1994)

Number
in series		 Number
in season		 Title Original air date
MovieMovie"Rescue"March 17, 1994
Constable Laurie Gordon transfers from the Drugs Squad to Sydney's elite Police Rescue squad after her partner and lover is killed when a raid goes wrong. When allegations of corruption follow her to Rescue, Gordon must fight to regain the vital trust of the squad and Sgt. 'Mickey' McClintock. This trust is tested when a gunman takes a teacher and kids hostage at a child care centre, and the Rescue Squad is called in to assist.

Season 4 (1995)

Number
in series		 Number
in season		 Title Original air date
140"On the Outer"
241"Conduct Endangering Life"
342"Wrong Side of the Road"
443"Something's Got to Give"
544"Guardian Angel"
645"Double Jeopardy"
746"Crossing the Line"
847"Damage Control"
948"Public Mischief"
1049"Breaking Strain"
1150"The Sharp End"
1251"Rescue Me"
1352"Wild Card"

Season 5 (1996)

Number
in series		 Number
in season		 Title Original air date
153"The Ultimate"
254"Nobby's Place"
355"The Getting of Wisdom"
456"The River"
557"The Ship"
658"Flash the Descent"
759"The Holliman Kid"
860"Tomorrow Never Knows"
961"The Only Constant"

Home media

DVD

DVD name Ep # Discs Region 4 (Australia) DVD special features
Season one 13 4 November 26, 2006 90-minute pilot episode
Season two 13 4 April 9, 2007 None
Season three 13 4 April 9, 2007 None
Season four (DVD name: Season 4 – Part 1 & 2) 11 3 July 9, 2007 None
Season five (DVD name: Season 4 – Part 2) 11 3 July 9, 2007 None

VHS

In 1993, ABC Television released selected episodes from Series 1 and Series 2 on VHS format. The 1989 pilot episode was released the previous year.

VHS name Ep # Taps Region 4 (Australia) VHS special features
Mates and Hostages 2 1 1993 None
Police Rescue: The Movie Film 1 — None
Judgement Day and Reasons to Live 2 1 — None

References

  1. ↑ "Police Rescue – By the Book". AustralianScreen.com.au.
  2. ↑ Ed. Scott Murray, "Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995", Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p130.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, December 08, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.