[lolly]

5 things you didn't know

1. Many real firefighters appeared on "Third Watch," and some of them were among the 343 members of the NYFD who lost their lives on 9/11.

Series co-creator Ed Bernero shares a "poignant example" that dramatically illustrates how the show was affected. "We did an episode about a blackout, and in the end, Sullivan and Davis are going in a police van to the scene of a riot. Every other person that's in that van died on 9/11."

Filmed shortly before the terrorist attacks, "Blackout" was supposed to air as the 2001 season opener. Instead, Bernero says, "because of what the subject matter was, we ended up airing 'Blackout' as the last episode of the season" (on May 13, 2002) without any kind of on-air dedication that would call attention to those who had died. "The families wanted to own it themselves," says Bernero, explaining that producers were going to re-shoot that scene, but the families wanted it to air as a kind of private tribute to their loved ones.

2. Ever wonder why Amy Carlson's Alex Taylor died such a gruesome death while she was comforting a couple trapped in a car, which wound up exploding?

Bernero explains: "I've seen people blown apart like that. I knew that I wanted her to die in an explosion, not saving somebody's life but just trying to keep somebody calm. It was a small thing she was doing, but an important thing. It was at the same time that we were being inundated by explosions in the Middle East. So many of these things are just responses

to things I've seen on the news. I wanted to do something that shows just how horrible it is. I didn't want to sanitize. It was a combination of all of those things. It had nothing whatsoever to do with Amy."

And what did Carlson think of her grand finale? "Amy was upset at first. She felt it was the death of a villain, not the death of a hero," Bernero says. "It was a really good point, but when I explained why it was happening, as an artist she understood my reason. And she was great."

3. Why did the marriage of Fred and Faith Yokas (Chris Bauer, Molly Price) have to break up?

Bernero: "It had less to do with characters and more to do with the fact that we just really didn't have any more stories to tell. Also, they took Yokas away from work, and we always found Yokas to be more interesting at work. ... The one really bad part of the decision is that we lost Chris Bauer. He's an amazing actor, but we ran dry of interesting things."

Price: "I had mixed feelings about it. I felt that the writers seemed to have a very difficult time for some reason, letting Faith and Fred be happy. It's kind of a comment on our civilization -that being happy is somehow boring or unrealistic, or that happiness is this elusive thing in our world."

4. When terrorists struck the World Trade Center, Price was a month away from marrying firefighter (and part-time actor) Derek Kelly, whom she'd met on the show. Price "struggled" with whether to participate in the documentary program, "In Their Own Words," which wound up winning a Peabody Award. She also wrestled with whether to postpone her Oct. 13 wedding.

Price: "When [producer] John Wells originally called me, I didn't want to be a part of it at all. I felt that they were going to commercialize a tragedy. [Derek] was the one who said to me, 'We're the lucky ones. ... We should let people know that we're grateful.' ... We were just about to be married. I went out the morning of 9/11 to buy my wedding gown. [Derek] called me from the rig and said, 'Baby, I'm on my way to the trade center. I don't think you should go to Vera Wang today. I'll call you later and I love you.' It was six hours before I heard from him again. ...

"On Oct. 13, we did get married. At first we were going to cancel it. We were going to funerals at that time, but [Derek] said, 'It's very healing.' People needed a reason to celebrate life." Their son, Jake, is now 18 months old.

5. Bernero had worked on Wells' short-lived "Trinity," and after that was canceled, Wells asked if he'd like to co-create a show with him. "Third Watch" was a combination of the paramedics show Wells wanted to do, and the cops drama Bernero had in mind.

"We just put them together," Bernero says. "He had the idea to do a paramedic show from stuff left over from 'ER,' but he didn't think there was enough to make a whole show ... and then we ended up with the firefighters, because Eddie [Cibrian] was just so damn handsome we had to figure out what to do with him. Eddie tested as Bosco - Jason [Wiles] won the part - and we were leaving [walking behind him], and every office we passed, women would stick their heads out and comment about Eddie. We said we need to find something for him to do. And I said, 'Well, we don't have any firefighters.'Ÿ"

[mbs]

Thank you for the article. I enjoyed it.

With the Faith and Fred marriage ending. I always though they showed how marriage was in real life. I mean it isn't always a bed of roses. Every married couple fight, have money problems and there are always problems with the kids. The whole Third Watch was real to me it showed how life really is and I enjoyed watching it every week. I miss it.

[jayne_190]

Another thing to add, Eddie did a try out for the role of Bosco, which of course JW got. But they had to add him because all the women in the office where drooling at him as he passed by the various offices, apparently. That is how Jimmy was created.

[srobak]

jayne_190, on May 18 2005, 12:20 PM, said:

Another thing to add,  Eddie did a try out for the role of Bosco, which of course JW got.  But they had to add him because all the women in the office where drooling at him as he passed by the various offices, apparently.  That is how Jimmy was created.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that was already posted above.

[jayne_190]

srobak, on May 20 2005, 03:04 PM, said:

jayne_190, on May 18 2005, 12:20 PM, said:

Another thing to add,  Eddie did a try out for the role of Bosco, which of course JW got.  But they had to add him because all the women in the office where drooling at him as he passed by the various offices, apparently.  That is how Jimmy was created.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that was already posted above.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

*doinks head*

[sullyfan]

Originally Skipp auditioned for a bit part in Third Watch, he wasn't intended for playing Sully. Sully should be played by a younger leading-man type. But Wells decided to revise the role of Sully.
Good decision.

[Sgt. Cruz]

Yeah, it was really good decision, I love Sully, he's so funny ;D

And the article is very interesting, but I can't understand the reason for ended up Faith and Fred marriage. It was so stupid, they should still be happy 2gether, cause now everybody hates Fred and it's not fair.