Emergency!

Emergency! (1972)

16 mistakes in show generally

(28 votes)

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Other mistake: In the interior shots of Station 51 (the studio set), when facing the rear apparatus bay door, the right wall has a door to Captain Stanley's office, a very large map, the radio receiver base station where they respond to dispatch, the kitchen doorway, and a double-door closet, that's it. However, when Station 51 is shown in the exterior shots (the real Station 127 aka 51), as either the engine or squad exits when the apparatus bay door is up, we see that the right wall has many more doors on that wall. Additionally, the opposite wall on the set has only two doors - one to locker room/bathroom, and one to the dorm, however at the real 127's, that wall has three doors - two of them are to the dorm.

Super Grover

Show generally

Deliberate mistake: Rampart's ER is located in the south lower wing of the hospital complex and it is only a two-storey building (with a basement), but the elevator, which is located past the nurses' station at the wing's far south end, has two floor indicator panels listing eight floors - one panel over the elevator doors and another we see every time the elevator doors open, which is not possible.

Super Grover

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Revealing mistake: Squad 51 has a flashing light-bar mounted on the roof of the vehicle. There is about 4-5" of space between the length of the light frame and the roof, which means that Squad 51's surrounding environment is easily visible through that gap in normal shots. The hiccup here are certain close-ups of Gage and DeSoto while they're 'driving', because that gap is covered (with red to match the vehicle) and sometimes, when it's daylight, the gap is dark. The same thing happens with the space behind the cab unit (seen through the window), with the red blocking the opening.

Super Grover

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Continuity mistake: In many of the interior shots of the paramedic cab, as it heads to the destinations, there is a rear view mirror on the windshield. In all the exterior shots there is no rear view mirror.

Super Grover

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Revealing mistake: When Engine 51 and/or Squad 51 are dispatched, the shots of the vehicles when they are first dispatched, while en route to the call or en route to Rampart, etc, in many instances, are stock footage or repeat shots which show the same traffic, same parked cars, same people, etc., from previous episodes.

Super Grover

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Continuity mistake: When Squad 51 is dispatched and headed to their destination, interior shots looking out the windshield are shown. It is only in these shots that the Dodge truck's red hood has vents on its right and left sides. There is no such thing in any exterior shots of Squad 51. The hood's style also changes.

Super Grover

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Continuity mistake: During the first two seasons of the show, when Engine 51 and Squad 51 are dispatched, sometimes one or both vehicles change their appearance when they leave the firehouse, while en route, or when they reach their destination. Note the hood, lights, etc.

Super Grover

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Revealing mistake: When Squad 51 is dispatched from the stationhouse, the exterior shots show buildings, traffic, trees, etc., they pass along the way. In some close-up shots of Gage and DeSoto while en route, too much of the vehicle's left and/or right sides are visible, which actually shows nothing but a blank screen behind them.

Super Grover

Emergency! mistake picture

Show generally

Continuity mistake: In nearly every episode, the dark blue jackets that Gage and DeSoto wear suddenly appear and/or vanish and then reappear, numerous times, while en route in their squad, or when they pull into the stationhouse and Rampart. Since stock footage is usually used when showing all the guys getting into their vehicles, Johnny's hair length may differ as well.

Super Grover

Show generally

Revealing mistake: In many of Dixie's close-ups the use of the soft focus lens is rather apparent. This could be an acceptable directorial decision, were it not for the fact that in some shots where there's movement (of a hand, for example) that passes through the corners of the shot, the thick 'hazy cloud' is blatantly visible and quite distracting.

Super Grover

Show generally

Other mistake: On Emergency! there's a noticeable lack of blood (not that it's a bad thing), even on the medical disposable gloves, during numerous scenes such as when a victim has arterial bleeding from carotid, brachial, and femoral arteries, or during the surgical procedures, and the labor/delivery scenes.

Super Grover

Show generally

Other mistake: There are two specific pieces of stock footage used from season 3 onward, when the camera faces the fire station, it shows either just Squad 51, or both Squad 51 and Engine 51 pulling out of the apparatus bay, then turning left (viewer's right) onto E 223rd St, and the real Station 127's Truck 127 can be seen parked in the side driveway. Examples are: In season 6, "The Exam", when Squad 51 responds to Molly's phone call, and in "Hypochondri-Cap", when Station 51 is dispatched to an 'unconscious female in a car'.

Super Grover

Show generally

Continuity mistake: Frequently during the first two seasons there will be long shots of Squad 51 running down the road but it has mysteriously become a mid-60's Dodge (easily visible because of the red painted grille) instead of the familiar 1972+ model Dodge with a chrome grille. It also has 51 on the door which makes for a significant paradox.

Show generally

Other mistake: When the plane crashes into the neighborhood and traps Gage and DeSoto in the house, you see outside shots of the squad when the other two paramedics arrive. You can see a large piece of smoking engine/plane laying on the back end of the squad, right over the spare air tanks. They would have exploded when something that heavy and hot landed on them, since they are filled with oxygen. The tanks would be full or they would not be on the back of the squad.

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Probably air tanks, because oxygen tanks are always painted green. Both kinds of tank are very tough. Hard to tell with how much force the plane debris might have landed except that the truck still looks pretty much intact. However, if the plot required it, I would find it completely believable that the crash could have exploded the tanks, but also don't find it strange that they didn't explode.

Breakdown - S6-E15

Charlie: I think you guys are playing games with me, and I don't like it.
Roy: Now, wait a minute. We're not playing games. We don't play games with the equipment...
Captain Stanley: Wait, hold on. C'mon everybody, look we're all on the same side here, aren't we?
Charlie: I wonder.
Captain Stanley: Charlie, why can't we put the squad in the shop and have us a reserve vehicle here?
Charlie: No, no, Hank. Not until I'm 100% sure that I can't fix it. If there's anything wrong with it. This coffee stinks. [Leaves the room.]
Captain Stanley: You guys playing some kind of joke on him?
John: We didn't make the coffee!
Captain Stanley: Not the coffee, you twit, the squad.
Roy: Cap, there's something wrong with that squad out there.
Captain Stanley: [sigh.] All right, if you say so... I made the coffee.

Super Grover

More quotes from Emergency!

Trivia: On May 16, 2000, 28 years after the debut of "Emergency!" on television, due to the profound impact "Emergency!" had on the American EMS system, key props and memorabilia from the show were inducted into the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, Division of Cultural History - the Public Service sector, located in Washington, D.C. Some of the items included: Original scripts, Biophone, trauma boxes, defibrillators, monitor, radios, turnout gear, helmets, and Roy's and Johnny's uniforms.

Super Grover

More trivia for Emergency!

The Mouse - S4-E20

Question: The old man that comes in with his wife that can't breathe, the one that the head nurse tries to counsel and tempts him with a cup of coffee. I believe he is Alfred Hitchcock, though his name is not listed anywhere. Alfred Hitchcock is known for his cameo appearances in his own shows and in other shows. Can someone confirm that this is him? This is driving me nuts... It is toward the end of the episode, but I cannot give you times.

Answer: I believe you are speaking of the old man, Mr. Wilson. He's played by J. Pat O'Malley.

Bishop73

Correct, it was J. Pat O'Malley...he also played the grandfather with his grandson when their rocket exploded, and also played "Old Bill" in the episode with Ann Prentiss, where Gage saves the little girl from the burning tree house, and her mother falls in love with him.

More questions & answers from Emergency!

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