TV SERIES

Paramedics

1998 · 45 min · Reality

Paramedics was a medical-based television reality show that ran on TLC from 1999 to 2001 and now runs infrequently on Discovery Health Channel. A spin-off of Trauma: Life in the E.R., Paramedics followed the activities of teams of EMTs and paramedics in a number of large urban centers in the United States. The show had no regular cast; every week featured a different city and a different group of paramedics. Actor Michael McGlone narrated the series. Composer Chuck Hammer scored the series. The excitement as well as the occasional tedium of being a member of a paramedic team is evident, as cases ranging from life-and-death to broken wrists to false calls are all featured. The show differed from Trauma: Life in the E.R. in that it did not show surgeries and hospital discharges. Instead, it focused on the importance of a paramedic's immediate care and social skills in dealing with a variety of people.