Medicopter 117

Original title: Medicopter 117 - Every Life Counts Production and year: Austria, Germany, 1998–2005 Genre: Drama, Action Cast: Wolfgang Krewe, Hans Heller, Urs Remond, Anja Freese, Tom Mikulla, Roswitha Meyer Medical topic: Emergency medicine Additional information: 7 seasons, 81 episodes Description: The action of the series Medicopter 117 takes place in the town of Sankt Johann im Pongau near Bischofshofen (central Austria) and primarily in the picturesque yet treacherous Alps. The central theme is the rescue operations of the mountain air ambulance doctors and paramedics, which are always full of adrenaline. They showcase the difficult and self-sacrificing work of the air ambulance service, which can never become routine.The series is a German production, which may discourage many people, but that would be a big mistake, because it has something that draws the viewer in and keeps them glued to the TV until the episode ends. Its undeniable strength is the absence of exaggerated and artificial drama, as well as the lack of over-the-top characterizations that make the characters seem unrealistic. Watching this series, we get the impression that we’re looking at the real world—a real mountain air ambulance service, real doctors and rescuers—with all their strengths and weaknesses. A typical episode of the series consists of two intertwining storylines. The first shows the lives of the paramedics at the base. The second storyline, which opens the episode, plunges the viewer right into the action.