# Rescue: Special Ops

Rescue: Special Ops is an Australian television drama series that first screened on the Nine Network in 2009. Filmed in and around Sydney, the program is produced by Southern Star Group with the assistance of Screen Australia and the New South Wales Government.
The series focuses on a team of experienced professional paramedics who specialise in rescue operations. It premiered on Sunday 2 August 2009, and the season finale of the first season aired on Sunday 25 October. A second season screened from 28 June 2010. The third and final season consisting of 22 episodes screened from 30 May 2011. The Nine Network has confirmed it will not be renewing Rescue: Special Ops for a fourth season.

## Synopsis

Rescue: Special Ops follows the work of a team of experienced paramedics involved in complex search and rescue operations.
The job brings them face to face with life and death situations every day but just like anyone else, they juggle life, love and career. Brothers Dean Gallagher and Chase Gallagher are competitive alpha males who are part of the Special Ops team.

## Cast
### Regular

* Libby Tanner as Michelle LeTourneau (Station Manager)
* Peter Phelps as Vince Marchello (Station Coordinator)
* Les Hill as Dean Gallagher (Unit Leader)
* Gigi Edgley as Lara Knight (Unit Officer)
* Daniel Amalm as Jordan Zwitkowski (Unit Officer)
* Katherine Hicks as Heidi Wilson (Unit Officer)
* Andrew Lees as Chase Gallagher (Unit Officer)
* Luke McKenzie as Lachie Gallagher (Unit Officer) (Season 3)

### Recurring

* Annabelle Stephenson as Freya Morley (Season 3, 3 episodes)
* Craig McLachlan as Hayden Bradley (Season 3, 6 episodes)
* Gary Sweet as Shane Gallagher (Season 1, 5 episodes)
* Georgina Haig as Emma Griffiths (Season 2, 3 episodes)
* Jessica Napier as Nicole (Season 1, 4 episodes)
* Luke Pegler as Gary 'Bingo' Bing (Season 2, 4 episodes)
* Madeleine West as Annika Ehrenberg (Season 2, 4 episodes)
* Martin Dingle-Wall as Jake Hudson (Season 1, 4 episodes)
* Myles Pollard as Steve 'Mack' McIntyre (Season 2, 4 episodes)
* Petra Yared as Zoe Hulme (Season 3, 5 episodes)
* Peter Overton as News Reporter (Seasons 1–3, 6 episodes)
* Simmone Jade Mackinnon as Fiona Charlton (Season 1, 5 episodes)
* Tim McCunn as Det. Ian Johnson (Seasons 1–3, 19 episodes)
* Todd Lasance as Cam (Season 3, 8 episodes)
* Vanessa Gray as Renae Daltry (Season 2, 4 episodes)
* Wil Traval as Hamish McIntyre (Seasons 1–3, 9 episodes)

### Guests

| Actor | Role | Eps |
| Abe Forsythe | Brandon | 1 |
| Adam Demos | Gilligan | 2 |
| Alex Dimitriades | Guy Hewitt | 1 |
| Alin Sumarwata | Brooke Henley | 1 |
| Alison Langdon | Reporter | 1 |
| Alyssa McClelland | Beth Robson | 1 |
| Amy Mathews | Claire Newell | 2 |
| Anita Hegh | Melissa Gardner | 1 |
| Anna McGahan | Tegan Reid | 1 |
| Anthony Hayes | Zac Weston | 1 |
| Ashleigh Cummings | Britney | 1 |
| Brian Rooney | Jim Jones | 1 |
| Bridie Carter | Stephanie Rouse | 1 |
| Caroline Craig | Sheree O'Brien | 1 |
| Clayton D. Moss | Motorcyclist | 1 |
| Damian de Montemas | Jim Tucker | 1 |
| Damian Walshe-Howling | Nick | 1 |
| Dan Ewing | Jack Gardener | 1 |
| Daniel Henshall | Trevor Slezack | 1 |
| Danny Adcock | Graham Starkey | 1 |
| Danny Roberts | Graham Cooper | 1 |
| David Field | Sidney 'Siddy' Carter | 1 |
| David Harris | Journalist #2 | 1 |
| David Roberts | Ed Frazer | 2 |
| Dieter Brummer | Nathan Pearl | 1 |
| Dorian Nkono | Bennet 'Bones' Bonham | 1 |
| Eamon Farren | Arrow | 1 |
| Emma Lung | Chelsea Clarke | 1 |
| Felicity Price | Wendy Schmidt | 1 |
| Gabrielle Scollay | Kate Marchello | 1 |
| Geraldine Hakewill | Shona Lankford | 1 |
| Gyton Grantley | Willo | 1 |
| Hanna Mangan-Lawrence | Tamsyn Taylor | 1 |
| Helen Dallimore | Yvette Turner | 1 |
| Isabelle Cornish | Lily Regan | 1 |
| James Mackay | Saxon Blake | 1 |
| Jeremy Lindsay Taylor | Flynn | 1 |
| Jessica Tovey | Caitlin Kelly | 1 |
| John McNeill | Bill | 1 |
| Jonny Pasvolsky | Attacker / Karl Stevenson | 1 |
| Josef Ber | Blake Owens | 1 |
| Kieran Darcy-Smith | Detective Brendan Lockyer | 1 |
| Krew Boylan | Greta | 1 |
| Kyly Clarke | Pearl Francis | 1 |
| Laura Brent | Katrina Whitney | 1 |
| Lincoln Lewis | Sam Marchello | 1 |
| Lisa Chappell | Vivian Walker | 1 |
| Luke Arnold | Rick Jones | 2 |
| Luke McKenzie | Gary | 1 |
| Mandy Bishop | Anna Jacoby | 1 |
| Marta Dusseldorp | Lisa Hartigan | 1 |
| Martin Sacks | Charles Howard | 1 |
| Michael Dorman | Will Pike | 1 |
| Mouche Phillips | Leonie Carr | 1 |
| Paul Tassone | Glen Collins | 1 |
| Raelee Hill | Helen Hillerstrom | 1 |
| Ria Vandervis | Jasmin | 1 |
| Richard Huggett | Steve | 1 |
| Roxane Wilson | Chantelle Gregory | 2 |
| Sacha Horler | Amanda Jackson | 1 |
| Salvatore Coco | Matty Conti | 1 |
| Sarah Aubrey | Marnie 'Silva' Silva | 1 |
| Saskia Burmeister | Annie Griffin | 1 |
| Shareena Clanton | Prisoner #1 | 1 |
| Simon Burke | Warren Thompson | 1 |
| Stephen Hunter | Kendrick 'Kenny' Whaley | 1 |
| Zac Drayson | Leroy | 1 |

## Reception

| Season | Episodes | Series Timeslot | Series Premiere | Series Final | Peak Audience | Average Audience | Average Nightly Rank | Average Weekly Rank |
| 2009 | 13 | Sunday 8:30pm | 2 August | 25 October | 1,227,000 | 1,005,000 | #10 | #40 |
| 2010 | 13 | Monday 8:30pm | 28 June | 20 September | 1,148,000 | 966,846 | #13 | #42 |
| 2011 | 22 | Monday 8:30pm | 30 May | 5 September | 919,000 | 772,545 | #15 | #50 |

### Season one

| # | Title | Original airdate | Timeslot | Viewers (millions) | Nightly rank | Weekly rank |
| 1 | "Blue Mountains" | 2 August 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.142 | 8 | 25 |
| 2 | "Thrillseekers" | 9 August 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.155 | 7 | 32 |
| 3 | "Fire in the Cross" | 16 August 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.227 | 7 | 24 |
| 4 | "Deathbed Confessional" | 23 August 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.877 | 12 | 56 |
| 5 | "Ferry Disaster" | 30 August 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.916 | 12 | 51 |
| 6 | "Building Site Conspiracy" | 6 September 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.915 | 10 | 50 |
| 7 | "Luna Park" | 13 September 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.998 | 11 | 43 |
| 8 | "ATM Bandits" | 20 September 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.903 | 12 | 57 |
| 9 | "Rave" | 27 September 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.942 | 12 | 45 |
| 10 | "Eco-warriors" | 4 October 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.879 | 10 | |
| 11 | "Bride in the Balloon" | 11 October 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.027 | 11 | 43 |
| 12 | "Episode Twelve" | 18 October 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.021 | 11 | 40 |
| 13 | "Episode Thirteen" | 25 October 2009 | Sunday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.058 | 7 | 36 |
| Series average | Series average | Series average | Series average | 1.005 | 10 | 40 |

### Season two

| # | Title | Original airdate | Timeslot | Viewers (millions) | Nightly rank | Weekly rank |
| 1 | "Enemy Mine" | 28 June 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.968 | 13 | 41 |
| 2 | "A Day in the Death of Dean Gallagher" | 5 July 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.085 | 8 | 27 |
| 3 | "Locked In" | 12 July 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.148 | 7 | 21 |
| 4 | "Jordan's Choice" | 19 July 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.910 | 18 | 40 |
| 5 | "Shock Jock" | 26 July 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.017 | 14 | 43 |
| 6 | "Thicker than Water" | 2 August 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.988 | 13 | 41 |
| 7 | "Find My Baby" | 9 August 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 1.057 | 8 | 32 |
| 8 | "Street Legal" | 16 August 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.977 | 11 | 41 |
| 9 | "Out of the Ashes" | 23 August 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.942 | 18 | 52 |
| 10 | "Rock Stars" | 30 August 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.833 | 19 | 63 |
| 11 | "Off The Rails" | 6 September 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.848 | 17 | 52 |
| 12 | "One for the Money" | 13 September 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.850 | 16 | 56 |
| 13 | "Crazy Love" | 20 September 2010 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.946 | | |
| Series average | Series average | Series average | Series average | 0.967 | 13 | 42 |

### Season three

| # | Title | Original airdate | Timeslot | Viewers (millions) | Nightly rank | Weekly rank |
| 1 | "Ambushed" | 30 May 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.805 | 17 | 47 |
| 2 | "Fearless" | 30 May 2011 | Monday 9:30 pm–10:30 pm | 0.667 | 17 | 65 |
| 3 | "True Romance" | 6 June 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.744 | 15 | 52 |
| 4 | "Secrets and Lies" | 6 June 2011 | Monday 9:30 pm–10:30 pm | 0.726 | 17 | 54 |
| 5 | "Him or Me" | 13 June 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.673 | 21 | 61 |
| 6 | "Demon Days" | 13 June 2011 | Monday 9:30 pm–10:30 pm | 0.598 | 26 | 82 |
| 7 | "Man in the Machine" | 20 June 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.680 | 19 | 60 |
| 8 | "The Game" | 20 June 2011 | Monday 9:30 pm–10:30 pm | 0.666 | 20 | 64 |
| 9 | "It's Not The Fall That Kills You" | 27 June 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.835 | 13 | 40 |
| 10 | "Stolen" | 4 July 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.891 | 12 | 38 |
| 11 | "In Deep" | 4 July 2011 | Monday 9:30 pm–10:30 pm | 0.830 | 14 | 45 |
| 12 | "Break Out" | 11 July 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.876 | 13 | 36 |
| 13 | "The Dunes" | 18 July 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.919 | 10 | 35 |
| 14 | "Chemical Brothers" | 25 July 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.817 | 15 | 51 |
| 15 | "The Carter Redemption" | 25 July 2011 | Monday 9:30 pm–10:30 pm | 0.789 | 16 | 53 |
| 16 | "Storm Chaser" | 1 August 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.800 | 13 | 45 |
| 17 | "Art Attack" | 8 August 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.755 | 12 | 54 |
| 18 | "Missing Pieces" | 15 August 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.864 | 11 | 39 |
| 19 | "Class of Their Own" | 22 August 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.820 | 10 | 39 |
| 20 | "The Intervention" | 29 August 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.729 | 15 | 47 |
| 21 | "Bad Company" | 29 August 2011 | Monday 9:30 pm–10:30 pm | 0.681 | 15 | 54 |
| 22 | "Two Fires" | 5 September 2011 | Monday 8:30 pm–9:30 pm | 0.831 | 11 | 37 |
| Series average | Series average | Series average | Series average | 0.773 | 15 | 50 |
* Note: Nightly rank for episodes 1 and 2, and 20 and 21 are combined.

## Home Media

The Universal Studios DVD Releases of Rescue Special Ops are now out of print and no longer available. Via Vision Entertainment/Madman Entertainment will release "Rescue Special Ops: The Complete Collection" on 26 August 2020.
| DVD name | Format | Ep # | Discs/Tapes | Region 4 (Australia) | Special Features | Distributors |
| Rescue Special Ops (Season One) | DVD | 13 | 4 | 29 September 2010 | Behind The Scenes | Universal Studios |
| Rescue Special Ops (Season Two) | DVD | 13 | 4 | 2 March 2011 | None | Universal Studios |
| Rescue Special Ops (Season Three) | DVD | 22 | 6 | 8 December 2011 | None | Universal Studios |
| Rescue Special Ops (The Complete Collection) | DVD | 48 | 14 | 11 April 2012 | None | Universal Studios |
| Rescue Special Ops (The Complete Collection) | DVD | 48 | 14 | 26 August 2020 | Behind The Scenes (Series 01) | Via Vision Entertainment |