Critical Situation

Last updated
Critical Situation
Also known asSituation Critical
Genre Documentary, Disaster, Survival
Narrated by Rufus Jones
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Running time45 minutes
Production companiesDarlow Smithson Productions, National Geographic Society
Original release
Network National Geographic Channel
ReleaseDecember 6, 2007 (2007-12-06) 
March 18, 2008 (2008-03-18)
Related

Critical Situation (also known as Situation Critical in the UK) is an American documentary television series. [1] [2] Produced in conjunction with the National Geographic Channel, the series examined various disasters or violent incidents. It replaced Seconds From Disaster , a similar program with a more forensic approach.[ citation needed ] The main tagline of the show reads, "This is Situation Critical," or some variation thereof. As of November 2007, 13 episodes have been aired.

Contents

Episodes

Ep#Episode titleSituationDate of situationNature of situation
1North Hollywood Shootout North Hollywood shootout February 28, 1997 Bank robbery, gunfight
When two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department noticed two criminals robbing a branch of the Bank of America in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, they called the local police department for support. A gun battle lasting almost 45 minutes ensued; one criminal committed suicide, the other was killed by the S.W.A.T. team.
2Taliban Uprising Battle of Qala-i-Jangi November 25 – December 1, 2001Prison revolt
Hundreds of inmates tried to shoot their way out of a makeshift prison for Taliban fighters in Afghanistan with television reporters trapped in the crossfire.
3Operation Certain Death Operation Barras August 25 – September 10, 2000 Hostage crisis
Twelve soldiers carrying out a patrol through a jungle in Sierra Leone were taken hostage by a group of rebels. They were eventually rescued.
4Apollo 13 Apollo 13 April 11–April 17, 1970 Oxygen tank explosion, emergency landing
An explosion aboard Apollo 13 in space resulted in the lunar mission being aborted and a subsequent emergency landing.
5Downed Pilot Mrkonjić Grad incident June 2, 1995Shootdown, manhunt and rescue
Bosnian Serb and United States military forces hunt for Scott O'Grady after he is shot down while flying over Bosnia and Herzegovina in an F-16 Fighting Falcon.
6Hell on High Water 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race December 26, 1998 Thunderstorm
A severe storm disrupts the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and destroys several yachts.
7Killing Pablo Capture of Pablo Escobar December 2, 1993Manhunt, criminal capture
Wanted drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed while trying to evade capture.
8Moscow Siege Moscow theatre hostage crisis October 23–26, 2002 Hostage crisis
40 armed members of the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment took 850 theatre goers hostage at the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow, culminating in a rescue operation that resulted in the deaths of the terrorists, but also of many of the hostages due to the gaseous substance used during the counterattack to subdue the terrorists.
9Assault On Entebbe Air France Flight 139 June 27 – July 4, 1976 Aircraft hijacking, hostage rescue
Air France Flight 139, originating from Tel Aviv, takes off from Athens. Minutes later, it is hijacked by two Palestinians from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations (PFLP-EO) and two Germans from the German "Revolutionary Cells". The hostages were eventually rescued from the old terminal of Entebbe International Airport in Uganda by Israel Defense Forces special forces troops.
10Running Out of Air AS-28 training accident August 4–7, 2005Submarine entanglement, undersea rescue
Priz AS-28, a miniature submarine of the Russian Navy, becomes entangled in sunken fishing nets and the cables of a hydrophone array at a depth of 190 m in Berezovaya Bay off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. 2 days later, the submarine was successfully freed with no loss of life, thanks to the aid of a British remotely operated vehicle.
11Al Qaeda Ambush Battle of Takur Ghar March 3, 2002 Meeting engagement
Members of United States Navy SEALs are ambushed by Al-Qaeda forces. During the initial ambush and subsequent battle, three Chinook helicopters were lost before the SEALs and reinforcements consisting of units of the 75th Ranger Regiment brought the engagement to a conclusion.
12Coal Mine Disaster Quecreek mine rescue July 24–28, 2002 Mine shaft flooding
At the Quecreek Mine in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, coal miners accidentally dug into the poorly documented Saxman Mine, causing 500 million tonnes of underground water to flood the Quecreek mine. All nine miners trapped by the water were eventually rescued.
13Nightmare on Mt. Hood 2002 climbing accident May 30, 2002Climbing accident, fall into crevasse, helicopter crash
Seven climbers trying to scale the slopes of Mount Hood fall into a crevasse called The Bergschrund on the mountain, resulting in the deaths of three of the climbers. A Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk of the USAF rescues the three climbers, but then crashes and rolls during its attempt to fly clear of the mountain, additionally injuring the five crew members on board. Both the crew and the surviving climbers make it out of the crash alive.

Reception

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media wrote, "Suspenseful and well crafted, Critical Situation is an addiction waiting to happen for adults, but be wary about sharing it with kids, since it's full of graphic, violent re-enactments of gun battles and vehicular crashes. [3] Rocky Mountain News 's Mike Pearson had a positive review of the documentary about Pablo Escobar, stating, "Killing Pablo plays like a real-life thriller: violent, unpredictable and filled with high-tech gadgets." [4]

Writing in The Age , Brad Newsome said, "Pick any episode of Situation Critical and you'll get an amazing story told clearly and concisely by people who were there." [5] Another The Age review stated, "The Israeli special forces' daring rescue of the passengers of a hijacked airliner in Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976 is an amazing tale. It's also a fairly complicated one that could have become a muddle in the hands of lesser documentary makers. The folks behind Situation Critical, however, excel at weaving classy dramatisations, fine computer graphics and interviews with key players into clear, compelling narratives." [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pablo Escobar</span> Colombian drug lord (1949–1993)

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician, who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed "the king of cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthiest criminals in history, having amassed an estimated net worth of US$30 billion by the time of his death—equivalent to $70 billion as of 2022—while his drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade into the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medellín Cartel</span> Former Colombian drug cartel

The Medellín Cartel was a powerful and highly organized Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia, that was founded and led by Pablo Escobar. It is often considered to be the first major "drug cartel" and was referred to as such; due to the organization's upper echelons and overall power-structure being built on a partnership between multiple Colombian traffickers operating alongside Escobar. Included were Jorge Luis Ochoa Vásquez, Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, Juan David Ochoa Vásquez, José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha and Carlos Lehder. Escobar's main partner in the organization however was his cousin Gustavo Gaviria who handled much of the cartel's shipping arrangements and the more general and detailed logistical aspects of the cocaine trafficking routes and international smuggling networks which were supplying at least 80% of the world's cocaine during its peak. Gustavo, also known as León seems to have also had a strong hand in the cartel's unprecedented acts of narcoterrorism, right alongside his cousin Pablo and was considered to be second in command of the cartel and therefore one of Colombia's most wanted men, with both him and Escobar having arrest warrants pending from other nations where their criminal activity had spread to, such as in Spain and the U.S. Meanwhile, Pablo Escobar's brother Roberto Escobar acted as the organization's accountant. The cartel operated from 1976 to 1993 in Colombia (Antioquia), Bolivia, Panama, Central America, Peru, the Bahamas, the United States, as well as in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrés Escobar</span> Colombian footballer (1967–1994)

Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga was a Colombian professional footballer who played as a center-back. He played for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed The Gentleman, he was known for his clean style of play and calmness on the pitch.

Seconds from Disaster is a US/UK-produced documentary television programme that investigates historically relevant man-made and natural disasters from the 20th and early 21st centuries. Each episode aims to explain a single incident by analyzing the causes and circumstances that ultimately affected the disaster. The program uses re-enactments, interviews, testimonies, and CGI to analyze the sequence of events second-by-second for the audience.

Hacienda Nápoles was an estate built and owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia Department, Colombia, approximately 150 km (93 mi) east of Medellín and 249 km (155 mi) northwest of Bogotá. The estate covers about 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) of land. Following Escobar's death in 1993, many of the original buildings on the property were demolished or reconditioned for other uses.

Up Close and Dangerous is a half-hour series, produced by NHNZ Ltd. and aired on Animal Planet, profiling each episode three wildlife photographers and their dangerous encounters in filming wild animals. The show aired its first episode on 12 February 2007.

<i>WordGirl</i> Animated television series

WordGirl is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl that premiered on PBS Kids Go! on November 10, 2006, usually shown at the end of Maya & Miguel; the segment was then spun off into a new thirty-minute episodic series that premiered on September 3, 2007, on most PBS member stations. The series of shorts consisted of thirty episodes, with 130 episodes in the full half-hour series.

<i>Dadnapped</i> 2009 television film

Dadnapped is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered February 16, 2009. Starring actors from Disney Channel Original Series, the movie had 4.6 million viewers for its premiere. Although the story centers on a hostage situation, the kidnappers are inept and the film "practically oozes kid-pleasing content".

<i>Shockwave</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Shockwave is an American documentary television series that premiered on November 30, 2007, on History. The program compiles video footage and eyewitness accounts to the headline making events and attempts to educate the viewer as to what really happened in a particular event.

<i>Lost Tapes</i> American fictional found footage television series

Lost Tapes is an American fiction television series that aired on Animal Planet. Produced by Go Go Luckey Entertainment, the program presents fictional found footage depicting traumatic encounters with creatures cryptozoological, supernatural, mythological or extraterrestrial. Creatures featured include Bigfoot, the chupacabra, vampires, werewolves, and reptilians.

<i>Im in the Band</i> American teen sitcom

I'm in the Band is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on Disney XD in the United States and on Family Channel in Canada. The first episode was taped on July 14, 2009, with a "sneak preview" airing on November 27, 2009; the show subsequently joined Disney XD's regular schedule on January 18, 2010, with the first episode being shown as a "sneak preview" in the United Kingdom on that same date. The show's January 18, 2010 premiere was watched by an estimated 860,000 viewers. This was the first Disney XD Original Series from It's a Laugh Productions.

The depiction of Colombia in popular culture, especially the portrayal of Colombian people in film and fiction, has been asserted by Colombian organizations and government to be largely negative and has raised concerns that it reinforces, or even engenders, societal prejudice and discrimination due to association with narco-trafficking, terrorism, illegal immigration and other criminal elements, poverty and welfare. The Colombian government-funded Colombia is Passion advertisement campaign as an attempt to improve Colombia's image abroad, with mixed results hoping for more positive views on Colombia.

Monsters Resurrected is an American edutainment television series that premiered on September 13, 2009, on the Discovery Channel. The program reconstructs extinct animals of both Mesozoic and Cenozoic. It is also called Mega Beasts.

Solving History with Olly Steeds is a weekly American documentary adventure reality television series that premiered on January 13, 2010 on the Discovery Channel. Produced by JWM Productions, the program follows British explorer and investigative journalist Oliver Steeds as he travels around the world investigating historical claims and theories.

Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin is a television program that follows host Jeff Corwin's travels and works in conjunction with the Georgia Aquarium. It aired from 2011 to 2016 on Saturday mornings on ABC affiliates as part of the nature-oriented programming block called Litton's Weekend Adventure, along with complementary shows Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown, Born to Explore with Richard Wiese, and Sea Rescue.

<i>Pablo Escobar, The Drug Lord</i> Colombian telenovela based on the life of Pablo Escobar

Escobar: El Patrón del Mal is a 2012 Colombian telenovela produced and broadcast on Caracol TV, based on a true story about the life of Pablo Escobar – the notorious druglord. It is available only in Spanish. There is a version available with English dubbed, as well as a version dubbed in Hindi on the ZEE5 app. It also aired in Arabic dub on Lana TV. It is also available in version dubbed in Turkish on Netflix.

<i>An Apology to Elephants</i> 2013 American film

An Apology to Elephants is a 2013 documentary that explores abuse and brutal treatment of elephants. It showcases elephant training and the psychological trauma and physical damage done by living conditions in some zoos and circuses. It was premiered on HBO on April 22, 2013, also celebrated as an Earth Day. The documentary includes interviews with environmental activists and biologists, including Performing Animal Welfare Society co-founders Ed Stewart and Pat Derby. The film was dedicated to Derby, also known as an "elephant lady", who died on February 15, 2013.

Mega Builders is a documentary television series appearing on the Discovery Channel and Science Channel. Each episode takes a look into the people and the machines involved into the construction of many huge engineering projects.

<i>Spirit Riding Free</i> American animated television series

Spirit Riding Free is an animated television series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and distributed by Netflix, based on the 2002 Oscar-nominated traditionally animated film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and the first series in the Spirit franchise. The series was first released on Netflix on May 5, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hippopotamuses in Colombia</span> Hippos owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar

Hippopotamuses are an introduced species in Colombia. Four hippopotamuses were kept by Pablo Escobar in the late 1970s, and upon his death in 1993 they were allowed to wander his unattended estate. By 2019 their population had grown to approximately one hundred individuals, causing concerns for harming the native flora and fauna in the area; as well as posing significant threat to the human population in the area. They are also referred to as "cocaine hippos".

References

  1. Loft, Kurt (2007-06-25). "Fast Forward". The Tampa Tribune . Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  2. Banov, Jessica (2007-06-19). "TV Diva". The Fayetteville Observer . Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  3. Ashby, Emily (2019-09-20). "Critical Situation: TV review by Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  4. Pearson, Mike (2007-08-28). "Killers on the loose - National Geographic tracks tigers, Pablo Escobar". Rocky Mountain News . Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  5. Newsome, Brad (2019-03-21). "Pay TV". The Age . Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  6. "Sunday, November 26". The Age . 2017-11-23. Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-07.