Saved

I have to admit, I was excited about Saved, but I was also worried I would be disappointed. Let's just say I wasn't. I'd been excited all year about seeing the Closer again and I enjoyed Saved much more than I did the Closer. The characters came alive immediately, you feel like you know them, the screen writing is amazing, the acting is great. The show takes a different take on the whole hospital style scene--it goes to the paramedics and the initial trauma and captures the chaos and adrenaline-pumping rush to the scene and then to the hospital with an ambulance crew. It captures the emotion so well, and develops different parts of the characters very deeply, as well as maintaining the traumatic nature of a day in the life of 2 paramedics, yet there is an underlying humor and uplifting turn to it, and while it captures the gritty nature of the emergencies, it does not go into overkill with overly dramatized and exhibited blood or gore as with most shows where it isn't as necessary as it is played up to be. A great show, I recommend it whole heartedly, most of my family were not desiring to watch it at all, but I convinced them to give it a chance, and they ended up loving despite admitting to having premonitions of a total letdown, and they're stubborn people, so it's some doing to get them to admit they were wrong so kudos to Saved and its cast. As a final note, Tom Everett Scott and Omari Hardwick do a fantastic job acting and not just acting, but that higher level of portrayal where it becomes a creation in our imaginations so great do they develop themselves. Akin to John Keats "Ode On a Grecian Urn," they bring it alive to us just as in the phrase "Beauty is truth, truth beauty--that is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know." Enough said. It looks like it will be a fantastic series and I look forward to watching it again and sincerely hope it extends beyond only the summer season into the regular season of television.

I have seen many doctor/ER type shows on TV and none of them compare. Most shows take reality and tweak it a bit in order to satisfy the target audience. "Saved" is a work of genius. As a mobile EMT myself, I can relate to MANY things I see in nearly every episode. There is very little artistic license taken. Each of the characters in the series develops his or her own unique personality which can be easily picked up on. The series also contains a web of relationships which is built upon from episode to episode. This alone shows the time and thought that went into writing such a series. The series also properly portrays the stress inherit in the work of an EMT and Paramedic. All in all, "Saved" is a terrific must see series.

This show is brutally real. Classifying Wyatt Cole as a "slacker hero" is totally on target; and who better to portray that slacker hero than Tom Everett Scott? The character dynamics are honest. The chemistry between Sack and Wyatt leaves little to be desired...it's perfect! They guys work well together, and seem to add a guttural sense of humor to otherwise dire situations. These guys are strong, physically as well as mentally. They obviously know this job inside and out, thanks in part to some great writing and acting! Tom Everett Scott is such a versatile actor, to see him in such a drama is great! He has a way of bringing the viewer into the show. I have to say I'm falling for his portrayal of Wyatt Cole. Thanks to marathon watching this past weekend, I've gotten completely hooked to this amazing drama!!

Tom Everett Scott is the heart & soul of 'Saved'. He makes this show work. Yes, the rest of the cast was thoughtfully-chosen and they interact wonderfully. However, if T.E. Scott was not the lead character I wouldn't be watching, and I don't believe I'm in the minority. He has that thing you can't turn away from or ignore. Rita Wilson saw it, bless her heart, and because of her he was cast in Tom Hanks, "That Thing You Do." The choice of music is smart and a breathe of fresh air as well. Even Wyatt's t-shirts make a difference. Can't wait till they release the DVD, I want it. 'Saved' is the best show on cable right now, don't miss it!! Oh, and for the record, I work for 2 doctors, both my brothers are doctors and I was set to marry one, but didn't (thank goodness).

As a former paramedic, I cannot say enough regarding how accurate the emotions and dialog are on "Saved (2006)". And there are many small details that EMS personnel will pick-up on right away and enjoy: from putting on sunglasses at the first sign of light in the morning, to the dispatcher complaining that you've been en-route to a call for too long, to name just two. On the flip side, two not-so-realistic aspects are: 1) the near-complete absence of fire department personnel (though this is a secret dream of most ambulance personnel), and 2) Wyatt's nearly complete absence of ever wearing a uniform (rarely happens for more than a few hours before you get narc'ed on).

Each episode has a dozen, or so, connected vignettes; they're realistic and the characters more often than not say what most paramedics just think (but are usually too professional to say). In reality, however, most medics will not encounter as much drama in a normal shift as is portrayed on "Saved". But that is OK; otherwise viewers would have to watch hours of boring television before there would be anything worth watching. Ten normal shifts (a month's worth) might equal one "Saved" episode. A movie covering some of the same ground, "Bringing Out The Dead (1999)", is much darker, but also condenses an inordinate amount of drama into a shortened time frame.

I would expect anyone willing to watch this show will enjoy it, but the medics in the audience will laugh at nearly every dark joke.