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RESCUE ME, the new one-hour drama starring Denis Leary from Sony Pictures Television International, centers on the inner workings of a New York City firehouse and the emotional battles of its members in a post-9/11 world. The new series is scheduled to air on Sky One.
Leary stars as Tommy Gavin, a firefighter and father who's struggling to cope with the daily turmoil of his life. After his wife Janet leaves him, Tommy moves into a house across the street from her to stay close to their three children. However, the proximity of their relationship is difficult. Tommy isn't dealing very well with his estranged wife dating other men and uses his kids as spies, paying them to divulge information about Janet's activities.
Likewise, the stress of his job is really starting to get to him. Tommy is haunted by the memories of September 11 and even hallucinates the ghosts of the family and friends he lost. His subconscious manifests itself in the images of these former firefighters, predominantly his cousin Jimmy who he often confides in. Tommy works hard to conceal his feelings from his firehouse buddies, even though many of them are still suffering as well.
RESCUE ME features an ensemble cast that includes Jack McGee ("Backdraft") as Chief Jerry Reilly who despite being called "The Good Chief" has a serious gambling problem; he bets on everything, even Tommy's divorce. Stephen Pasquale ("Six Feet Under") is Sean Garrity, a young, handsome guy who is easier to look at than hold a conversation with. Daniel Sunjata ("Law & Order SVU") is Franco Rivera, a cocky, Puerto Rican ladies man. John Scurti ("The Ref") plays Lt. Kenny "Lou" Shea, a man's man who secretly writes poetry to deal with his emotions. Michael Lombardi ("The Job") stars as Mike Siletti, "the probie" who is subject to numerous initiation pranks. Andrea Roth ("Lucky") is Tommy Gavin's ex-wife Janet, and Tommy's hallucination of his deceased cousin Jimmy Keefe is portrayed by actor James McCaffrey.
Portraying a firefighter is a role Leary holds close to his heart. In 1999, he lost a cousin and a childhood friend in the Worcester, Massachusetts warehouse fire that killed six firefighters. Following this personal tragedy, Denis created The Leary Firefighter's Foundation which was established to provide funding and resources to obtain the highest level of equipment, technology and training for firefighters and to provide resources to families of firefighters who have perished or been injured in the line of duty.
The foundation also established The Leary Firefighters Fund for New York's Bravest in the wake of the national tragedy on 9/11. By December 2001 the fund had raised over $1.2 million and was evenly distributed to the 343 families. "It's about time there is a show that looks at the lives and great work of New York City firefighters and what goes on beneath the surface of the job you see," says Leary.
The series was created and written by Leary and Emmy® award winner Peter Tolan ("The Larry Sanders Show, Murphy Brown"). The duo will serve as executive producers along with Leary's producing partner Jim Serpico. Tolan also directed the pilot and will direct additional episodes throughout the season.
RESCUE ME is produced by Apostle, The Cloudland Company and DreamWorks Television in association with Sony Pictures Television.
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International