Wow, I didn’t notice this yesterday when I posted the trailer, but that’s Rahm Emanuel in the Chicago Fire trailer, around 2:30. Come shoot in our great city of Chicago instead of some set in LA pretending to be Chicago, and the Mayor will do a cameo? I’m not sure how big a draw Emanuel is, though. Unless he starts screaming profanities, heh.
Being the Mayor of Chicago is probably a lot more fun than being the White House Chief of Staff. Sure, you’re in charge of just one city instead of helping running the whole country, but you’re the top guy. Someone with Rahm’s personality probably prefers being the top guy.
We finally see the female characters, but all of them seem to be paramedics. Really, you couldn’t cast even ONE of the women as a firefighter? That’s such an impossible job for a woman in TV-land?
“Fiery Tempers”. The speechifying by that guy who was boxing is a little too TV-movie-of-the-week. Did he say “truck versus squad”? I guess that means Jesse Spencer’s character and Taylor Kinney’s character are leading different units within the firehouse. I thought it was weird that they’re both Lieutenants, but this would explain it. Spencer’s American accent sounds fine to me, except when he’s saying the name (“Severide”).
This from the end of the video confuses me a bit. The promo picture above made it seem like Kinney is the main character – it’s obvious that they photoshopped the picture so Kinney appeared much bigger and more prominent than the rest of the cast. But from this one, it seems like Spencer in the main character. Or maybe they’re both the main characters and NBC is just switching things up in the promo to keep both of them happy, heh. Where are the female characters, though?
“No Man Left Behind”.
Interview with Taylor Kinney. His character, Kelly Severide, is a lietenant in the Rescue Squad.
Interview with Jesse Spencer. His character, Matthew Casey is the lieutenant of Truck 81. Notice the adjectives Spencer used to describe his character – smart, capable, intelligent, effective. Compare that to Kinney’s way of describing his character – busting balls, doing things his way. I guess that’s the show’s way of highlighting the contrast between the two characters. Hopefully the show will let both grow more complex as the show goes on, and not stick to a broad brush of characterization that could so easily fall into stereotypes.
Interview with series creator, Dick Wolf. “It’s not a fire-of-the-week show.”
Errr, I mean Jesse Spencer. His pilot “Chicago Fire” is officially picked up by NC for for its lineup next season. I don’t think there was any danger that it wasn’t going to be picked up, coming from the Dick Wolf stable and all, and with Wolf’s long-term relationship with NBC, but it’s nice to know that at least one alum of House M.D already has a job lined up. The synopsis of the show:
Chicago Fire, from Universal Television and Wolf Films, stars House‘s Jesse Spencer and is described as a action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department.
The title is not very creative, is it? “It’s about a Fire Department, and it’s set in Chicago. Oh I know, let’s call it Chicago Fire!” Spencer’s character description:
On Wolf Films and Universal TV’s action-driven drama about the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department, Spencer will play the lead, Matthew Casey, a firefighter at Firehouse 55, a natural leader who is in his element when on a rescue or putting out a fire but in his personal life, he is grappling with a recent separation from his wife.
“Separation from his wife’? His wife is not called Cameron, is she? Heh. Playing the lead? Good for Jesse Spencer. He’s been pretty much wasted on House since Season 4. I suspect the Chase-centric episodes he’s been getting this season has something to do with the delay in signing his contract for this season; i.e. he was holding out for better storylines. (“If you want me to sign, you have to promise you won’t keep relegating me to silly, stupid, non-essential Chase-is-a-manwhore type of storylines!!’) Chicago Fire will also star Monica Raymund (yup, my own personal kryptonite, Dana from The Good Wife. Hey, you mess with Kalinda, you have to answer to me). Hopefully her character here isn’t as annoying as Dana. Wait, if this pilot gets picked up, that means we won’t ever have to see Dana again!!! Dear NBC, please, please, please pick up Chicago Fire – it’s for Jesse Spencer, I swear!
verityjes 