There is something about watching firefighters work that is naturally dramatic and exciting to witness. Life and death situations, danger, physical feats, and men and women working hard in the service of others make for a powerful combination, both in real life and on television. This is, perhaps, why following the life of firefighters makes for such an intoxicating watch on TV, as viewers will walk into a show not knowing what will transpire. It could be a lighthearted episode, or one in which time is of the essence.
Over the years, portraying firefighters and their heroism has been a boon for networks. The first-ever series to follow the lives of firefighters,Rescue 8, paved the way for future showrunners to take audiences on an adrenaline-packed ride with fire engine companies in various cities, from Los Angeles to Austin, all with a simple purpose - showcasing the treacherous situations firefighters must contend with on a week-to-week basis. Of course, these firefighter TV shows may not all be 100 percent realistic and often feature heavy doses of romantic entanglements and drama within the firehouses. Nevertheless,the following firefighter series do a great job of highlighting the serious (and not so serious) aspects of what it’s like to be a firefighter.
20’L.A. Firefighters' (1996–1997)
Created by Gordon Greisman
L.A. Firefightersfollows the professional and personal lives of a group of firefighters working at the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Led by the dedicated and daredevilish Captain Jack Malloy (Jarrod Emick), the crew works side by side with paramedics, police, and lifeguards to tackle medical emergencies, accidents, house fires, crimes, and natural disasters, protecting the land, air, and water of the City of Angels.
On its premiere,L.A. Firefightersearned mixed reviews for its storytelling, casting, performance, and soap-opera-style narrative. Additionally, criticisms from the local union led the series to be retitled asFire Co. 132, but the redesigned season was never aired. Even though a very brief series,the action-adventure drama manages to check off all the boxes that are essential aspects of a firefighter drama, including the day-to-day lives, stories, and struggles of firefighters,albeit with clichéd plotand character arcs. —Maddie P
L.A. Firefighters
19’Firehouse' (1974)
Created by Frank Cucci
A follow-up to the eponymous 1973 film pilot,Firehouserevolves around the crew of the small, inner-city fire station in Los Angeles, Engine Company 23, led by Captain Spike Ryerson.James Drurystars as Ryerson, with his crew played byMichael DeLano,Bill Overton,Scott Smith,Brad David, andRichard Jaeckel. Jaeckel stars in both the series and the film, the latter of which also starsRichard Roundtreeas Shelly Forsythe, a Black rookie fireman, but his character was eliminated from the series.
Featuring 30-minute-long episodes, the format of Firehouse restricted it from deeper character and plot development, and was canceled following its brief 13-episode run.Highlighting the daily lives of firefighters, as they tackle perilous fires and engage in human drama, the show offers several elements that might interest genre enthusiasts. Featuring a new rescue in every episode, the format ofFirehousemakes for an early example of fire department procedurals. —Maddie P
18’Code Red' (1981–1982)
Created by Laurence Heath
Yes,Code Redwas a by-the-book firefighter series that didn’t have a lot of airtime on ABC,getting canned after just one seasonand slipping through the cracks of time. You can’t even find the show today, it’s that obscure; but, if you’re one of the lucky ones to have seen this show, you witnessed one of the more slept-on firefighter shows on TV.
Starring Lorne Green as Battalion Fire Chief Joe Rorcheck,Code Redwas basically a season-long safety course on fire prevention and safety in a corny, but cool kind of way. It’s disappointing that you can’t find this show today, and it could be a candidate for a modern-day reboot, if any showrunner is interested.
17’Live Rescue' (2019–2021)
Created by Dan Cesareo
Back in the late 2010s, A&E’sLive PDhad a stranglehold on Friday nights. Showing audiences live what policing in the field was like,Live PD’s soaring ratings were a juggernaut for the network, and, with any juggernaut, a spin-off to keep the ratings train going had to be in the works. EnterLive Rescue, which premiered in 2019 and carried the same format as its parent show, but opted to ride along with paramedics and firefighters instead of police officers.
Live Rescuewas unique in the fact that it was a rare reality show that didn’t pay attention to police officers, but rather, the firefighters and paramedics, who are also part of the equation that is keeping the public safe. Sadly, once its parent show was canceled in the wake of the murder ofGeorge Floyd,Live Rescuecouldn’t sustain an audience, and it, too, was canceled in 2021.
Live Rescue
16’Under Fire' (2021–)
Created by Bjorn Van den Eynde and Toon Anthoni
Following the stories at the East Bank Station,Under Fire, otherwise known asOnder Vuur, focuses on a close-knit group of headstrong firefighters. The dynamic within the fire department changes when there’s a change in leadership, and this group of firefighters must fight to protect their station.
Thougha short and thrilling Belgian seriesfocusing on the stressful lives of firefighters,Under Fireis a fantastic show.Under Fireblends the personal and professional lives of firefighters well, establishing a beautifully emotional yet realistic story about firefighters who care about their jobs and their station.
Under Fire
15’The First Responders' (2022–2023)
Produced by Park Sang-jin
The First Respondersis a wonderfully written Korean television series with two seasons. It follows the lives of first responders: police detective Jin Ho-gae (Kim Rae-won), firefighter Bong Do-jin (Son Ho-jun), and paramedic Song Seol (Gong Seung-yeon). All three first responders vow their lives to help others.
This Korean television series depicts the harsh and often emotional reality of working as a first responder. Their lives are automatically interlinked due to the cases that involve each of them.The First Respondersis a gripping thriller, and it is a masterpiece that acts as a love letter to the first responders out there. For those who enjoy the thrilling first responder profession and the drama that unfolds within it,The First Respondersis a fun and thrilling watch.
The First Responders
14’The Smoke' (2014)
Created by Lucy Kirkwood
The White Watch is a team of firefighters based in London. Kev Allison (Jamie Bamber), the leader of the White Watch, serves as a fatherly figure to the group, and he watches over the rest of his diverse crew, with his girlfriend and best friend to back him up. After witnessing the worst fire of his career, emotional wounds are opened up, and Kev is left in the smoke after a betrayal.
The Smokeis an emotionally and beautifully written television showthat not only examines the lives of firefighters and the tensions they face, but also examines the personal grievances that they can sometimes face. Emotionally impactful,The Smokeisa well-written drama seriesthat grabs the attention of viewers almost immediately.
13’Station 19' (2018–2024)
Created by Stacy McKee
From the same universe as the acclaimed medical dramaGrey’s Anatomy,Station 19follows the lives of the firefighters of Station 19 of the Seattle Fire Department as they deal with all sorts of emergencies that pop up around the Emerald City, from standard house fires to internal turmoil both within their own station and in the department as a whole. On the surface,Station 19could easily be seen asGrey’s Anatomybut with fire trucks, and it certainly felt that way in its earlier seasons. However, as time went on, Station 19 gained its own identity, and the later seasons provided a nice balance of drama and heroism that placed it among the best dramas that depict the dangerous world of being a firefighter.
One of the best firefighter shows, part ofStation 19’sappeal is its many opportunities for crossovers withGrey’s Anatomy, including a former Grey’s cast member,Jason George, as Dr. Benjamin Warren, who swapped out his doctor’s coat for a firefighter’s uniform, as well as many other guest appearances. While the show is ending after seven seasons, one can’t help but think that it’s leaving the airwaves just as it was beginning to find its own identity. Regardless,Station 19proved itself as more than a throwaway spin-off, and is one of the best modern-day firefighting shows on TV, always worthy of a binge-watch.
Station 19
12’London’s Burning' (1988–2002)
Created by Jack Rosenthal
There is always something happening in London, whether good or bad. When it’s the latter, the brave men and women of the London Fire Brigade come to the city’s aid.London’s Burningpremiered on ITV right before Christmas in 1986, and it proved to be an instant hit with viewers. What originally began as a two-hour TV movie,London’s Burningmorphed into a hit series that lasted for 14 seasons, and follows the brave members of the Brigade’s fictional Blackwall fire station. The members that were followed are part of the “Blue Watch,” one of the most dangerous shifts in the LFB.
The show was very popular with viewers throughout the remainder of the 80s and well into the 90s.London’s Burning’s claim to fame was using real firefighters as background characters, which gave the series an authentic feelthat few shows of its kind could match at the time. That dose of realism is what gravitated fans toLondon’s Burning, touching on all the issues that come with being a firefighter. Theshow also explores the psychological impactthat constantly going into one dangerous situation after another can have on someone.
London’s Burning
11’Fireman Sam' (1987–2025)
Created by Dave Gingell, Dave Jones, and Rob Lee
Aclassic children’s animated series,Fireman Sam, follows the adventures of the titular firefighter and his loyal and reliable crew of firemen in the small fictional Welsh village of Pontypandy (a portmanteau of real Welsh towns, Pontypridd and Tonypandy). The show uses experimental (for its time) stop-motion animation techniques to narrate how the crew saves the village from various emergencies.
First premiered in Welsh,Fireman Sam, akaSam Smalaidhin Scottish Gaelic, has since been broadcast across 155 countries and translated into 25 different languages, making it one of the longest-running children’s animated series running worldwide.With 15 seasons and still running,Fireman Samis a perfectly fun and entertaining show for children, which also serves as a way to educate them on fire safety. Despite its distinctly Welsh accent, characters, and cultural references,Fireman Samappeals to a large worldwide audience with its informative content, well-designed visuals, and colorful characters. —Maddie P
