I am a former firefighter with Ventura County and I stumbled upon this show a couple weeks ago. I was impressed with the attention to detail as regards the process of different types of rescues. This show gives you a pretty accurate insight into the risk and danger experienced by rescue workers on a daily basis.The last episode I watched had quite a suspenseful rescue with one of the members of the rescue team going into a burning building filled with flammable gasses in order to rescue downed firefighters. The scene where Dolph came in to save the other guy was pretty intense.The show isn't only rescues though, they have quite an attractive female cast, especially that Latina at the graveyard.

K, now I finally get SNL's "The Californians" sketch. They're making fun of this show, right? This show is an hour long version of the sketch, replete with the worst possible acting that could possibly exist. It's so bad, it makes Baywatch look like 'Citizen Kane'. The writing is beyond amateurish. I feel like I have heard every line before, it's so basic, like a play written by 6th graders. The bad acting comes consistently enough where I feel it's not the actors, it's the director insisting that they act badly. Filler? Try montage after montage. Someone clearly does not enjoy writing on this show. Half the show is the camera panning to the actors staring into space, complete with cheesy music. Made it 25 mins in and..could not....go......further....dramatic gasp.

Just to be clear, this show is awful. But worth spending 10 minutes watching just to commiserate with fellow reviewers. After watching the first 10 minutes of the pilot weeks ago and not giving this woefully lacking show another thought I found myself blinking through reviews today and couldn't hold back an exuberant laughter as I relived the train wreck through their eyes. I wasn't aware they shot everything in South Africa (which I learned from a fellow reviewer); I'm guessing they learned a lesson about cutting corners considering the shows rave reviews.Thanks to everyone who took the time. Your experience created mine.

For those of us sick to death of smartypants post-post-modern irony, like Breaking Bad and Dexter, SAF3 comes as a breath of fresh air. Lung Dolphin is a proper leading man like Rab Butler in Gone in the Wind, not a wheezing creep like self-styled Dr Heisenberg. Give me men like this any day, men who take care of business without the pathetic need to talk everything out. I think the soundtrack by the Carpenters underscores the timber of the acting but the show also displays technical innovation, like the radar screen showing North America. We need more shows like this about the unsung heroes of everyday life. Come on writers. What about some shows about policemen? Or medical emergencies? Anyone?