Rescue Special Ops

I live in the US and had never heard of this series before finding it on Freevee not long ago (15 years after it aired!). It only caught my attention because I'm a big Farscape fan and Gigi Edgley is in it. So I watched the first episode and was immediately drawn in and am halfway through season one.

It doesn't rise to the level of a binge watch but it's an entertaining and fast paced series that brings to mind some of the good old shows from the US like Emergency, back was TV was simpler and just tried to be entertaining. It does have some drawbacks, it's obviously shot on a limited budget; just watched an episode about two boats crashing into one another and they didn't show the actual accident because obviously that would have cost too much money. But the show is well enough written and acted to overcome that. It also does pretty well with the characters and their interaction though again, with some drawbacks; Les Hill's character is pretty unlikable and basically a bit of a jerk and since he's one of the main characters that gets grating at times. Some of the other characters do stupid things from time to time as well but that's in any show you watch. And Edgley and Katherine Hicks provide very nice eye candy but aren't there just for that, both are also interesting and well developed characters who mesh well into the story lines. Edgley's character can be a bit over the top at times and I don't know why they decided to have her be engaged to someone when there's such obvious sexual tension between her and Hill's character, at times it puts her character in a less than admirable light.

Over all though it's a fast moving and entertaining series that I'm wishing now had more seasons for me to watch. And being from the US it's interesting to see New South Wales Australia which looks beautiful. Unfortunately I doubt I'll ever see it in person; 18+ hour plane ride and all....

If you're looking for a good old fashioned procedural about first responders that goes light on agenda's and politics and ideologies this is the series for you.

Too bad this won't happen until possibly 2012. The first two seasons production was only 13 episodes each. Season 3 was just announced and will yield 22 episodes. With 48 in the can maybe we'll see this in the U.S and U.K. Is shown on Channel 9 Australia. You can watch some episodes on You Tube though. It's worth watching even with the splitting of each episodes into 5 or 6 parts as is the custom with You Tube. This show is filmed in, and around Sydney. The program is produced by Southern Star Entertainment with the assistance of Screen Australia and the New South Wales Government. The high energy action drama series focuses on a team of experienced professional paramedics who specialize in unique rescue operations. The only recognizable one of the cast of stars to U.S. and U.K. viewers would be Gigi Edgely, (Chiana) of Farscape fame. Give it a go, you'll like the wonderful photography of outdoor down under.

This started out such a great show!! Great characters, great situations, love the theme song which absolutely fits the show. Season 1 and Season 2 kept you wanting more. Unfortunately, by the end of the 2nd season, the producers decided to start focusing mainly on the characters, making them too impulsive, reckless, and so caught up in their personal lives they could barely function. Instead of keeping the reality of life front and center, troubled souls got slaps on the wrists, bar invites, and more exciting plots to show their foolish need for another adrenaline rush. The 3rd and last season almost abandoned the whole premise of the show -- Rescue. Almost every episode was predictable and flat. I wish I hadn't wanted it to end, because it started out So Well, but by Episode 22, I was done.

'Rescue Special Ops' is an Australian drama series, that centers around a Sydney based Special Operations rescue unit who are trained paramedics, abseil off buildings and consistently find themselves in high risk situations to help save their patients.

The team features a core unit of characters throughout the duration of the series. Dean Gallagher is the unit team leader and his team consists of his brother Chase, love interest Lara and friends Heidi and Jordan. Peter Phelps' character Vince and Libby Tanner's Michelle are in management positions and often assist from the office, however they sometimes also visit the site of the emergencies. Over the course of the series a few other characters also join the group.

Rescue is relatively fast paced with each episode centering on a different location and story often involving secrets that have lead to the accidents. The stunt work is well done and the special effects are relatively believable. However some viewers will find frustration at some situations that seem a little too neat, or resolved 'just in time'. I also found that the characters were a bit undeveloped and inconsistent and throughout the course of the three seasons I felt like I didn't learn that much about who they really were.

Overall, Rescue is an enjoyable and at times edge of your seat watch. It has encouraged me to watch more shows of a similar genre. Throughout the action there are moments of friendship, romance and multiple locations showcasing the beauty of New South Wales. An interesting watch.

Love the series only complaint is, Dean over steps the line sleeping with victims, and Lara is just a pain in the ass. Seems like she has a crush on Dean, and is too into his private life. She takes unnecessary risks and doesn't listen well to orders.