Rescue 911
Encyclopedia
Rescue 911 is an informational reality-based television series, hosted by William Shatner
. Originally intended to be only a set of three TV specials, Rescue 911 was picked up by CBS
for the 1989 fall season after two specials aired on April 18, 1989 and May 9, 1989. Rescue 911 began airing as a regular series on September 5, 1989 and ran for 7 seasons, with the last new episode airing on August 27, 1996. The last episode to air on CBS (a repeat) aired on September 3, 1996. Throughout its duration, most episodes aired on Tuesday, though occasionally the show aired on other days of the week, either as an additional episode shown during that week or a temporary rearrangement to make room for another program.
Though never intended as a teaching tool, various viewers used the knowledge they obtained watching Rescue 911. Two specials, titled "100 Lives Saved" and "200 Lives Saved," were dedicated to these viewers who had written to CBS with their stories on how the knowledge they obtained watching Rescue 911 allowed them to save the life of someone else. At least 350 lives have been saved as a result of what viewers learned from watching Rescue 911. The show's popularity coincided with the widespread adoption of the 911 emergency system
, replacing standalone police and fire numbers which would vary from municipality to municipality. The number is now universally understood in the United States and Canada to be the number dialed for emergency assistance nationwide.
At its height, the show was adapted in 45 countries (with their own 911 equivalent showcased). Although reruns have previously been shown on cable
stations such as The Family Channel
and The Odyssey Network
, as of August 1, 2005, Discovery Health Channel
stopped airing reruns, meaning the show is currently not airing on any U.S. network. Reruns are sometimes shown on the U.K. channel, Zone Reality
.
/asphyxia
tions, miscellaneous injuries, and amazing stories of survival were the most common situations presented on the show. Other situations commonly presented on Rescue 9-1-1 included near-drownings
, people getting themselves or their body parts stuck in tight places, baby deliveries
, animal
rescues, search and rescue
situations, swiftwater rescue
s, rescues of people stranded in high places such as cliffs or trees, and aircraft
-related emergencies. Occasionally, stories involving gas leak
s, electrocution
s, suicide attempts, scuba diving
accidents, drug overdose
s, train
-related accidents, fatal allergic reactions, and natural disasters
were also presented.
Although Rescue 9-1-1 mostly featured serious emergencies, it occasionally featured humorous stories of non life-threatening situations and false alarms. Examples included a burglar who got stuck upside-down when he tried to enter a house through the chimney, a young boy who got stuck in a laundry chute while playing hide-and-seek, a young boy who got his pet lizard's jaws locked around his finger, a young man who got a plaster mask stuck on his face, a woman who got a plaster
mold stuck to her torso
, a woman who called 9-1-1 when she mistook her parents' new mannequin
for an intruder, a young boy whose tongue
froze to the inside of his freezer while he attempted to get ice cream, a toddler
who got her foot stuck in the toilet
drain, a dog that stepped on the 9-1-1 speed dial
button after getting tangled in the phone cord (although the dog was in danger of being strangled), a raccoon
whose head was stuck in the hole of a tree, a woman who got stuck in her bathroom when the lock on her door failed and a man who woke up to a break in and ended up holding a bobcat
at gunpoint.
While humorous, some of these light-hearted segments have shown that the victims were at risk of injury (for example, the plaster cast on the woman which was causing chemical burns, and blood coming from the mouth of the boy with the frozen tongue).
Shatner would begin and end each episode (and usually, all segments within it) via on-screen appearances from such locations as 9-1-1 dispatch centers, fire stations, or next to police cars and/or ambulances. In addition, voiceover narration was also done by Shatner during the segments.
Occasionally, recorded video footage of all or part of the event itself, the rescue efforts or the aftermath (usually amateur video or television news coverage) would be used. In these instances, Shatner would mention that a particular amount of footage was taped "as events unfolded" in the opening to a segment in which recorded footage was included.
Many re-enactments required complex presentation, such as the recreation of house fires
, automobile accidents, police chases
, explosions, pregnant women
in labor, and even natural disaster
s.
Some stories took place in the form of a documentary
. In these stories, Rescue 9-1-1 camera crews would ride with paramedics or police, or wait in hospitals and film whatever happened to unfold. These stories sometimes involved more than one event in a single segment at the same medical facility. Examples of such type episodes include the Charles Stuart
murder case, which happened when Rescue 9-1-1 was filming in Boston.
at Puerto Rico's DuPont Plaza Hotel, the 1987 Amtrak train wreck
in Maryland, two segments on Hurricane Hugo
, the June 1990 Ohio tornado, the Stuart murder case
, the Salt Lake City Public Library hostage incident
, and the Oklahoma City bombing
.
Because it was paired with The CBS Tuesday Night Movie for most of its run, however, episodes with irregular running times were occasionally created to accommodate movies that didn't fit the regular two-hour time slot. Such episodes usually ran 30 minutes and contained two stories. Other such episodes included a 90-minute episode, a 50-minute episode, a 45-minute episode, and a 15-minute episode containing only one story.
From seasons one through five, an opening disclaimer was shown before the start of each episode. Shatner's voice was heard saying:,
At the start of season six, the show's opening was changed. Instead of the disclaimer, three segments from each episode were previewed, and a shortened version of the original opening was shown. Reruns from earlier seasons that aired after September 1994 had their old introductions replaced by the new version of the introduction. This version of the introduction was used for the final two seasons of the show's run.
In 1993, The Family Channel
began airing re-runs of Rescue 9-1-1 in the 60-minute format, although episodes were edited for running time, censored for profanity and negative religious references and some of the more graphic footage from some segments that had passed on CBS was cut out.
At first, FAM showed the opening disclaimer at the beginning of the episodes, but it was later replaced with a short teaser which previewed one or two segments from the episode. Season six episodes that aired on FAM had their introductions replaced with the orriginal introduction, although the opening credits were not changed accordingly, and were sometimes incorrect. Seventh season episodes were never shown on FAM.
When the Family Channel became the FOX Family Channel in August of 1998, Rescue 9-1-1 was removed from its lineup.
. This version of the show ran 30 minutes and typically included two stories, although a few episodes contained one long-running story. Some syndicated episodes featured stories that began on one episode and concluded on the next, which was never done in the show's original format. Stories featured on syndicated episodes were often edited for running time, omitting short scenes that were shown in the original broadcasts. Three-hundred of these syndicated episodes were made, and featured segments from the first six seasons.
The following networks have shown Rescue 9-1-1 in the syndicated format:
Season 3
Season 7
started its own version with a mix of cases from Germany and the US in 1992. The show ran for over 14 years, with the last episode broadcast on August 27, 2006.
On May 27, 1997, "Rescue 9-1-1: World's Greatest Rescues" was released on VHS
. This video featured five stories of rescue attempts from around the world; segments were taken from both the U.S. and international versions of the show. The segments on the video were edited for running time, and the original narration on all segments (including those originally narrated by Shatner) were dubbed over by an uncredited narrator. The two stories taken from the U.S. version were about a New Zealand
girl pinned beneath a flaming gasoline tanker (season three, episode twenty-five) and the infamous documentary of the Stuart murder case
in Boston, Massachusetts (season one, episode twenty.) The other three stories, taken from international versions of the show were about a Belgian family trapped in a car hanging precariously from a high overpass, a Russian
hostage crisis in which a terrorist held two women captive, and an Austrian skier who fell into an underground glacier river.
No plans have been announced for additional home video releases of the show, although there has been an on-going petition to get it released on DVD
via tvshowsondvd.com
.
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
. Originally intended to be only a set of three TV specials, Rescue 911 was picked up by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
for the 1989 fall season after two specials aired on April 18, 1989 and May 9, 1989. Rescue 911 began airing as a regular series on September 5, 1989 and ran for 7 seasons, with the last new episode airing on August 27, 1996. The last episode to air on CBS (a repeat) aired on September 3, 1996. Throughout its duration, most episodes aired on Tuesday, though occasionally the show aired on other days of the week, either as an additional episode shown during that week or a temporary rearrangement to make room for another program.
Though never intended as a teaching tool, various viewers used the knowledge they obtained watching Rescue 911. Two specials, titled "100 Lives Saved" and "200 Lives Saved," were dedicated to these viewers who had written to CBS with their stories on how the knowledge they obtained watching Rescue 911 allowed them to save the life of someone else. At least 350 lives have been saved as a result of what viewers learned from watching Rescue 911. The show's popularity coincided with the widespread adoption of the 911 emergency system
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
, replacing standalone police and fire numbers which would vary from municipality to municipality. The number is now universally understood in the United States and Canada to be the number dialed for emergency assistance nationwide.
At its height, the show was adapted in 45 countries (with their own 911 equivalent showcased). Although reruns have previously been shown on cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
stations such as The Family Channel
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
and The Odyssey Network
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
, as of August 1, 2005, Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel is a website owned by Discovery Communications, created for people interested in health and wellness. Until December 31, 2010, it was a U.S. cable television specialty channel dedicated to television programming that highlights various aspects of health and wellness...
stopped airing reruns, meaning the show is currently not airing on any U.S. network. Reruns are sometimes shown on the U.K. channel, Zone Reality
Zone Reality
Zone Reality is a European reality television channel.Zone Reality broadcasts in both analogue and digital to over 120 million viewers throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America....
.
Situations
Crimes, automobile accidents, medical emergencies, fires, chokingChoking
Choking is the mechanical obstruction of the flow of air from the environment into the lungs. Choking prevents breathing, and can be partial or complete, with partial choking allowing some, although inadequate, flow of air into the lungs. Prolonged or complete choking results in asphyxia which...
/asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
tions, miscellaneous injuries, and amazing stories of survival were the most common situations presented on the show. Other situations commonly presented on Rescue 9-1-1 included near-drownings
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
, people getting themselves or their body parts stuck in tight places, baby deliveries
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
, animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
rescues, search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
situations, swiftwater rescue
Swiftwater rescue
Swiftwater rescue is a subset of technical rescue dealing in whitewater river conditions. Due to the added pressure of moving water, swiftwater rescue involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes and mechanical advantage systems that are often much more robust than those used in standard...
s, rescues of people stranded in high places such as cliffs or trees, and aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
-related emergencies. Occasionally, stories involving gas leak
Gas leak
In common usage, a gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas, from a pipe or other containment, into a living area or any other area where the gas should not be...
s, electrocution
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
s, suicide attempts, scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
accidents, drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
s, train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
-related accidents, fatal allergic reactions, and natural disasters
were also presented.
Although Rescue 9-1-1 mostly featured serious emergencies, it occasionally featured humorous stories of non life-threatening situations and false alarms. Examples included a burglar who got stuck upside-down when he tried to enter a house through the chimney, a young boy who got stuck in a laundry chute while playing hide-and-seek, a young boy who got his pet lizard's jaws locked around his finger, a young man who got a plaster mask stuck on his face, a woman who got a plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
mold stuck to her torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
, a woman who called 9-1-1 when she mistook her parents' new mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
for an intruder, a young boy whose tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
froze to the inside of his freezer while he attempted to get ice cream, a toddler
Toddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
who got her foot stuck in the toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
drain, a dog that stepped on the 9-1-1 speed dial
Speed dial
Speed dial is a function available on many telephone systems allowing the user to place a call by pressing a reduced number of keys. This function is particularly useful for phone users who dial certain numbers on a regular basis....
button after getting tangled in the phone cord (although the dog was in danger of being strangled), a raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
whose head was stuck in the hole of a tree, a woman who got stuck in her bathroom when the lock on her door failed and a man who woke up to a break in and ended up holding a bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
at gunpoint.
While humorous, some of these light-hearted segments have shown that the victims were at risk of injury (for example, the plaster cast on the woman which was causing chemical burns, and blood coming from the mouth of the boy with the frozen tongue).
Deaths
Although the majority of stories featured on Rescue 9-1-1 ended with all lives being saved, there were some exceptions in which one or more victims died. Such occurrences became exceedingly rare later in the show's run, and usually occurred in documentary segments or in segments reenacting multiple casualty incidents in which other victims survived. These occasions included:- Pilot episode (also Season 1, episode 17): Ten children do not survive on a church bus that gets swept into floodwaters
- Season 1, episode 1: Police shoot & kill a grocery store robber
- Season 1, episode 6: A restaurant employee is murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed - Season 1, episode 9: Former NFL player Jerry Anderson drownsDrowningDrowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
while saving a boy from a river - Season 1, episode 13: In the Dupont Plaza Hotel arsonDupont Plaza Hotel arsonThe Dupont Plaza Hotel fire was a fire that occurred at the Hotel Dupont Plaza in San Juan, Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1986....
, 98 people die while many are rescued - Season 1, episode 16: Sixteen people die in the Chase, Maryland rail wreckChase, Maryland rail wreckThe Chase, Maryland train collision occurred at 1:04 pm on January 4, 1987, on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor main line in the Chase community in eastern Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, at Gunpow Interlocking, about northeast of Baltimore...
- Season 1, episode 19: Three children as well as a young man are pulled from a burning house. While two of the children survive, one child as well as the young man don't.
- Season 1, episode 19: An elderly woman is killed when the car she is riding in is hit by runaway boxcars; her husband survives
- Season 1, episode 20: Charles StuartCharles Stuart (murderer)Charles "Chuck" Stuart was a man from Reading, Massachusetts who murdered his pregnant wife and inflamed racial tensions in the Boston area by concocting a fictitious African-American assailant.-Murders:...
murders his pregnant wife; his child later dies, and then he commits suicide. - Season 1, episode 27: Although most of the people of Charleston, South Carolina were rescued after Hurricane Hugo, 3 people die
- Season 2, episode 2: Two out of three scuba divers are successfully rescued from an underwater cave; one dies
- Season 2, episode 5: One man dies in a hotel fire later found to be arsonArsonArson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
; all other tenants escape or are rescued - Season 2, episode 8: Slick JohnsonSlick JohnsonJulius "Slick" Johnson was a NASCAR race car driver from Florence, South Carolina. He was killed due to a skull fracture suffered during a crash at the Automobile Racing Club of America race at Daytona International Speedway in 1990...
is killed in a crash during an auto race; a paramedic injured aiding another driver survives. - Season 2, episode 10: A woman dies from complications resulting from her injuries 3 years after being shot by her husband (she was alive when this episode originally aired)
- Season 2, episode 19: A man is murdered at a bar; officers chasing the suspects are threatened by gunfire, but survive and are later able to apprehend the suspects
- Season 2, episode 27: The pilot of an aircraft dies while flying the plane; his wife brings it to a safe landing, surviving and preventing it from causing danger to others
- Season 2, episode 29: A fleeing bank robber being chased by police strikes and kills a detective, and the suspect is later killed in a shootout with police; the gunman's hostage survives unharmed
- Season 3, episode 14: A prowler is shot dead after seriously injuring a police officer
- Season 4, episode 8: A teen's friend is killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver
- Season 4, episode 21: Police shoot & kill a man who stabbed his girlfriend
- Season 5, episode 18: A teen is brain dead after a car crash; her family donates her organs, saving three people in need of organ transplants
- Season 5, episode 20: A teenage boy dies from huffing butaneButaneButane is a gas with the formula C4H10 that is an alkane with four carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of two structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, butane refers only to the unbranched n-butane isomer; the other one being called "methylpropane" or...
- Season 6, episode 13: A drunk driver kills a man and seriously injures a woman.
- Season 7, episode 10: A gunman holding hostages in a library is shot dead by an undercover sheriff's deputy posing as a hostage
Presentation
Unless otherwise specified, stories were presented in the form of re-enactments. Many stories included the actual recorded 9-1-1 call, as well as brief clips of people who had a part in the story recalling the situation.Shatner would begin and end each episode (and usually, all segments within it) via on-screen appearances from such locations as 9-1-1 dispatch centers, fire stations, or next to police cars and/or ambulances. In addition, voiceover narration was also done by Shatner during the segments.
Occasionally, recorded video footage of all or part of the event itself, the rescue efforts or the aftermath (usually amateur video or television news coverage) would be used. In these instances, Shatner would mention that a particular amount of footage was taped "as events unfolded" in the opening to a segment in which recorded footage was included.
Many re-enactments required complex presentation, such as the recreation of house fires
Structure fire
A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various residential buildings ranging from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls...
, automobile accidents, police chases
Car chase
A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
, explosions, pregnant women
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
in labor, and even natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s.
Some stories took place in the form of a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. In these stories, Rescue 9-1-1 camera crews would ride with paramedics or police, or wait in hospitals and film whatever happened to unfold. These stories sometimes involved more than one event in a single segment at the same medical facility. Examples of such type episodes include the Charles Stuart
Charles Stuart (murderer)
Charles "Chuck" Stuart was a man from Reading, Massachusetts who murdered his pregnant wife and inflamed racial tensions in the Boston area by concocting a fictitious African-American assailant.-Murders:...
murder case, which happened when Rescue 9-1-1 was filming in Boston.
High-profile incidents
A few segments featured on the show gained (or had previously gained) national news coverage. These incidents included the New Year's Eve 1986 fireDupont Plaza Hotel arson
The Dupont Plaza Hotel fire was a fire that occurred at the Hotel Dupont Plaza in San Juan, Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1986....
at Puerto Rico's DuPont Plaza Hotel, the 1987 Amtrak train wreck
Chase, Maryland rail wreck
The Chase, Maryland train collision occurred at 1:04 pm on January 4, 1987, on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor main line in the Chase community in eastern Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, at Gunpow Interlocking, about northeast of Baltimore...
in Maryland, two segments on Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
, the June 1990 Ohio tornado, the Stuart murder case
Charles Stuart (murderer)
Charles "Chuck" Stuart was a man from Reading, Massachusetts who murdered his pregnant wife and inflamed racial tensions in the Boston area by concocting a fictitious African-American assailant.-Murders:...
, the Salt Lake City Public Library hostage incident
Salt Lake City Public Library hostage incident
The Salt Lake City Public Library hostage incident occurred on March 5, 1994 when Clifford Lynn Draper held several hostages on the second floor in the former main branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, which now houses The Leonardo, a culture and arts center.-Incident process:During a...
, and the Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
.
Original format
When it originally aired on CBS, Rescue 9-1-1 episodes normally ran 60 minutes and typically featured four stories, although some episodes featured three or five stories. Three-story episodes were common during the second and third seasons, but became less common during the later seasons.Because it was paired with The CBS Tuesday Night Movie for most of its run, however, episodes with irregular running times were occasionally created to accommodate movies that didn't fit the regular two-hour time slot. Such episodes usually ran 30 minutes and contained two stories. Other such episodes included a 90-minute episode, a 50-minute episode, a 45-minute episode, and a 15-minute episode containing only one story.
From seasons one through five, an opening disclaimer was shown before the start of each episode. Shatner's voice was heard saying:,
"This program contains true stories of rescues. All of the 9-1-1 calls you will hear are real. Whenever possible, the actual people involved have helped us reconstruct the events as they happened."In a few of the early episodes, the last sentence of the disclaimer said, :
"Unless indicated, the actual people involved have helped reconstruct the events as they happened."
At the start of season six, the show's opening was changed. Instead of the disclaimer, three segments from each episode were previewed, and a shortened version of the original opening was shown. Reruns from earlier seasons that aired after September 1994 had their old introductions replaced by the new version of the introduction. This version of the introduction was used for the final two seasons of the show's run.
In 1993, The Family Channel
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
began airing re-runs of Rescue 9-1-1 in the 60-minute format, although episodes were edited for running time, censored for profanity and negative religious references and some of the more graphic footage from some segments that had passed on CBS was cut out.
At first, FAM showed the opening disclaimer at the beginning of the episodes, but it was later replaced with a short teaser which previewed one or two segments from the episode. Season six episodes that aired on FAM had their introductions replaced with the orriginal introduction, although the opening credits were not changed accordingly, and were sometimes incorrect. Seventh season episodes were never shown on FAM.
When the Family Channel became the FOX Family Channel in August of 1998, Rescue 9-1-1 was removed from its lineup.
Syndicated format
In 1993/94, a re-formatted version of Rescue 9-1-1 was sold into off-network syndicationTelevision syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
. This version of the show ran 30 minutes and typically included two stories, although a few episodes contained one long-running story. Some syndicated episodes featured stories that began on one episode and concluded on the next, which was never done in the show's original format. Stories featured on syndicated episodes were often edited for running time, omitting short scenes that were shown in the original broadcasts. Three-hundred of these syndicated episodes were made, and featured segments from the first six seasons.
The following networks have shown Rescue 9-1-1 in the syndicated format:
- Numerous local affiliatesNetwork affiliateIn the broadcasting industry , a network affiliate is a local broadcaster which carries some or all of the television program or radio program line-up of a television or radio network, but is owned by a company other than the owner of the network...
- The Family ChannelABC FamilyABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
(also showed the original format) - OdysseyOdyssey NetworkThe Odyssey Network was a cable television network that was launched in 1996.-History:* 1984: The channel was launched as ACTS;* 1988: VISN was launched as a television network;...
/The Hallmark Channel - Discovery Health ChannelDiscovery Health ChannelDiscovery Health Channel is a website owned by Discovery Communications, created for people interested in health and wellness. Until December 31, 2010, it was a U.S. cable television specialty channel dedicated to television programming that highlights various aspects of health and wellness...
- Reality TV/Zone RealityZone RealityZone Reality is a European reality television channel.Zone Reality broadcasts in both analogue and digital to over 120 million viewers throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America....
- Living
- CI (Australia)
- AXNAXNAXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
- Uganda Broadcasting CorporationUganda Broadcasting CorporationUganda Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster of Uganda. It was founded as a result of the "Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act, 2004", which merged the operations of Uganda Television and Radio Uganda...
(Uganda)
By season
| Season | TV season | Regular Timeslot (EDT) |
Episode count |
Season premiere | Season finale | Rank | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1989–1990 | Tuesday, 8 p.m. | 30 | September 5, 1989 | May 15, 1990 | #54 | |
| 2 | 1990–1991 | 29 | September 11, 1990 | May 14, 1991 | #31 | ||
| 3 | 1991–1992 | 27 | September 17, 1991 | May 19. 1992 | #27 | ||
| 4 | 1992–1993 | 28 | September 15, 1992 | May 25, 1993 | #18 | 14.61 | |
| 5 | 1993–1994 | 28 | September 14, 1993 | May 24, 1994 | #29 | 13.2 | |
| 6 | 1994–1995 | 29 | September 13, 1994 | May 23, 1995 | #48 | 10.8 | |
| 7 | 1995–1996 | Thursday, 9 p.m. | 15 | September 12, 1995 | August 27, 1996 | #84 | 7.7 |
By episode
Additional/alternate timeslots
Season 2- Wednesday, 8 p.m.: April 1990 (in addition to Tuesday at 8 p.m.)
Season 3
- Friday, 8 p.m.: January-February 1992 (in addition to Tuesday at 8 p.m.)
Season 7
- Tuesday, 8 p.m.: September 1995, August-September 1996, (with the majority of the rest of the season airing on Thursdays at 9 P.M.)
Rescue 111
In New Zealand, TV2 began screening the first season of Rescue 9-1-1 in 1991 and subsequent seasons following this. At the start of each episode, the network would display a reminder to viewers that the emergency number in New Zealand is 111. In 1992, with the permission of CBS, the show was renamed to Rescue 111 in New Zealand. This was done following reports of New Zealanders calling 9-1-1 in emergencies instead of 111. The show's starting was shortened with a Rescue 111 title replacing the Rescue 9-1-1 title. Its format remained the same, however, with Shatner still addressing the show as Rescue 9-1-1 along with all stories mentioning calling 9-1-1. When the final series screened in New Zealand in 1996, the show was simply called Rescue.Notruf
German network RTLRTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
started its own version with a mix of cases from Germany and the US in 1992. The show ran for over 14 years, with the last episode broadcast on August 27, 2006.
Real Emergency Calls
The Investigation Disc. channel currently airs the series Real Emergency Calls. Just like Rescue 9-1-1 this series reconstructs real 911 calls using dramatic reconstructions, the 911 recordings and the stories of the victims and emergency workers.Home video releases
In Rescue 9-1-1's early seasons, ads were shown after the end credits of each episode that gave an 800 number viewers could call to order a copy of that night's broadcast. This ad was not shown in later seasons.On May 27, 1997, "Rescue 9-1-1: World's Greatest Rescues" was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
. This video featured five stories of rescue attempts from around the world; segments were taken from both the U.S. and international versions of the show. The segments on the video were edited for running time, and the original narration on all segments (including those originally narrated by Shatner) were dubbed over by an uncredited narrator. The two stories taken from the U.S. version were about a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
girl pinned beneath a flaming gasoline tanker (season three, episode twenty-five) and the infamous documentary of the Stuart murder case
Charles Stuart (murderer)
Charles "Chuck" Stuart was a man from Reading, Massachusetts who murdered his pregnant wife and inflamed racial tensions in the Boston area by concocting a fictitious African-American assailant.-Murders:...
in Boston, Massachusetts (season one, episode twenty.) The other three stories, taken from international versions of the show were about a Belgian family trapped in a car hanging precariously from a high overpass, a Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
hostage crisis in which a terrorist held two women captive, and an Austrian skier who fell into an underground glacier river.
No plans have been announced for additional home video releases of the show, although there has been an on-going petition to get it released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
via tvshowsondvd.com
TVShowsOnDVD.com
TVShowsOnDVD.com is a website dedicated to cataloging, campaigning for, and reporting news about Region 1 television series releases on DVD. The site's slogan asks "Is YOUR Favorite Show On DVD?"...
.
Books
Several books that recounted stories featured on Rescue 9-1-1 were written during its run:- Rescue 9-1-1 Extraordinary Stories by Linda Maron
- Rescue 9-1-1 Kid Heroes by Alison Hendrie
- Rescue 9-1-1 Amazing Rescues by Alison Hendrie
- Rescue 9-1-1 Humorous Rescues by R. M. Ferrara
- Rescue 9-1-1 Animal Rescues by R. M. Ferrara
- The Rescue 9-1-1 Family First Aid & Emergency Care Book by Julie Motz
Toys and games
- Model Kits: In 1993, AMT-ERTL released three Rescue 9-1-1 themed emergency vehicle model kits. Each of the three kits contained decals with the Rescue 9-1-1 logo, and each box had on its side panel a synopsis of a relevant story from the show. These models were:
- Police Car (1990 Ford TaurusFord TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
). The side panel contained a synopsis of "9-1-1 Sister Abduction", in which a police officer rescued a six-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her back yard. - Rescue Ambulance (Dodge). The side panel contained a synopsis of "9-1-1 Cribbage Choke", in which paramedics performed a risky procedure on board an ambulance to save a young boy choking on a cribbageCribbageCribbage, or crib, is a card game traditionally for two players, but commonly played with three, four or more, that involves playing and grouping cards in combinations which gain points...
piece. - Rescue Helicopter (Civilian Medical Rescue Helicopter). The side panel contained a synopsis of "The Helicopter Horse", in which an injured horse was lifted out of a canyon by helicopter.
- Slot Car Set: In 1993, Marchon, Inc. released a slot carSlot carA slot car is a powered miniature auto or other vehicle that is guided by a groove or slot in the track on which it runs. A pin or blade extends from the bottom of the car into the slot...
set called "Rescue 9-1-1 Chopper Rescue". The set included two slot cars (a fire truck and a police jeep) and a complete racetrack. A unique feature of this track was that it allowed racers to jump their cars over a canyon with the aid of a magnetic helicopter.
- Pinball Machine: In May 1994, Premier Technologies, trade-name GottliebGottliebGottlieb was an arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was established by David Gottlieb in 1927, initially producing pinball machines while later expanding into various other games including pitch-and-bats, bowling games, and eventually video arcade games .Like other...
, released a Rescue 9-1-1 pinball machine. It featured a helicopter that magnetically captured the ball as well as a red revolving light on the backbox.
Awards
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | People's Choice Awards People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett... |
Won | Favorite New TV Dramatic Series | |
| 1992 | BMI Film & TV Awards | BMI TV Music Award | Scott Roewe and Stu Goldberg | |
| 1993 | BMI TV Music Award | Scott Roewe and Stu Goldberg | ||
| 1994 | BMI TV Music Award | Scott Roewe and Stu Goldberg |