[1] Jack Rosenthal's original two-hour TV movie, directed by Les Blair, was broadcast on ITV on 7 December 1986.

Unlike the final years of the London's Burning TV series, the movie (along with the following early TV series), was a black comedy that also examined serious issues, primarily that while female and Black, Asian and minority ethnic firefighters had to deal with prejudice on the job, the prejudices in their own families and neighbourhoods could be far worse.

[3] Knight appointed writers such as Anita Bronson, David Humphries, Simon Sharkey, and Tony Hoare.

These series episodes were mostly filmed at Dockhead fire station in Bermondsey in London, and used actual firefighters working shifts as extras for the programme.

Paul Knight had appointed Brian Clark as the Fire Brigade Advisor and, along with the writers and directors, he decided on a climax to the fourth series.

The psychological state of one of the main characters deteriorates after being buried alive under a collapsed wall whilst at a spectacular 20-pump warehouse fire.

In Episode 1 of Series 5 (1992), the drive mechanism of a Ferris wheel ride at a fairground is jammed by a troublesome youth (played by Liam McGuire) armed with an iron bar.

Paul Knight decided it was time for a real shock—a tragic exit for one of the main characters, who had starred in the show for nearly ten years.

The man who was to be killed was Sub Officer John Hallam—a dedicated and loyal member of the watch and the London Fire Brigade.

Hallam was killed off in 1996 (Series 9) during a huge warehouse fire, where he and a colleague, Leading Firefighter Geoff Pearce, were attempting to rescue four teenage girls on an unstable gantry 80 feet (24 m) above a blaze in the basement.

The writers developed a storyline about Pearce feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt after the accident, which would lead to him considering a transfer.

Series 14, however, was almost completely based on soap opera-style story lines, with the number of fire 'shouts' severely reduced.

The earlier series used Dockhead Fire Station (opened in the 1928) at 8 Wolseley Street, London SE1, as the exterior for Blackwall.

The Jacob Street studio is opposite, housing a full scale reproduction of the mess, built by Colin Monk.

The restaurant opened by Mike 'Bayleaf' Wilson in series 8 was filmed on location at The Chequers Inn, Deal, Kent.