Spoilers ahead for the premiere of the LA Fire & Rescue docuseries on NBC, called “Best Job in the World.”
After weeks of promotion from NBC in the wake of Chicago Fire's Season 11 finale, LA Fire & Rescue debuted the first episode of the new docuseries from Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment in the 2023 TV schedule. There was plenty of action that showcased what the heroes of the Los Angeles County Fire Department experience, as well as some deeply emotional stories about the individuals. A standout story was that of Dave Castellanos, whose health struggle resulted in his fellow firefighters going above and beyond. LA Fire & Rescue executive producer Rasha Drachkovitch spoke with CinemaBlend about the episode and what Castellanos went through!
Dave Castellanos was a probationary firefighter at Station 8 in West Hollywood when he found out that he had Stage 3 testicular cancer. He wouldn’t have been able to do his job to maintain his health insurance while going through treatment, so his fellow firefighters stepped up and worked for him so that he wouldn’t lose his coverage. LA Fire & Rescue (which will be available streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription) picked up with Castellanos on the verge of finishing his probationary period after three years instead of the usual one, and viewers got to witness his emotional speech to his Station 8 family.
And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tearing up during this storyline! When I shared as much with executive producer Rasha Drachkovitch, who previously settled the question of whether LA Fire & Rescue is scripted at all, he responded:
Oh, I know! It goes to show you the brotherhood or the sisterhood. The family of firefighters really do consider themselves family. It's also interesting to kind of see the different locations, in this case Station 8 in West Hollywood. He's a young firefighter who has the tragedy of being stricken with cancer. Without having to leave his job, so he can get medical treatment, his fellow firefighters take on his shifts, so that he wouldn't lose his health coverage. You see the ceremony there, where he speaks, where he's like, 'This extended family that I couldn't be more proud of for what they've done for me to battle my health issues.' It's pretty neat stuff.
I would certainly agree that it was “pretty neat” for LA Fire & Rescue to include this story in the very first episode! It definitely validated what the executive producer said about viewers getting an “even more powerful” experience with the unscripted docuseries than with a scripted show like Chicago Fire, which is also produced by Wolf Entertainment. As a fan of Chicago Fire, I was struck by how that scripted show’s portrayal of Firehouse 51's family atmosphere is so accurate to the real-life brotherhood and sisterhood among the LA County firefighters.
Fortunately, Dave Castellanos’ health battle didn’t stop him from becoming a firefighter past the probationary period, and the ceremony in his honor was a combination of touching and funny… and I wasn’t the only one tearing up! Understandably, Castellanos himself needed a tissue. Rasha Drachkovitch, who worked on A&E’s Nightwatch and Fox’s First Responders Live before executive producing LA Fire & Rescue, opened up about the goal for viewers with this series. He told CinemaBlend:
I want to say really, it comes down to what Dick Wolf is known for, and that is showing heroes, heroic acts, inspiration. There's so much angst in the world today and so much heaviness in what we all go through on a daily basis. To have a show that can inspire higher, that can really give viewers a chance to see heroes in action. Take someone's worst day, being met by a firefighter's best day, and that saving lives is a thrill. We're really proud of the series and we hope viewers will enjoy LA Fire & Rescue.
Dick Wolf shows have been telling stories of first responders for years by this point, and One Chicago – comprised of Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med as well as Chicago Fire – is going strong with a combined 29 seasons between the three shows so far. LA Fire & Rescue’s unscripted approach and spotlight on real-life heroes is something new, and all signs point toward an engaging docuseries to keep watching during the summer TV lineup.
If LA Fire & Rescue continues to deliver stories like Dave Castellanos' that focus on the people who race into danger as well as the crises, then viewers are in for an emotional journey over the course of the docuseries. New episodes of LA Fire & Rescue air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
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