Code Red (American TV series)
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| Code Red | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Drama Action |
| Created by | Laurence Heath |
| Written by | Laurence Heath Carole and Mike Raschella Cliff Ruby Elana Lesser |
| Directed by | J. Lee Thompson Fernando Lamas Don Weis |
| Starring | Lorne Greene Andrew Stevens Martina Deignan Julie Adams Sam J. Jones Adam Rich |
| Theme music composer | Morton Stevens |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 90 minutes (pilot), 60 minutes (series) |
| Production companies | Irwin Allen Productions Columbia Pictures Television |
| Original release | |
| Release | November 1, 1981 – September 12, 1982 |
Code Red is an American action drama television series that ran on ABC from November 1, 1981, to September 12, 1982 and was produced by Irwin Allen.[1] This was Allen's sixth and final television series, and his only series not produced for 20th Century Fox Television.
Overview
[edit]The series stars Lorne Greene as Battalion Fire Chief Joe Rorchek and his family, some of whom, his elder sons Ted (Andrew Stevens) and Chris (Sam J. Jones), serve as firemen under his direct command as part of the Los Angeles Fire Department. In addition, Haley Green (Martina Deignan), the first female firefighter in the LAFD, is under Rorchek's command and serves with distinction both professionally and as a friend of the Rorcheks.
In addition, Joe Rorchek's preteen adopted son, Danny Blake (Adam Rich) serves as a member of the Firefighter Explorers organization, complete with his own uniform and turnout gear. Although still a child, Danny dreams of joining the family profession and enjoys privileged access to his family's professional activities. As a result, he has numerous adventures of his own armed with a cool head in the face of crisis and considerable fire safety and first aid skills for his age. Despite the danger, the male members of the Rorchek family have the full support of Ann Rorchek (Julie Adams), Joe's wife, who is proud of her family's calling.
In addition to family drama, the characters have numerous adventures with the various fires and other emergencies that happen in their operating area.
The series began with a television movie as Joe Rorchek as an arson investigator who is pursuing a dangerous arsonist who uses firebombs to start serious blazes that Rorchek's sons have to fight. Meanwhile, Green, recently assigned to the Rorcheks' unit, strives to prove herself to skeptical fire fighter Al Martelli (Jack Lindine). When the series was approved for production, Greene's character was reassigned to command the task force "Station 1" (in actuality, the real LAFD Station 49, which was used for establishing and exterior shots during the show's production), located on the city's waterfront as a more suitable premise for the series. The station is a large one, equipped with not only a varied ground fleet of vehicles including a personal car for Chief Rorchek, but also a helicopter piloted by Chris Rorchek and a fireboat moored at a dock built into the station.
Given that the series was scheduled for early Sunday evening for a family audience, many episodes end with a coda where a cast member addresses the audience about fire safety and first aid.
Episode list
[edit]| Nº | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | "Code Red" | J. Lee Thompson | Laurence Heath | September 20, 1981 | |
|
90-minute pilot episode. | |||||
| 1 | "A Saved Life" | Georg Fenady | Lee Hunter, Carol Raschella & Michael Raschella (t), Lee Hunter (s) | November 1, 1981 | |
| 2 | "Death of a Fireman" | James Sheldon | Don Boyle | November 8, 1981 | |
| 3 | "Dark Fire" | Earl Bellamy | Jackson Gillis (t), Ray Brenner (s) | November 15, 1981 | |
| 4 | "The Little Girl Who Cried Fire" | Ben Masselink | Christian I. Nyby II | November 22, 1981 | |
| 5 | "All That Glitters" | Unknown | Unknown | November 29, 1981 | |
| 6 | "Fireworks" | Phil Bondelli | Rick Edelstein (t), Carole Raschella (s/t), Mike Raschella (s/t) | December 6, 1981 | |
| 7 | "Framed by Fire" | Don Weis | Carole & Michael Raschella | December 13, 1981 | |
| 8 | "From One Little Spark" | Fernando Lamas | Rick Edelstein | January 3, 1982 | |
| 9 | "Wildfire" | Unknown | Unknown | January 10, 1982 | |
| 10 | "My Life Is Yours" | Don Weis | Rick Edelstein | January 17, 1982 | |
| 11 | "Happy Birthday" | Unknown | Unknown | January 31, 1982 | |
| 12 | "Revenge" | Ernest Pintoff | George Geiger (t), Rift Fournier (s) | February 7, 1982 | |
| 13 | "Burnout" | Phil Bondelli | B.W. Sandefur | February 14, 1982 | |
| 14 | "Trapped by Time" | Fernando Lamas | Donald R. Boyle | February 21, 1982 | |
| 15 | "Trial by Fire" | Phil Bondelli | Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser | February 28, 1982 | |
| 16 | "Riddle in the Flames" | Ernest Pintoff | Donald R. Boyle | March 14, 1982 | |
| 17 | "No Escape" | Phil Bondelli | Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser | March 21, 1982 | |
| 18 | "Fire Below" | Ernest Pintoff | Donald R. Boyle | July 11, 1982 | |
| 19 | "Land of Make Believe" | TBD | TBD | N/A | |
References
[edit]- ^ Dennis Fischer (17 June 2011). Science Fiction Film Directors, 1895-1998. McFarland. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-0-7864-8505-5.
External links
[edit]- 1981 American television series debuts
- 1982 American television series endings
- Films directed by J. Lee Thompson
- Television series by Sony Pictures Television
- Television series by Irwin Allen Television Productions
- 1980s American drama television series
- American English-language television shows
- Television shows set in Los Angeles
- Television series about firefighting
- American Broadcasting Company television dramas