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 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 10 firefighter series do a great job of highlighting the serious (and not so serious) aspects of what it's like to be a firefighter.
13 ‘Under Fire’ (2021)
Created by Bjorn Van den Eynde and Toon Anthoni
Image via Netflix
Following the stories at the East Bank Station, Under Fire, otherwise known as Onder 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.
Though a short Belgian series focusing on the stressful lives of firefighters, Under Fire is a fantastic show. Under Fire blends 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.
12 ‘The First Responders’ (2022-2023)
Produced by Park Sang-jin
Image via SBS TV
The First Responders is 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 Responders is 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 Responders is a fun and thrilling watch.
11 ‘The Smoke’ (2014)
Created by Lucy Kirkwood
Image via Sky1
The White Watch is a team of firefighters centered 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 Smoke is an emotionally and beautifully written television show that 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 Smoke is a well-written drama that grabs the attention of viewers almost immediately.
10 'Station 19' (2018 – )
Created by Stacy McKee
From the same universe as the acclaimed medical drama Grey's Anatomy, Station 19 follows 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 19 could easily be seen as Grey's Anatomy but 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 of Station 19's appeal is its many opportunities for crossovers with Grey'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 19 proved 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.
9 '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 Burning premiered 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 Burning morphed 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 90s. London's Burning's claim to fame was using real firefighters as background characters, which gave the series an authentic feel that few shows of its kind could match at the time. That dose of realism is what gravitated fans to London's Burning, touching on all the issues that come with being a firefighter. The show also explores the psychological impact that constantly going into one dangerous situation after another can have on someone.
8 '9-1-1: Lone Star' (2020 – )
Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear
Image via Fox
No one could have predicted that 9-1-1 would become the massive hit that it is today. It did, and with that success, Fox went into spin-off mode, and 9-1-1: Lone Star was born. Instead of fighting fires and deadly disasters in Los Angeles, the spin-off of 9-1-1 set its sights on the booming state capital of Texas, Austin. The series revolves around Captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe), a New York firefighter who is asked to move to the Lone Star State and help rebuild and strengthen a firehouse in need of healing after a disaster decimated the fictional 126 fire company of the Austin Fire Department.
The 126, like its L.A. counterparts, experience non-stop danger and face everything Texas could possibly throw at them, ranging from tornados and deadly lightning storms to crippling ice storms. One would not be wrong to look at this series as "9-1-1, Texas-sized," as the danger seems to be more elaborate than its parent series (but not by much). Like its parent series, the spectacle of disasters requires viewers to suspend belief at times; but fans love the depth behind the characters in the series and have praised its inclusivity and diversity; and, of course, the near-weekly life-or-death situations thrown at the 126 every week.
7 'Fire Country' (2022 – )
Created by Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, and Joan Rater
Image via CBS
While firefighters are often (rightfully) portrayed as heroes who answer a call to protect others, Fire Country does things a bit differently. The firefighters in this CBS drama are all young convicts who join a prisoner release firefighting program in Northern California, where firefighters are frequently working to battle unpredictable wildfires and protect lives and property. To put it another way, the firefighters in Fire Country don't see fighting fires as a "calling," but, rather, a "get out of prison" ticket that they hope to cash in once they have fulfilled their obligations.
Even as it was going up against heavyweights such as Chicago Fire, 9-1-1, and Station 19, Fire Country became a huge hit for CBS. Following its successful first season, Fire Country was quickly renewed for an upcoming second season. Fans love that the show has an air of authenticity to it as it's based on a real program that aids the state in times of emergency. This gives Fire Country a much different feel from other firefighter dramas, as it offers an opportunity to watch those who have made mistakes in the past being given a chance for redemption.
6 '9-1-1' (2018 – )
Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear
Image via Fox Broadcasting Company
When 9-1-1 first premiered on FOX in 2018, it wasn't given much of a shot at becoming a hit. My how the times have changed, as 9-1-1 has become a bonafide hit, and even gave birth to a Texas-set spinoff. The drama centers around the firefighters of Station 118 of the Los Angeles Fire Department (a unit that has an endless operational footprint, it seems) as they deal with a near-daily cascade of crises, from a rouge tidal wave to a cyberattack that takes out the city's power grid. In addition to the work of the staff of the 118, 9-1-1 also does a great job of highlighting the important work of 911 Dispatchers. In other series, Dispatchers aren't really prominent; but in 9-1-1, they play a huge role in making sure the residents of L.A. are in good hands, even through disasters.
With an outstanding cast that includes Jennifer Love Hewitt, Peter Krause, and the iconic and Oscar-winning Angela Basset, the latter of whom also serves as an executive producer, fans simply couldn't get enough of this show, and turned what was seen as a mid-season filler series into a burgeoning television franchise. From shocking natural disasters to the witty dialogue and chemistry among the cast, 9-1-1 always manages to keep its fans invested and on the edge of their seats.
5 'Emergency!' (1972 – 1979)
Created by Robert A. Cinader, Harold Jack Bloom, and Jack Webb
The audience's love of first-responder television is hardly a recent trend. Starting in 1958, when Rescue 8 premiered in syndication, setting a television drama around the lives of firefighters has long caught the eye of both networks and viewers. One of the first, true indicators of this was Emergency!, which premiered on NBC in 1972 and had a nice, six-season run on the network. While the series was mostly focused on the paramedic side of things, the main characters served in a dual role as both paramedics and firefighters of the LA County Fire Department's Squad 51.
Emergency! was just about as authentic as it gets when it comes to these types of shows. Most of the rescues that were portrayed in the series were based on real-life stories taken from real firefighters at the time. To make sure the series was truly authentic, the creators even had the stars of the show undergo paramedic training to ensure that everything was portrayed as real as possible. That was the beauty of the series, as its Los Angeles setting could have made for a flashier aesthetic that wouldn't have seemed real. Instead, the creators went with realism, and that worked wonders for Emergency!
4 'Third Watch' (1999 – 2005)
Created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero
Back in 1999, NBC's E.R. was just hitting its peak form; so, it was only natural for the same creators behind the groundbreaking medical drama to come up with a spinoff that took what made E.R. great and transferred it into the firehouse. With that, Third Watch was born, which followed first responders in New York City, including police, paramedics, and firefighters, as they worked the shift from 3 pm to midnight, also known as "the third watch."
Many fans felt that Third Watch was canceled too soon in its 6th season, and it continues to receive praise as one of the best modern-day dramas that showcased what life is like as a firefighter. Most memorably, the show's third season happened in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and the series released a powerful episode that featured real NYFD and NYPD officers sharing their experiences from that day. While many may not remember this series, Third Watch brought the heart-pounding drama that one would expect from a show such as this; and it could, without a doubt, compete with some of the better firefighter series currently on the air today.
3 'Chicago Fire' (2012 – )
Created by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt
Image via NBCUniversal
Today, the "One Chicago" universe can be considered one of the best fictionalized dramatic universes in recent television history. But before there was even talk of a "Chicago" first-responder universe, there was Chicago Fire, the series that started it all in 2012. Chicago Fire's premise is simple: It follows all the trials and tribulations of the firefighters and paramedics working in the fictional Firehouse 51, and deals with both the dramatic rescues and their dramatic personal lives as they work to protect the citizens of the Windy City from all types of emergencies.
Chicago Fire was, undoubtedly, a fan favorite soon after its premiere, and it led to the spin-offs Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, creating the "One Chicago" juggernaut that has taken scripted TV by storm. The creation of the flourishing "One Chicago" universe opened Chicago Fire to all sorts of crossover episodes with its sibling shows, which is one of the drama's best strengths. With an impressive 11 seasons under its belt and still going, Chicago Fire quickly established itself as one of the go-tos when it comes to shows about firefighters. It isn't as flashy as 9-1-1 nor as hilarious as Tacoma FD. Chicago Fire is gritty, dramatic television, and that is what makes it beautiful.
2 'Tacoma FD' (2019 – )
Created by Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme
Who says shows about firefighting have to be dramatic all the time? Well, Tacoma FD is example number one of a first-responder series that doesn't have to take itself seriously to provide a great watch. The sitcom follows the firefighters of Tacoma, Washington, a city with lots of rain and not a ton of fires to put out, leaving the crew to find other things to keep busy with.
The cast of Tacoma FD is stacked with amazing comedy talent, including the always-funny Eugene Cordero, Hassie Harrison, and Kevin Heffernan giving hilarious comedic performances that are deserving of Primetime Emmy nominations. While the show has had rave reviews and will soon be going into its 5th season, Tacoma FD has been a bit of a sleeper hit that has flown under the radar, largely thanks to being on a network that, oftentimes, flies under the radar. One would have to wonder if Tacoma FD would have better success as a network comedy, rather than on truTV? Nevertheless, it earned itself a nice, strong fan base who are always clamoring for more from Washington State's funniest fire department.
1 'Rescue Me' (2004 – 2011)
Created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan
Image via FX
Rescue Me showed a different, darker side to being a firefighter that its peers on network television would have taken with trepidation. The series follows Thomas "Tommy" Micahel Gavin, a New York City firefighter dealing with trauma and mental health issues following the event of 9/11. Focusing on the mental health of firefighters was a bold move for Rescue Me, and it was one that largely worked, allowing the series to take viewers on a trip through the mindset of a person who has to witness tragedy and danger on a near-daily basis.
Rescue Me tackled some serious issues that were kind of glossed over in its network counterparts, which included PTSD, addiction, homophobia, and more; and it did so with a dose while using humor not as a plot device, but as a coping mechanism for Tommy and his team. This approach really connected with fans of the series. Rescue Me was a huge hit on FX for seven seasons, and it should be rightfully discussed as one of, if not the best, television dramas about firefighters.
