NBC’s newest primetime drama, Chicago Fire is really heating up. The show follows the lives of fire fighters, rescue squads and paramedics that work together fighting fires from Chicago Firehouse 51. The cast of Chicago Fire has many people who we’ve seen before. Two of the lead actors are played by Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney. You may recognize Jesse Spencer from playing “Dr. Chase” on House for many years. On Chicago Fire Spencer plays the Lieutenant of Truck 81. Another familiar face is Taylor Kinney. Kinney was cast on as a paramedic on NBC’s short-lived series, Trauma. Currently Kinney plays Kelly Severide, the lieutenant of Rescue Squad 3. Another familiar name is Chicago Fire’s producer, Dick Wolf. Dick Wolf created the overwhelming successful television show, Law and Order.

Other Familiar Faces

The battalion chief is played by Eamonn Walker (a regular on the long-running HBO show OZ). Walker does a great job of commanding respect but also shows just the right amount of care when it comes to his staff. David Eigenberg plays Firefighter Christopher Hermann on Chicago Fire but you might recognize him as Steve Brady from HBO’s Sex and the City. Monica Raymund plays a no-nonsense paramedic Gabriela Dawson. She also has a brother on the series who happens to be a police detective. Raymund also previously played Ria Torres, a human lie detector, in the Fox series, Lie to Me.

Pros

*While watching Chicago Fire you will definitely see the usual firefighting scenes however you will also get to see much more. The show tells a story of the bond of the men and women who risk their lives to save others.
*The show has actual plots built around most of the actors. Although I like shows like Law and Order with no man character plots, I always feel more drawn to shows where I can see the “behind-the-scenes” information on characters.
*There is a very diverse cast. I always tend to gravitate towards shows with diverse casts because it’s a more honest depiction of real life.

Cons

*The show is missing the “wow factor”. So often good shows come along and people initially watch them however if the show doesn’t have something that makes you feel like you need to keep watching, the viewership trickles off. Although the show is compelling and realistic up to this point Chicago Fire has yet to produce that wow factor.

All in all if you are looking for an interesting action packed primetime drama, look no further than Chicago Fire.

Chicago Fire comes on Wednesdays on NBC at 10pm EST.