The Bravest

Essentially a variation on the reality television drama Cops, this series brings cameras into the thick of firefighting action--from station house to speeding fire truck to the dangerous sites of blazing buildings and medical emergencies--as viewers get a close-up view of hardworking heroes putting their lives on the line. Among the many crises caught on tape is a huge fire threatening to spread from one old apartment to another via wooden rain gutters, and a 911 call that leads to the rescue of a 600-pound man with breathing difficulties (he has to be carried and lifted into an ambulance by no fewer than a dozen men). Exciting stuff, all around, and not at all lurid or voyeuristic in the way that Cops can be, The Bravest, which features a pair of episodes, as well as a tribute to firefighters who died during the World Trade Center attacks, and some interesting firefighting facts and statistics, is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)