Chicago Fire follows the everyday heroes of Chicago Firehouse 51; the firefighters, rescue squad, and paramedics. The stresses of their jobs affect their personal and professional relationships and often have long-lasting reprocussions. The TV show’s cast includes Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney, Lauren German, Monica Raymund, Charlie Barnett, Teri Reeves, David Eigenberg and Eamonn Walker.
Is the TV series worth your time? The critics have mixed opinions:
San Francisco Chronicle: “Do you know the difference between a cops-and-lawyers show and a series about firefighters? If so, you’re one up on Dick Wolf, the longtime mastermind of the Law & Order franchise who sadly doesn’t seem to have a clue about how to make a series about firefighters… No one could ever mistake Chicago Fire for Rescue Me. They have very little in common.”
LA Times: “In a world without cable dramas, Chicago Fire would be considered television at its more compelling and realistic. As it is, it walks the line between shameless entertainment — hot guys, hot girls, the fires within, the fires without — and intelligent storytelling. Its merits, I will say, are clearer after the third episode than after the first.”
Kansas City Star: “Chicago Fire could amp up the gritty realism it aspires to by letting them lay off the lip gloss while they’re saving lives. Letting the men talk like normal people wouldn’t hurt, either.”
USA Today: “You can’t put people in those kinds of life-and-death situations and not generate some emotional connection, and there are times when the show’s blatant manipulation works. But even when it does, the moments seem to vanish as you watch — like smoke passing by your eyes. And just about as enticing.”
Salt Lake Tribune: “Chicago Fire is kind of TV comfort food. If you’re looking for something new and edgy, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for standard TV fare, look no further. It’s not great, but it’s watchable. Not a big hit in the making, but could be successful enough to stick around for a while.”
Newsday: “Chicago Fire definitely has familiarity going for it and familiarity going against it as well. (Yes, you’ve seen this before.)”
Boston Globe: “Obviously, Chicago Fire is a far cry from Rescue Me, Denis Leary’s angry, satirical firefighter series. It’s a relatively humorless piece of work, and the acting is consistently average. Even the scenes set inside burning structures are only mildly engaging. There’s nothing terribly wrong with it, but then there’s nothing very right about it either.”
What do you think? Will you be watching Chicago Fire on NBC? If you’ve already seen it, will you watch again?
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