Network: NBC
Episodes: 132 (hour)
Seasons: Six
TV show dates: September 23, 1999 — May 6, 2005
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Jason Wiles, Coby Bell, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, Molly Price, Michael Beach, Kim Raver, Alyxx Morgen, Eddie Cibrian, Joe Lisi, John Michael Bolger, Bill Walsh, Tia Texada, Chris Bauer, Amy Carlson, Derek Kelly, Nia Long, Bonnie Dennison, Bobby Cannavale, Saundra McClain, Yvonne Jung, Jeremy Bergman, Cara Buono, Darien Sills-Evans, Joseph Badalucco Jr., Savannah Haske, Josh Stewart, Lisa Vidal, Kristopher Scott Fiedel, Patti D’Arbanville, Sakina Jaffrey, Monica Trombetta, Nick Sandow, and Susan Kelechi Watson.
TV show description:
This drama focuses on the emergency personnel – police officers, firefighters, and paramedics – working in a fictional precinct and fire station who work the late night shift between three and eleven at night. These personnel refer to the area where they work as “Camelot,” due to the fact the police and fire stations were on the corner of King Blvd. and Arthur St. in New York City.
Originally the show was meant to only be about police officers and paramedics, but when Eddie Cibrian auditioned for the role of police officer Maurice “Bosco” Boscorelli, producers gave the role to Jason Wiles and added a part for Cibrian as a firefighter. Bosco can be quite cocky and isn’t one who enjoys taking orders. If there’s trouble out there, he makes it his job to find it. Bosco is somewhat of a lothario, bedding several different women throughout the show, but always has a platonic relationship with Faith Yokas, his best friend and partner.
Faith (Molly Price) is the daughter of an alcoholic, and when her husband Fred (Chris Bauer) takes up the same habit, she stops him dead in his tracks. She became a cop after their two children, Emily and Charlie, were born. Even though it brings the family more money, Fred is very resentful of her job. He dislikes the time his wife spends away from the family, is constantly worried about her safety, and also resents the time she spends with Bosco. When she gets pregnant, Faith gets an abortion, but tells Fred that she miscarried.
John “Sully” Sullivan (Skipp Sudduth) trained in the police department under officer Tyrone Davis, Sr., and they eventually became partners. Tyrone was a dirty cop, who planned on turning the other dirty cops in, but was set up and murdered and this dramatically changed Sully. He was a lonely bachelor for awhile, until he met his Ukranian neighbor, Tatiana. He marries her and eventually finds out she has connections to the Russian mob, the same group that eventually has her killed. This results in Sully becoming an alcoholic, and it’s his fellow officers who finally force him to face his problems and dry out.
Sully gets a new partner on the force, and it’s none other than Tyrone Davis, Jr. (Coby Bell), who starts out with Sully as a green rookie. He disagrees with Sully’s style. Ty sees their job as strictly black and white – right and wrong, while Sully believes that they’re just solving problems. Finding out that his father was a corrupt cop upsets him a great deal, as he became a cop to uphold justice just like his father. Ty also finds out that his father had led a double life with two separate families. His style also contrasts with fellow officer Sasha Monroe who he starts dating, and they manage to work through it after she’s exposed as a mole.
After Ty gets upset with his mom for keeping his father’s past from him, he moves out and gets a place with Carlos Nieto (Anthony Ruivivar), a paramedic. Carlos grew up in an orphanage after his single parent father was killed in a hit-and-run. He works as a paramedic to earn money to go to medical school. He fathered a child and tried to take care of the little girl after her mother died, and didn’t want his own daughter to have the same life he did. But, because of his work and school schedule, had to give her up in an open adoption. At one point, Carlos is dismissed by the FDNY after he’s accused of touching a young girl inappropriately. She eventually admitted that it didn’t happen and was reinstated
Carlos’ boss and mentor is Monte “Doc” Parker (Michael Beach), a widower who accidentally killed his best friend when he was younger. After his partner was shot and took an early retirement, he got partnered up with Carlos. Doc uses his paramedic skills to “help” his father die when his quality of life slipped away. A series of bad events began to gnaw away at Doc, starting with 9/11, then being filmed making an obvious medical mistake after just winning Paramedic of the Year. He then witnesses the death of some of his coworkers. Once a new captain is assigned to replace Jimmy Doherty, Doc completely loses it, shoots him, and gets assigned to Bellevue.
Jimmy Doherty (Cibrian), a firefighter, was once married to Kim Zambrano (Kim Raver), a paramedic, and they have a son together. Jimmy slept with Kim’s sister, causing her to divorce him. Yet, he’s never completely out of her life because of their shared custody and they see each other at the firehouse. Jimmy seems to have a hard time getting past her as well. He becomes engaged to another woman, but was caught cheating on her at their engagement party. After he remarries, he has an affair with Kim, and he gets divorced again. Eventually Jimmy and Kim find their way back to each other, move away from the precinct and remarry.
Kim’s partner and best friend is Roberto “Bobby” Caffey (Bobby Cannavale). He also has a crush on her, giving him a hatred for anything Jimmy Doherty-related. His father abandoned the family when he was young, and as the most responsible of his siblings, he became the man of the family. Bobby eventually realizes his dream, sleeping with Kim. The next day however, she tells him it was a mistake because she doesn’t want anything to come between their friendship. An old childhood friend returns to the neighborhood, and Bobby tries to help him overcome his drug addiction but then the friend robs Bobby’s mom’s apartment to get money to buy drugs. Bobby confronts him, and his friend shoots and kills him, causing Kim to fall deeply into a depression and attempt suicide.
BEST copdrama ever after hill st blues,( yes, I’m old)! Use all appropriate positive adjectives to describe cast and storyline. BEST handling of 9/11 by any other show. Dittos to all my friends who’ve asked same I’ve asked about reruns and DVDs!!! Don’t get it BUT all these available channels I should b fed on regular basis Kardashians, housewives from anywhere, etc etc, but some programming genius sees no room for replaying the BEST police drama? So sez I.
I have to agree with those who preceded me–best first responder show ever. Possibly the best series ever (LOST is up there, so is Cagney & Lacy–if you haven’t checked it out, give it a try–it has many similar elements (smaller cast!). Deep Space Nine is up there, too. But about Third Watch, there are so many scenes in my memory. Great actors. Who could not want to wrap Kim in a hug, strangle Carlos with bare hands, get in Bosco’s face with a great big “WTF??!” Who didn’t side with Fred MOST of the time and yet see where… Read more »
I’d have to disagree with most (?) here–I don’t want to see it back. Not even a reunion show–unless it was a clip show with the actors trading stories. The reason–I think it was not canceled, but retired with dignity. I got the feeling that the actors were tiring of their roles, and storylines like marginalizing Bosco for many shows, and Faith descending into violating her principles–it was unraveling. The characters, not the show! The finale treated fans with respect and the fates of characters with dignity, giving us definite knowledge of what direction they all went. What secondary characters… Read more »
easily the best EMS firefighter show cop show ever how they all work together and how they bring it all home it’s absolutely amazing and the reality of it isn’t too far off this is the best show ever bring it back
I’ve been reading a lot of the posts here on this website, and I am very happy to know that there are a lot of us out there who wish they’d bring back Third Watch on re-runs! About 10 years ago, they did have them for a while and I was SO happy to see my show every morning on A&E, then all of a sudden, boom! they were gone…no warning, nothing. I too think about that show all the time, all of the characters and how realistic they were – true professionals whose chemistry was utterly perfect, I miss… Read more »
Third Watch to this day is still my favorite tv show ever. Nothing comes close. I wish they would put all the seasons out on DVD. I have so many favorite episodes.
i think the same. i still watch it on reruns.. or episodes that i have recorded
I agree. Best show of its kind. BRING IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!
hope CHICAGO FIRE can measure up to THIRD WATCH! Maybe someday those writers will bring it back!!
They should have not cancelled Third Watch, its the best TV show in history, I’ve lost apart of me, not a day goes by that I don’t think about Third Watch. Why did they cancel it when the ratings were soooooo good!!!! They also should make a movie it will be good.
I agree. Third Watch was a very good series. And when I look at current series on offer and compare, none can.
I agree with the other comments. I still believe it was the best show of its kind ever, bar none. I just started watching Chicago code and have found it very similar in excitement, but just found out it will be canceled and not brought back for a second seasen. This is upsetting due to the fact it has been six years since Third Watch and finally a show that comes close and they cancel it. I don’t understand.
Bring it back!!! Definitely the very best police, firefighter, EMT combined show ever. Loved “Bosco” & Doc. Keep looking for the reruns! ( I hope)
I’d have to say that Third Watch is one of the BEST if not THE best “First Responder-related” tv shows ever created. Hands down!
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Third Watch was and still is the very best tv series ever, nothing will beat it ever. I miss you every single day its so sad that I just watch the dvds over and over again.
Thanks to all the cast and crew for bringing us what would have been the best police/fire/paramedic show on earth.
I really like it and I learned a lot …………