Back-Up

Episode aired Feb 15, 1975
TV-PG
1h

IMDb RATING

8.3/10

116

YOUR RATING

Action Adventure Comedy Drama

Two young men dump off a female OD victim at the ER, then run away; further examination showed she was injected with milk. John and Roy gets upset at all the non-emergency calls they get, th... Read allTwo young men dump off a female OD victim at the ER, then run away; further examination showed she was injected with milk. John and Roy gets upset at all the non-emergency calls they get, then see a man faking a back injury for a free ride to the hospital. The paramedics help an ... Read allTwo young men dump off a female OD victim at the ER, then run away; further examination showed she was injected with milk. John and Roy gets upset at all the non-emergency calls they get, then see a man faking a back injury for a free ride to the hospital. The paramedics help an ex-Los Angeles Rams player who kicked his TV screen when his old team blew a close game an... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.3/10

116

YOUR RATING

2User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos6

User reviews2

8.3116

Featured reviews

10mistymountain

A waste of time

A good working title for this episode should be called "A Waste of Time", after John & Roy go on a few runs that are out of their jurisdiction, only to find out that they're non-emergencies after all. I think John said at least 3 times, "That was a waste of time!", including an old man who calls the fire department frequently to fake a back injury just to get a free ride to the hospital, and is reprimanded by Dr. Morton for doing so. On the way to Rampart, Roy is in the ambulance with a heart attack, when it is involved in a head-on collision with another car. While the paramedics help Dr. Brackett with the patient, they are being observed by hospital administrators.

Jimmy_the_Gent4

Non Emergencies

Gage and DeSoto are frustrated by getting calls that are not really emergencies.

A very good episode. This is one that begins in Rampart hospital instead of the firehouse. Two guys drop off a female overdose victim and then split. Dr. Brackett believes the victim was shot up with milk. Apparently there was a myth that milk injections help O. D.s. Gage and Desoto go on a call to man who complains of back pain, which is not an emergency. The man called Wild Bill is played by Keenan Wynn, who appeared in the Robert Altman film "Nashville" the same year as this episode. Michael Conrad plays a man who gets an electric shock when he kicks in his TV. Another non emergency has a woman calling the paramedics on her husband for drinking beer and complaining about back pain. There is a shock moment when Gage and Desoto are on an ambulance and it gets hit by a car.

Trivia
This is the first time Dixie McCall is seen giving detailed medical directions to Paramedics without the presence of a Doctor, or calling for one to come to the Call Station.

Goofs
When the squad responds to a man unconscious call the dispatcher states the time as 14:53, and the shadow of the squad as it leaves the station indicates early afternoon. However, when they arrive at the scene it is almost dark, indicating it took them many hours to get there. Minutes later they respond to another call, and it is afternoon again.