999: What's Your Emergency?

Last updated

999: What's Your Emergency?
999WhatsYourEmergency%3F.jpg
Series 1 titlecard
Genre Documentary
Narrated by
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series13
No. of episodes71
Production
Executive producers
  • Ed Coulthard (2012–13)
  • Simon Ford (2012–13)
  • Guy Davies (2013)
Producers
  • Daniel Fromm (2012)
  • Mark Jones (2012)
  • Ally Roberts (2013)
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production company Blast!
Original release
Network Channel 4
Release10 September 2012 (2012-09-10) 
present

999: What's Your Emergency? is a British television documentary. Broadcast on Channel 4, the show provides insight into modern Britain through the eyes of the emergency services, using a mixture of fly-on-the-wall footage taken at incidents and retrospective interviews with the people and staff featured. The show is narrated by Hugo Speer, with the exception of Series 2 which was narrated by Julian Barratt.

Contents

Series 1 followed police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and call handlers in Blackpool, Lancashire. Series 2 followed paramedics throughout the UK. Series 3 followed police officers, paramedics, and call handlers in Cheshire. From Series 4 to Series 11, the show followed police officers, paramedics, call handlers, and occasionally firefighters in Wiltshire and Northamptonshire. Series 12 onwards has followed police officers and call handlers in South Yorkshire and Northamptonshire police.

Episodes

All episode ratings are taken from the BARB website and include Channel 4 and Channel 4+1.

SeriesEpisodesStart dateEnd dateAverage UK viewers
(millions)
11010 September 201219 November 20122.80
267 October 201311 November 20131.98
3144 July 20163 October 20162.00
4624 July 20174 September 20171.79
5730 October 201711 December 2017
6419 April 201810 May 2018
7424 July 201814 August 2018
8429 November 201822 April 2019
943 June 201924 June 2019
10420 January 202010 February 2020
1135 October 202019 October 2020
12411 January 20211 February 2021
1358 June 202113 July 2021
1417 January 2022

Series 1 (2012)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
110 September 2012Drugs2.903
217 September 2012Children & Youth Crime3.004
324 September 2012Relationships & Domestic Abuse2.952
48 October 2012Payday & Bonfire Night2.765
515 October 2012Mental Health2.963
622 October 2012Women2.915
729 October 2012Alcohol2.884
85 November 2012Life or Death & Hoax Calls3.124
912 November 2012Visitors2.565
1019 November 2012Highlights & Interviews1.9219

Series 2 (2013)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
17 October 2013Transition to Adulthood1.7115
214 October 2013Alcohol1.7816
321 October 2013Mental Health1.949
428 October 2013Life or Death1.948
54 November 2013The Elderly2.198
611 November 2013Babies2.336

Series 3 (2016-17)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
14 July 2016Call Handlers2.272
211 July 2016Legal Highs2.542
321 July 2016Neighbours2.233
428 July 2016Mental Health1.944
54 August 2016Regular Callers & Repeat Offenders2.202
611 August 2016Immigrants & The Language Barrier1.851
718 August 2016Money1.941
825 August 2016Alcohol2.113
91 September 2016Teenagers & Youth Crime2.053
105 September 2016Violent Crime1.727
1119 September 2016Roads Policing1.887
1226 September 2016Relationships & Domestic Abuse1.639
133 October 2016Death1.7110
1427 February 2017Custody1.3916

Series 4 (2017)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
124 July 2017Immigrants & Hate Crime1.835
231 July 2017Young Men2.225
37 August 2017Drugs1.815
414 August 2017Vigilante Justice1.787
528 August 2017Burglary2.195
64 September 2017Children & Parenting2.407

Series 5 (2017)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
130 October 2017Sex Offences
26 November 2017Squaddies
313 November 2017Homelessness
420 November 2017Mental Health
527 November 2017The Elderly
64 December 2017Workplace Stress
711 December 2017Teenagers & Youth Crime

Series 6 (2018)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
119 April 2018Dangerous Driving
226 April 2018Mother & Son Relationships
33 May 2018Loneliness
410 May 2018Cannabis

Series 7 (2018)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
124 July 2018Accidents & Injuries
231 July 2018Ambulance Response Times
37 August 2018Emergency & Non-emergency Calls
414 August 2018Poverty

Series 8 (2018)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
120 November 2018Violent Crime
227 November 2018Learning Disabilities
34 December 2018Criminal Families
422 April 2019Knife Crime & Murder

Series 9 (2019)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
13 June 2019Relationships & Domestic Abuse
210 June 2019Increased Demand
317 June 2019Officer Safety
424 June 2019Knife Crime

Series 10 (2020)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
120 January 2020Roads Policing
227 January 2020Young Men & Fathers
33 February 2020Hate Crime
410 February 2020Women

Series 11 (2020)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
15 October 2020High Streets & Night-time Economy
212 October 2020Burglary & Theft
319 October 2020Violent Crime & Youth Crime

Series 12 (2021)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
111 January 2021Fear of Crime
218 January 2021Sex Offences
325 January 2021Violent Crime & Youth Crime
41 February 2021Coronavirus

Series 13 (2021)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
18 June 2021Revenge & Vigilante Justice
215 June 2021Time Wasters & the Vulnerable
322 June 2021Alcohol & House Parties
429 June 2021Children & Parenting
513 July 2021Housing

Series 14 (2022)

EpisodeBroadcast DateEpisode SummaryTotal viewers
(millions)
Channel 4
weekly rank
117 January 2022The Night Shift
224 January 2022Drunk Women
331 January 2022Custody

Controversies

After Series 1 of the show, residents and councillors from Blackpool expressed their dismay at how their town was portrayed to potential visitors, and were concerned the gritty reality may discourage tourism. [1] In particular, the leader of Blackpool council Simon Blackburn voiced his concerns after watching the show. [2] On 26 July 2013, it was confirmed that Crackit Productions and the BBC were about to commission "Holiday Hospital 999", another show portraying Blackpool, but these plans were shelved. After the effect of "999: What's Your Emergency?" on the town's popularity with tourists, the Blackpool Gazette called this a "bullet dodged". [3]

PC Claire van Deurs Goss was disciplined by Lancashire Constabulary after being shown applying lip gloss at the wheel of a police vehicle in Series 1 Episode 6, an action which prompted over 50 complaints to the force. [4]

Despite praising the overall performance of his staff, Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Kier Pritchard admitted that the expletives used by some of the Wiltshire police officers featured in the show fell below the standards expected of them. [5]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "TV & film news: gossip, pictures & video - Mirror Online" . Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  2. "'999:What's Your Emergency' and how we can tackle Blackpool's social problems". Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. "'Bullet dodged' on 999 TV show follow up" . Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  4. "Blackpool PC disciplined over applying lip gloss". BBC News. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  5. "Chief constable unimpressed by swearing on 999 What's Your Emergency? (But he's full of praise of his officers)". swindonadvertiser.co.uk. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2020.