Police Rescue
| Police Rescue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as |
'Police Rescue – Gefährlicher Einsatz (Germany), "Noodroep" (Afrikaans - South Africa), 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 |
| Location(s) | New South Wales, Australia |
| Cinematography |
Steve Arnold Russell Bacon Stephen Windon |
| Editor(s) | Various |
| 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 – 22 November 1996 |
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 South Africa as "Noodroep" (dubbed in Afrikaans), 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
- Sergeant Steve "Mickey" McClintock - (Gary Sweet) (1989–1996)
- Senior Constable/Sergeant Georgia Rattray - (Sonia Todd) (1989–1996)
- Constable/Senior Constable Yiannis "Angel" Angelopoulos - (Steve Bastoni) (1990–1996)
- Senior Sergeant Peter "Ridgy" Ridgeway - (Tim McKenzie) (1989–1990)
- Inspector Bill Adams - (John Clayton) (1989–1996)
- Sergeant Fred "Frog" Catteau - (Marshall Napier) (1989–1992)
- Constable Trevor "Sootie" Coledale - (Peter Browne) (1989–1990)
- Constable Percy "Ptomaine" Warren - (Doug Scroope) (1989–1993)
- Senior Sergeant Kevin "Nipper" Harris - (Steve Bisley) (1992–1995)
- Sharyn Elliott - (Belinda Cotterill) (1992–1994, 1996)
- Constable Kathy Orland - (Tammy MacIntosh) (1992–1995)
- Constable Brian Morley - (Jeremy Callaghan) (1992–1995)
- Senior Sergeant Glenn "Spider" Webb - (Frank Holden) (1994–1996)
- Anastasia Skouras - (Ada Nicodemou) (1994–1995)
- Constable Joe Cardillo - (Salvatore Coco) (1995–1996)
- Constable Tracy Davis - (Leah Purcell) (1995–1996)
- Constable Lorrie "Flash" Gordon (Zoe Carides) (1994 feature film)
Recurring minor cast
- Bronwyn Catteau (Deborah Kennedy) (1990–1992)
- Des McClintock (Kerry Armstrong) (1990–1991)
- Maria Mellick (Debbie Byrne) (1990–1992)
- Tony Fuller (NARC detective) (Harold Hopkins) (1990–1992)
- Helena Angelopoulos (Gia Carides) (1992–1993)
- David Goldberg (Lani John Tupu) (1992)
- Constable Lohmeier (Daniel Rigney) (1993)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Pilot | "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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Mates" | TBA |
| A highly successful businessman who threatens suicide makes mickey realize how lucky he really is. | |||
| 2 | 2 | "Angel After Hours" | TBA |
| 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. | |||
| 3 | 3 | "LPG" | TBA |
| 4 | 4 | "The Cosmic Lightbeam" | TBA |
| 5 | 5 | "Mad Dog" | TBA |
| 6 | 6 | "Saturday Night" | TBA |
| 7 | 7 | "Reunion with Snake" | TBA |
| 8 | 8 | "Raid" | TBA |
| 9 | 9 | "One for Dad" | TBA |
| 10 | 10 | "Hostage" | TBA |
| 11 | 11 | "Up a Tree" | TBA |
| 12 | 12 | "Saving the Princess" | TBA |
| 13 | 13 | "By the Book" | TBA |
Season 2 (1992)
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | "The Right Stuff" | TBA |
| 2 | 15 | "Off the Track" | TBA |
| 3 | 16 | "The Hard Way" | TBA |
| 4 | 17 | "The Big Canary" | TBA |
| 5 | 18 | "Judgement Day" | TBA |
| 6 | 19 | "Stakeout" | TBA |
| 7 | 20 | "Sugar" | TBA |
| 8 | 21 | "With a Vengeance" | TBA |
| 9 | 22 | "Reasons to Live" | TBA |
| 10 | 23 | "From This Day Forward" | TBA |
| 11 | 24 | "Angel's Devils" | TBA |
| 12 | 25 | "The Real Meaning" | TBA |
| 13 | 26 | "Heartbeat" | TBA |
Season 3 (1993)
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | "Lifeline" | TBA |
| 2 | 28 | "Wild Goose Chase" | TBA |
| 3 | 29 | "On a Roll" | TBA |
| 4 | 30 | "Prodigal Daughter" | TBA |
| 5 | 31 | "The Loaded Boy" | TBA |
| 6 | 32 | "Good Buddy" | TBA |
| 7 | 33 | "Rush Hour" | TBA |
| 8 | 34 | "Speeding" | TBA |
| 9 | 35 | "Lift Sixteen" | TBA |
| 10 | 36 | "Whirlwind" | TBA |
| 11 | 37 | "Cold Snap" | TBA |
| 12 | 38 | "Double Illusion" | TBA |
| 13 | 39 | "The Last to Know" | TBA |
Police Rescue: The Movie (1994)
| Number in series | Number in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movie | Movie | "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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | "On the Outer" | TBA |
| 2 | 41 | "Conduct Endangering Life" | TBA |
| 3 | 42 | "Wrong Side of the Road" | TBA |
| 4 | 43 | "Something's Got to Give" | TBA |
| 5 | 44 | "Guardian Angel" | TBA |
| 6 | 45 | "Double Jeopardy" | TBA |
| 7 | 46 | "Crossing the Line" | TBA |
| 8 | 47 | "Damage Control" | TBA |
| 9 | 48 | "Public Mischief" | TBA |
| 10 | 49 | "Breaking Strain" | TBA |
| 11 | 50 | "The Sharp End" | TBA |
| 12 | 51 | "Rescue Me" | TBA |
| 13 | 52 | "Wild Card" | TBA |
Season 5 (1996)
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 53 | "The Ultimate" | TBA |
| 2 | 54 | "Nobby's Place" | TBA |
| 3 | 55 | "The Getting of Wisdom" | TBA |
| 4 | 56 | "The River" | TBA |
| 5 | 57 | "The Ship" | TBA |
| 6 | 58 | "Flash the Descent" | TBA |
| 7 | 59 | "The Holliman Kid" | TBA |
| 8 | 60 | "Tomorrow Never Knows" | TBA |
| 9 | 61 | "The Only Constant" | TBA |
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 | Series 1, Episode 1&10 | 1 | 1993 | None |
| Mad Dog and By The Book | Series 1, Episode 5&13 | 1 | — | None |
| Judgement Day and Reasons to Live | Series 2, Episodes 5&9 | 1 | — | None |
| Police Rescue: The Movie | Film | 1 | — | None |
References
- ↑ "Police Rescue – By the Book". AustralianScreen.com.au.
- ↑ Ed. Scott Murray, "Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995", Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p130.
- Police Rescue at Internet Movie Database
- Police Rescue: The Movie at Internet Movie Database
- WarnerVision
- Police Rescue at epguides
External links
- Police Rescue at the Internet Movie Database
- Police Rescue at the National Film and Sound Archive
- Police Rescue – "By the Book" at Australian Screen Online
- Police Rescue – "Mates" at Australian Screen Online