Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Coby Bell, Jason Wiles, Michael Beach, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, Molly Price, Kim Raver, Joe Lisi, Eddie Cibrian, Chris Bauer, Bill Walsh
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: February 5, 2008
I have to say that I am shocked that I was never aware that Third Watch was even on the air. It took about one episode for me to get into the groove and I was looking forward to seeing more. The show was created by John Wells (ER) and Edward Allen Bernero (Criminal Minds), two of the brightest minds in primetime dramas. Despite not knowing it existed, Third Watch offers a compelling and action-packed look at life for the firefighters, police, and paramedics that serve in New York’s fictional Precinct 55.
The name Third Watch, deals with the 3pm-11pm shift. The storylines all involve a close look at the action and reaction of Precinct 55 and the firehouse across the way. Located between King and Arthur Streets in New York, Third Watch is filled with the best and worst of the city and of humanity as a whole. This was a fabulous show that ended too soon with a large following still intact when the final episode aired. Luckily, the fans of Third Watch are now able to enjoy the show’s first season and eventually all subsequent seasons, on DVD.
Release Information:
On February 5, 2008, Warner Home Video finally released the Complete First Season of Third Watch on DVD. This six disc set features each episode from the first season and a variety of special features to enhance the viewing experience. Fans that have watched the show from 1999, when it first aired, until 2005 when the final episode was shown, have been waiting for this series to hit DVD for years, so this could not come soon enough.
The quality of the show and the love of its fans can be seen by looking at the DVD reviews on Amazon, where the set is available for $41.99. Out of 319 reviews, only six of them are less than five stars. There are four 4-star reviews and two 1-star reviews, though in the latter case, both had absolutely nothing to do with the show, but rather the inept understanding of the rating process of the reviewers in question. Both admit to loving the show, which makes the rating even more amusing.
The Third Watch – The Complete First Season Plot
Before even delving into the plot, I will say that if you like shows like ER, Rescue Me, and The West Wing you will love Third Watch. The delicate handling of serious issues is endearing and the dynamic, well acted personalities are a pleasant surprise. It is interesting to see how quickly you can become attached to these characters. How you want them to succeed, get over old hang-ups, grow up, calm down, achieve new relationships, or get into the swing of things if they are new and looked down upon.
In this season, some of those aforementioned things happen and some do not, but there is no question about how good or addicting the show is to those who will choose to watch it. Fans will love this set and the care that it has been given to it. Meanwhile, people that are new to the show can expect to become instant fans. I know that’s what happened in my case.
The cast for the first season, many of which will stick around throughout the entire run, complement each other beautifully. The season one cast includes Coby Bell (The Game), Jason Wiles (Zodiac), Michael Beach (ER), Anthony Ruivivar (High Art), Skipp Sudduth (54), Molly Price (Bionic Woman), Kim Raver (24), Bobby Cannavale (Dedication), and Michael Rispoli (Invincible). Many of these names were not really known at the time, but would go on (and will continue to go on) and do excellent things.
As you can figure by the job descriptions, it is the job of each of these people to right the wrongs of the misguided citizens or the people in trouble. They bandage up the sick and attempt to heal them. They put the bad guys away, and in between they do their best to keep sane in any way possible. With each story, we learn a little more about each character and the many nuances that make them important to the force or department that they work with. The first season offers a variety of storylines. Some of the stories are ended neatly in one episode and others go throughout the season and include a variety of characters.
The characters are king on this fine series, but what also allows things to work is the pairing of the characters. For example, you have the extremely volatile Boscarelli (Jason Wiles) that is paired up with the even tempered mother of two, Faith Yokas (Molly Price). The interesting pair on the fire department is the divorced and slightly bitter Kim Zambrano (Kim Raver) who rides with the sexy and puppy dog eyed Bobby Caffey (Bobby Cannavale).
New men to the group such as Tyrone Davis (Coby Bell) and Carlos Nieto (Anthony Ruivivar) are paired with older men on the forces. In this case Davis goes with his deceased father’s old partner, John Sullivan (Skip Sudduth) and Carlos is paired with Doc (Michael Beach). This is just a few of the characters, but they are certainly some of the ones you will see the most in each episode.
Because of where the station is located (King and Arthur) the 55th precinct is dubbed Camelot. This is easy to figure out as the first episode is listed as “Welcome to Camelot” and later, when the series finally ends, the final episode is “Goodbye Camelot.” The show is cliché in ways that we have seen some of these issues before, but that is to be unavoidable. It is interesting because the acting is beautifully handled, the storylines are engaging, and you want to like the characters, or hate them, as the case may be.
Some of the most engaging storylines this season involve substance abuse, dealing with the stress of the jobs they have and why they refuse to quit, problems in their home life, dating others on staff and even the embarrassment of getting caught on camera with your pants down. Third Watch is filled with the comical remarks that come between co-workers that know each other well and have been through the best and worst of times together. Some of these moments are sexist and some are crude. There are even some homophobic jokes that you would expect from workers in these industries. However, the dynamics of the show make you laugh along with the characters and become addicted to their lives without a second thought.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The picture quality here is decent, but it is far from anything spectacular. Presented in full screen, with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Third Watch is not as impressive visually as many of the new shows being put on DVD. It’s hard to believe that things can change so much in such a little time, but you will notice a huge difference in quality between something that was made then when compared to now. The good news is that it is viewable, regardless, and fans will want to see the story here not an absolutely stellar quality. This set is watchable with only minor static, softness, and rare compression issues.
The audio, like the video, was not as good as I would have hoped it to be. Audio topped out at Dolby Digital 2.0. There is nothing technically wrong with it, but it is more on the drab when compared to the more dynamic and stronger 5.1 tracks. Like the video, you can understand everything going on and little volume toggling is necessary. I had no problem enjoying the show with the quality given, but a better audio track would have added a great deal to this set.
Visual: 
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Probably the most disappointing area on this entire set is the bonus section. It is understandable that not all sets will feature a large amount of bonuses. However, I have often remarked about how the worst shows are filled with hundreds and the good shows have three. This is about how it goes here. Third Watch has less than a handful of extras on this set, but in the end the show is truly enough to carry the set on its own. A commentary or a series of them would have been nice, but the selection that is here is certainly better than nothing.
There are two major features here. One is a gag reel and the other, the really special bonus, is called “The Nights of Camelot” and it features some interviews with the cast and crew and some details about the show and the mindset of those involved with the production. It is definitely something that fans will want to check out.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
There is absolutely no question. Third Watch is a must see television show and a must buy box set. Fans will love this show and people that have not seen it that appreciate hour long dramas will become quick fans. The acting is good, the storylines are engaging, and the fast paced nature is one that is expected and appreciated. It’s a wonderful show and you won’t want to miss it.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Third Watch, The Complete First Season, Eddie Cibrian, Coby Bell, Jason Wiles, Michael Beach, Anthony Ruivivar, Skipp Sudduth, Molly Price, Kim Raver, Joe Lisi
