Third Watch was a Syndication network crime drama series created by John Wells & Edward Allen Bernero that aired on Syndication from September 23, 1999, to May 6, 2005, lasting for six seasons & 132 episodes.
Plot[]
The series centered on the lives of the police officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the firefighters and paramedics of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) who all work during the 3:00pm to 11:00pm shift (also known as the "Third Watch").
Cast[]
- Michael Beach as FDNY Paramedic Monte "Doc" Parker (seasons 1–5)
- Coby Bell as NYPD Officer Tyrone "Ty" Davis, Jr.
- Eddie Cibrian as FDNY Firefighter/Lieutenant Jimmy Doherty (seasons 1–5)
- Bobby Cannavale as FDNY Paramedic Bobby Caffey (seasons 1–2)
- Amy Carlson as FDNY Paramedic/firefighter Alexandra "Alex" Taylor (seasons 2–4)
- Molly Price as NYPD Officer/Detective Faith Yokas (seasons 1–6)
- Kim Raver FDNY Paramedic Kimberly "Kim" Zambrano (seasons 1–5)
- Anthony Ruivivar as FDNY Paramedic Carlos Nieto
- Skipp Sudduth as NYPD Officer John "Sully" Sullivan
- Tia Texada NYPD Sergeant Maritza Cruz (seasons 4–6)
- Jason Wiles as NYPD Officer Maurice "Bosco" Boscorelli
- Nia Long as NYPD Officer/IAB Detective Sasha Monroe (seasons 5–6)
- Cara Buono FDNY Paramedic Grace Foster (season 6)
- Josh Stewart as NYPD Officer Brendan Finney (season 6)
- Chris Bauer as Fred Yokas (seasons 1-5)
- Bonnie Dennison as Emily Yokas (seasons 5–6)
Production[]
John Wells had wanted to do a show about paramedics for some time due to his work on "ER," but didn't think he had enough material to make such a show. Ed Bernero (who was a former Chicago cop) had wanted to do a police drama partly based on his own experiences.
The two of them worked together on the short-lived Syndication series, "Trinity"; after that show was cancelled, Wells asked Bernero if he wanted to co-create a show with him.
Originally, the show was only going to be about the police and paramedics, but firefighter Jimmy Doherty was added to the show after Eddie Cibrian auditioned for the role of Bosco.
Cibrian lost out to Jason Wiles, but because of the attention he received from women due to his good looks, the producers decided to put him in the show as a new character. Bernero reportedly commented that they did not have any firefighters, and the fire aspect of the show was added.
Cast[]
The show's original ensemble cast in the series' first season consisted of Michael Beach, Coby Bell, Bobby Cannavale, Eddie Cibrian, Molly Price, Kim Raver, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, and Jason Wiles.
Eddie Cibrian also portrayed the contract-role of Cole on "Sunset Beach" while appearing on "Third Watch" at the same time until the cancellation of "Sunset Beach" in January of 2000. In 2000, Amy Carlson was added to the cast as paramedic/firefighter Alex Taylor.
In 2001, series regular Bobby Cannavale willingly left the series after he asked to be written out due to lack of character use and development.
At the start of the third season, Chris Bauer was added to the main credits as Fred Yokas after being a recurring guest star previously. Tia Texada became a recurring guest star, and later, a full cast member, in 2002.
Carlson left the show in 2003 and later that year, Nia Long was introduced as Officer Sasha Monroe (her rank was changed in season six in one of the show's most shocking plot twists).
Yvonne Jung became a recurring guest star also in 2003, although she had been a guest in season-three episode "Act Brave" as a lawyer defending Kim in her custody battle with Jimmy. Also in 2003, Bonnie Dennison was added as Emily Yokas, previously being recurring.
In 2004, just after celebrating the show's 100th episode, Eddie Cibrian and Michael Beach left the show; Cibrian's departure marked the first time a main character was written out of the show without dying.
Series regular Molly Price's character, Faith Yokas, made very few appearances in season five of the series due to Price's pregnancy.
The show's writers explained Price's absence by her character being seriously injured in a shootout, and then trying to recuperate at home. In the few scenes that she was in, her growing belly was frequently hidden by blankets piled on top of her while she lay in bed.
Cara Buono joined the cast as Paramedic Grace Foster late in the show's fifth season in 2004.
Kim Raver decided to leave the show after the show's sixth-season opener and became a series regular on the FOX network series "24".
Josh Stewart was introduced as a main cast member of season six as Probationary Officer Brendan Finney.
After a several-month absence, Bonnie Dennison reclaimed the role of Emily Yokas for the rest of the final season while Chris Bauer left the show to pursue his new show "Tilt", which coincidentally co-starred his former "Third Watch" castmate, Eddie Cibrian, but made sporadic guest-star appearances in season six.
Beach, Cibrian, and Raver rejoined their former co-stars in the series finale, "Goodbye To Camelot."
Broadcast History\Ratings[]
| Season | Premiere | Finale | Viewers (in millions) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday 8:00 pm ET, Monday 10:00 pm ET | September 23, 1999 | May 22, 2000 | 14.79 | – |
| 2 | Monday 10:00 pm ET | October 2, 2000 | May 21, 2001 | 16.80 | #46 |
| 3 | Monday 9:00 pm ET | October 15, 2001 | May 13, 2002 | 15.29 | #38 |
| 4 | Monday 9:00 pm ET | September 22, 2002 | April 28, 2003 | 14.85 | #36 |
| 5 | Monday 10:00 pm ET (2003) Friday 10:00 pm ET (2004) |
September 29, 2003 | May 7, 2004 | 15.35 | #62 |
| 6 | Friday 9:00 pm ET | September 17, 2004 | May 6, 2005 | 15.22 | #55 |
Accolades[]
"Third Watch" won the prestigious Peabody Award for the Season 3 episode, "In Their Own Words", in which series regulars Michael Beach, Coby Bell, Amy Carlson, Eddie Cibrian, Kim Raver, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, and Jason Wiles introduced clips of interviews with the real-life NYPD & FDNY members who responded to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Series regular Molly Price was interviewed in a segment because she is married to real-life FDNY firefighter and Third Watch recurring guest star Derek Kelly.
Many of the show's former cast members were nominated for awards for their work on the show; mong them, both Bobby Cannavale and Anthony Ruivivar were nominated for ALMA Awards for their positive portrayals of Latino characters.
Nia Long also won several NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal of Sasha Monroe. Other cast members (including Michael Beach, Molly Price, and Tia Texada) also were nominated for various awards.
"Third Watch" was nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Stunt Coordination" and "Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series" which it won in 2000.