A&E Reality Series Nightwatch Goes Bigger With Nightwatch Nation

A&E’s Nightwatch Nation, an expansion of the net’s Nightwatch, premieres Thursday, August 16 at 10p. Rasha Drachkovitch, Co-Founder & CEO of 44 Blue Productions and Executive Producer on Nightwatch Nation, talks about how – and why – this iteration is different.

Cynopsis: How does Nightwatch Nation differ from the original Nightwatch? 

Rasha Drachkovitch: Nightwatch Nation differs from the original series by focusing only on EMTs this time. We used to also follow police and fire in Nightwatch. Additionally, and most importantly, we are going national. Instead of focusing on one city, Nightwatch Nation captures real heroes saving lives in four US cities: Austin, Yonkers, Tucson and Baton Rouge.

Cynopsis: Why expand nationwide?

Drachkovitch: We wanted to expand the series to include more EMTs, more calls, and more amazing action. Everyday across America, over 650,000 people call 9-1-1 in a state of emergency. We wanted to be there to tell the bigger story of these first responders.

Cynopsis: What is the biggest challenge for an emergency reality show? 

Drachkovitch: These types of shows have to be real and authentic. There are no second takes. Producers have to be very sensitive and professional in capturing someone’s worst day (a person in a state of emergency), while being there to document someone’s best day (filming an EMT saving someone’s life). That’s a great responsibility and something 44 Blue tries very hard to balance.

Cynopsis: How much did you collaborate with Executive Producer Dick Wolf on the series? 

Drachkovitch: From day one, Dick wanted to tell the story of everyday heroes among us, specifically the first responders who keep us safe while we sleep. Dick does this in all of his scripted franchises, and he wanted to produce a “real-life” series that depicted how EMTs rush into harm’s way to save lives. His input, support and brand really elevate Nightwatch Nation into something special. I’m very proud to be working with one of the great storytellers of our time on a show that we hope honors these heroes and brings people together.

 

The Cynsiders column is a platform for industry leaders to reach out to colleagues, followers, and the public at large. In their own words and in targeted Q&As, columnists address breaking news, issues of the day, and the larger changes going on in the ever-evolving world of television, video and digital. Cynsiders columns live on Cynopsis’ main page and are promoted across all daily newsletters. We welcome readers’ comments, queries, and column ideas at [email protected].

Related Stories

Cynopsis 02/13/25: Muppeteer named Emmy honoree

Fran Brill to be Emmy honoree

Thursday February 13, 2025    IN THE NEWS Super Bowl LIX generated over $800 million in gross revenue from advertising sales across platforms, with record pricing for the sold-out game, reports Fox. The match-up peaked at 137.7 million viewers in the second quarter, according to Nielsen; pregame coverage averaged 23.4 million; and the Apple Music […]

02/12/25: Cynopsis Jobs

CLADS line up

Wednesday February 12, 2025    FEATURED JOB VICE PRESIDENT, POLITICAL SALES >> NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC./WASHINGTON, DC: Lead the company’s political advertising revenue across its dynamic portfolio of broadcast stations. Responsible for developing sales strategies tailored to the fast-paced, high-stakes political advertising market. You will possess an understanding of the political advertising landscape, and the […]

Cynopsis 02/12/25: CBS special ushers in new soap opera

CBS special ushers in new soap opera

Wednesday February 12, 2025    IN THE NEWS For the first time, YouTube is getting more total US viewership on television sets than on mobile, shared CEO Neal Mohan in his annual letter to the YouTube community. “In two decades, YouTube has transformed culture through video and built a thriving creative economy,” posted Mohan. “Today’s […]

Cynopsis 02/11/25: Super Bowl is only part of the game

Super Bowl: Just part of the game

Tuesday February 11, 2025    IN THE NEWS Viewership for the Super Bowl averaged 137.7 million, according to an AdImpact estimate. Peak viewership hit 152.4 million viewers at 8:16p, just before the halftime show. Linear accounted for 51% of all viewership, including 10% from Fox Deportes. Streaming made up for 49%, up from 41.5% last […]

02/10/25: Cynopsis Media Tech Update

apple Tech

Interested in moderating a roundtable this fall? We need leaders comfortable with subject matter including media planning, buying, leveraging ai, cross-platform measurement and more. SUBMIT MY INTEREST Monday February 10, 2025 President Trump is dropping his lawsuit against Twitter, filed after he was banned from the platform over the storming of the […]

CynCity

Cynsiders

  • Going Global with DAZN

    Global sports streamer DAZN offers NFL Game Pass, FIFA Club World Cup and more. Zander...
  • A New Era of Kids TV

    Kids programming has not escaped the massive impact of changes in the media landscape. Guillermo...
  • Super Bowl Strategy

    Audience are changing – and advertisers along with them. Martin Blich, Executive Director, Sports and...