Heavy Rescue: 401
| Heavy Rescue: 401 | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 63 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Southern Ontario, Canada Cornwall, Ontario, Canada Eastern Ontario, Canada |
| Running time | 43–44 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Discovery Channel Canada (2016) The Weather Channel (2017) |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Highway Thru Hell |
| External links | |
| Heavy Rescue: 401 | |
| Great Pacific TV | |
Heavy Rescue: 401 is a Canadian reality television show that follows the operations of multiple heavy vehicle rescue and recovery towing companies, as well as the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, and York Regional Police, based in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and the Southern Ontario region.[1] The show focuses on the hardships of operating along Ontario's 400-series highways, especially Ontario Highway 401 in the GTA.[2]
After the success of Highway Thru Hell, series creator Mark Miller developed a spinoff series titled Heavy Rescue: 401, which debuted on January 3, 2017, on Discovery Canada following the October 2016 pilot. The show is produced by Great Pacific Television, and executive produced by Kelly McClugan and Blair Reekie.
History[]
![[icon]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by . (October 2016) |
After The Weather Channel's show Highway Thru Hell achieved success, series creator Mark Miller decided to make another series about heavy recovery in Canada.
On April 18, 2019, the show was shown on The Weather Channel in place of their morning forecast due to hackers attacking the station and taking the live forecasting off-air.[3]
Episodes[]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 9 | October 10, 2016 | February 28, 2017 | ||
| 2 | 10 | January 2, 2018 | March 6, 2018 | ||
| 3 | 14 | January 8, 2019 | April 9, 2019 | ||
| 4 | 14 | January 7, 2020 | April 7, 2020 | ||
| 5 | 16 | January 5, 2021 | April 27, 2021 | ||
Season 1 (2016–17)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Canada viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Shock and Awe" | October 10, 2016 | N/A | |
| A semi-truck crush shuts down a crucial border route; a tanker wreck causes a commuter chaos in Toronto. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "War Zone" | January 3, 2017 | 0.504[5] | |
| Rookie Sonny faces a 40-car pile-up that turns major highway into a war zone; a fierce storm triggers a triple-semi crash; a father-son team race to clear the road as the weather blasts in. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "All Around Us" | January 17, 2017 | N/A | |
| A courier truck rolls over; a vicious storm puts Mark in the middle of a crash zone; the crew dives for cover during an icy airbag job. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Anything Can Happen" | January 24, 2017 | N/A | |
| James and Bubba recover a semi smashed into a building; Kevin faces problems with a tractor-trailer crashed in deep mud. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "A Load of Problems" | January 31, 2017 | N/A | |
| Gary's team fights to upright a battered trailer; a rookie takes his first shot as lead operator on the rotator. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Honour Guard" | February 7, 2017 | N/A | |
| Kyle tangles with a wreck that will prove if he's got what it takes to lead the team; Sonny heads to the scene of a violent jackknife. | |||||
| 7 | 7 | "Nerves of Steel" | February 14, 2017 | N/A | |
| A whiteout pile-up scatters heavy I-beams across the highway, testing James and his crew. | |||||
| 8 | 8 | "My Way or The Highway" | February 21, 2017 | N/A | |
| Steve cleans up a fuel spill blocking the 400; Sonny struggles to keep the alternate route moving. | |||||
| 9 | 9 | "Worlds Apart" | February 28, 2017 | N/A | |
| Members of the Highway Thru Hell crew join the 401 crew to compare the unique challenges of recovery work in their respective environments. | |||||
Season 2 (2018)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Canada viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | "It Only Takes a Second" | January 2, 2018 | N/A | |
| Sonny and the team from Steve's Towing fight to remove the wreckage from a dump truck embedded in an overpass on the 401. James Ireland faces a trailer threatening to cave in on his crew. | |||||
| 11 | 2 | "This is Chaos" | January 9, 2018 | N/A | |
| A freak storm unleashes a 100-car pile-up east of Toronto, pushing Steve and Sonny to lead the recovery charge; Kevin fights a tough wreck after a trucker smashes into an orchard. | |||||
| 12 | 3 | "Guardian Angel" | January 16, 2018 | N/A | |
| A massive multiple-semi crash in a tunnel forces the Coxon crew to clear a big mess in a tight space; Mark Haslett heads to the rescue when a woman is trapped in a dangerous stretch of the highway in Toronto. | |||||
| 13 | 4 | "Skyway Thru Hell" | January 23, 2018 | N/A | |
| When a violent windstorm flips a tractor trailer on an exposed bridge, Kevin works under the most dangerous and difficult conditions of his career; James takes on a wind battered wreck of his own. | |||||
| 14 | 5 | "Where There's Smoke" | January 30, 2018 | N/A | |
| A tragic collision between two semis sends Bear and the crew from Ross into the fray; Nate and Andrew improvise after a load of lumber rolls on the 401, backing up traffic all the way to Quebec. | |||||
| 15 | 6 | "Not Your Regular Fender-Bender" | February 6, 2018 | N/A | |
| Sonny hunts for a shortcut across town after a runaway van smashes through a wall and into the path of a full-speed truck; the crew from Herb's hurries to save a load of pharmaceuticals before it freezes. | |||||
| 16 | 7 | "Feels Like a Win" | February 13, 2018 | N/A | |
| Freezing rain scatters Gary's team, forcing him to work solo to open the continent's busiest border crossing; in Windsor, Brad, Eric and crew fear a tragedy when they untangle a sedan badly crushed by a semi. | |||||
| 17 | 8 | "A Very Long Night" | February 20, 2018 | N/A | |
| A storm sweeps across the province, sending heavy rescue crews scrambling; in Hamilton, Kevin fights to clear a wreck in time for the plows to get through. | |||||
| 18 | 9 | "Always a Danger" | February 27, 2018 | N/A | |
| The pressure is on for Steve when a flipped truck blocks access to the airport; Coxon fights a wreck with a toxic payload; a wild rollover rips a cab off its chassis and leaves a trail of destruction for the Ross crew. | |||||
| 19 | 10 | "Thrown In The Deep End" | March 6, 2018 | N/A | |
| A heavy wreck and a frustrating recovery threaten to overwhelm Kevin; after a big change in his career, Sonny struggles to make a mark when a heavy load flips in the middle of the city. | |||||
Season 3 (2019)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Canada viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | "It's Now or Never and Pray for the Best" | January 8, 2019 | N/A | |
| Sonny deals with a jackknife during the first winter storm; John deals with a messy wreck under an overpass. | |||||
| 21 | 2 | "One Twisted Mess" | January 15, 2019 | N/A | |
| Kevin orchestrates a team of heavy operators during a highway cleanup job; Gary's crew is sent on a marathon recovery. | |||||
| 22 | 3 | "The 401 Is Calling" | January 22, 2019 | N/A | |
| The Sarnia crew battles exhaustion and frustration on a wreck that refuses to stop fighting; a badly timed breakdown puts Eric on edge; Sonny works to free a fleet of plows trapped on the highway. | |||||
| 23 | 4 | "There's Gotta Be A Way" | January 29, 2019 | N/A | |
| Thick fog descends on the highway, turning a seemingly simple recovery into one of the most dangerous jobs of Gary's career; a mangled trailer forces the Ross crew to take a chance on a very unconventional maneuver. | |||||
| 24 | 5 | "Only Getting Worse" | February 5, 2019 | N/A | |
| The crew scrambles to keep the roads open during a whiteout, but drivers wind up stranded on the 402; John battles high winds during a job high above the 401. | |||||
| 25 | 6 | "Your Heart Sinks" | February 12, 2019 | N/A | |
| Herb's Towing turns a wreck on its head with some unexpected assistance; with traffic backing up for 50 kilometres, a fuel leak complicates an already stressful recovery for Steve and crew. | |||||
| 26 | 7 | "Plan Of Attack" | February 19, 2019 | N/A | |
| The Ross crew responds to an overturned wreck; the road to the border is shut down; John faces a steep ravine for a recovery. | |||||
| 27 | 8 | "Ladies And Gents We're Going To War" | February 26, 2019 | N/A | |
| The crew from Herb's faces a night of non-stop recoveries when a blizzard hits; a veteran fights the toughest battle of his career at a multi-semi pileup. | |||||
| 28 | 9 | "Whole Lot Of Faith" | March 5, 2019 | N/A | |
| The crew responds to a wreck scene that stretches over half a kilometre; Sonny takes on the role of mentor; Onne and the crew work to save a trailer. | |||||
| 29 | 10 | "There Is Nothing Else" | March 12, 2019 | N/A | |
| Gary and the team tackle a tanker wreck; Steve's crew fights to get a tall tractor off the highway. | |||||
| 30 | 11 | "Only One Shot" | March 19, 2019 | N/A | |
| The Ross crew works the biggest, most complex job of the season after a bridge collapses in a river; a young rotator operator gets in over his head. | |||||
| 31 | 12 | "We're Not Safe Here" | March 26, 2019 | N/A | |
| Collin gets caught in the middle of icy roads; Collin attempts his first solo recovery; Bubba fights to stop a fuel leak and a buckling trailer. | |||||
| 32 | 13 | "Between Life And Death" | April 2, 2019 | N/A | |
| Andrew's sister joins the crew for her first recovery; Eric attempts to keep his crew safe; Collin's once-in-a-lifetime job goes wrong. | |||||
| 33 | 14 | "Beat Up And Bloody" | April 9, 2019 | N/A | |
| Bubba battles a stubborn wreck in the middle of an ice storm; Sonny must improvise while clearing a pile of steel beams; Gary deals with a plummeting tanker. | |||||
Season 4 (2020)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Canada viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 1 | "We're Jumping In" | January 7, 2020 | N/A | |
| After three decades on the highway, a major change forces Eric Godard to adapt to a new crew on a tough rollover; a vicious pre-winter storm pushes Sonny into urgent on-the-job training; a jet fuel spill shuts down the entire 401. | |||||
| 35 | 2 | "Take a Deep Breath" | January 14, 2020 | N/A | |
| When a tanker bursts open east of Toronto, a young operator faces a toxic mess; Gary reacts fast when he spots a dangerous mistake on the road; a rookie takes the controls for his first heavy job. | |||||
| 36 | 3 | "There's Always Fear" | January 21, 2020 | N/A | |
| Steve's crew battles a fiery wreck in the heart of Toronto; the OPP takes to the air to keep the roads safe; when freezing rain ices up the highway around London, a newly promoted rotator operator gets his first big test. | |||||
| 37 | 4 | "Not the Best Spot to Be" | January 28, 2020 | N/A | |
| A pileup on the 401 brings traffic to a standstill and pushes the Ross crew into action; Sonny helps a driver stuck on a dangerous stretch of highway in Toronto; Herb's rookie Zach masters a difficult move for the first time. | |||||
| 38 | 5 | "Free the Highway" | February 4, 2020 | N/A | |
| Over 70 vehicles pile up on highway 401 in a whiteout with over 100 tow operators on site; the Sarnia team struggles to recover a badly damaged trailer without losing the load. | |||||
| 39 | 6 | "Pull" | February 11, 2020 | N/A | |
| Eric is still working to find his place on the new County/Coxon team when a T-bone semi collision spurs them into action; with his first baby on the way, a blizzard in the east sends Andrew on an urgent rescue mission. | |||||
| 40 | 7 | "A Big Problem" | February 18, 2020 | N/A | |
| An air ambulance crew takes off after a pileup results in serious casualties; Preferred fights to clear two wrecks blocking the road to the border; a veteran operator rescues a leaning trailer. | |||||
| 41 | 8 | "Holy Mackerel, What A Mess" | February 25, 2020 | N/A | |
| After a triple crash, the crew from Chatham struggles to keep a mangled truck in one piece; a complicated air cushion job tests a new rotator operator; the new heavy crew at Metro gets a bad case of déjà vu. | |||||
| 42 | 9 | "That Highway Is The Lifeline" | March 3, 2020 | N/A | |
| The Herb's team fights fire while tussling with a burned-out semi; as whiteouts rage across the 402 in Sarnia, Mark fights his way through a long backup to reach a job; a unique recovery crew faces a heavy load of peat moss and trailer ready to split. | |||||
| 43 | 10 | "A Real Disaster" | March 10, 2020 | N/A | |
| With his dad away, Mitch works with his older brother to get a stubborn wreck onto the road, but these brothers rarely see eye-to-eye; Glen, Todd and crew improvise to offload some extreme cargo. | |||||
| 44 | 11 | "I've Seen My Share" | March 17, 2020 | N/A | |
| A rolled-over dump truck spills its load on the 401 in the middle of rush hour, and Steve, Sonny and crew make a split-second decision; Eric works to cement his place on the new team when he and his boss disagree on how to handle a shredded trailer. | |||||
| 45 | 12 | "You Are Never Safe" | March 24, 2020 | N/A | |
| Snow squalls attack Highway 402, sending Gary, Collin and Mark to work deep in the trees; a fuel tanker rolls next to rail lines in Toronto's industrial port lands; the Chatham crew improvises against a fire-ravaged wreck. | |||||
| 46 | 13 | "Always Makes My Knees Knock" | March 31, 2020 | N/A | |
| Mitch's new partnership with his brother is put to the test in the aftermath of a brutal storm; Eric, Derek and crew take on a load of steel pipes that threaten to spring loose on the road; Andrew and his team wrestle difficult cargo. | |||||
| 47 | 14 | "It's a Rush Every Time" | April 7, 2020 | N/A | |
| Gary's crew and family come together for a multi-wreck scene blocking the border; low power lines and a bad fuel leak complicate a delicate recovery in Toronto; a garbage hauler creates a heavy mess for the Ross crew. | |||||
Season 5 (2021)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Canada viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 1 | "Big, Mean and Heavy" | January 5, 2021 | N/A | |
| A load of lumber spills across the 401 in the heart of Toronto, sending John Allen into the first storm of the season. After an injury on the job, Gary must lean on Collin for a heavy and delicate recovery. Meanwhile, Sonny makes a major change in his life and career. | |||||
| 49 | 2 | "The Worst Place" | January 12, 2021 | N/A | |
| The OPP must manage a chaotic scene after a thirty-vehicle pileup shuts down the 401; Mitch sets a tight deadline in his first job as leader of the heavy crew; a semi smashes into a culvert, the Ross's try out their newest operator. | |||||
| 50 | 3 | "Everything That Can Go Wrong" | January 19, 2021 | N/A | |
| Sonny and his new boss face their first heavy test, fighting a semi frozen hard into the mud; a double collision brings border traffic to a halt in Sarnia, forcing Gary and crew to wrangle a difficult load of cargo. | |||||
| 51 | 4 | "A Hell of a Pull" | January 26, 2021 | N/A | |
| A rolled-over load of scrap metal defies gravity and Kevin's patience, the Cornwall crew rides to the rescue of a fire truck, County Towing struggles to get a grip on an icy highway. | |||||
| 52 | 5 | "I'm On My Way" | February 2, 2021 | N/A | |
| The OPP responds to a tragedy that rocks the towing community, when Sonny gets caught on a dangerous stretch of road, he must turn to an unexpected source for help, a truckload of confetti shreds Mitch's nerves. | |||||
| 53 | 6 | "No Room for Error" | February 9, 2021 | N/A | |
| A compromised trailer tears apart in Chatham. John Allen gambles with a truckload of water that's ready to burst wide open. | |||||
| 54 | 7 | "Thread the Needle" | February 16, 2021 | N/A | |
| A tractor wedged between an overpass and guardrail forces the Ross crew into a game of inches. Herb's crew goes deep into the woods to rescue a tree-bound truck. Sonny tries to clear a stalled semi in a dangerous spot. | |||||
| 55 | 8 | "This Ain't Gonna Be Pretty" | February 23, 2021 | N/A | |
| A massive storm across the southern tip of the province pushes the County crew into an intense double recovery; a tree stump in the worst possible spot threatens a big job for Duncan. | |||||
| 56 | 9 | "Moment of Truth" | March 2, 2021 | N/A | |
| Mitch from B&G joins forces with John Allen to clean up a triple collision and a badly leaking tanker; a newly promoted rotator op fights a trailer that's ripping in two; Kevin rushes to clear a wreck in time for an important family milestone. | |||||
| 57 | 10 | "I Don't Stop" | March 9, 2021 | N/A | |
| A tractor-trailer rolls over in an icy median; the oldest member of Duncan's team takes on the most dangerous job; a fiery wreck in Toronto turns Steve's crew into a pit crew; swapping wheels in a race against rush hour. | |||||
| 58 | 11 | "No Other Choice" | March 16, 2021 | N/A | |
| A massive super-storm blasts across the province; Sonny hurries to help a stranded customer. | |||||
| 59 | 12 | "Recipe For Disaster" | March 23, 2021 | N/A | |
| When the Classic and Lucky crews battle a trailer ready to break in two, they make a drastic decision, turning to their tree expert and his chainsaw; Mike and David Ross ease out a semi caught between a culvert and a heavy steel coil. | |||||
| 60 | 13 | "In For the Long Haul" | March 30, 2021 | N/A | |
| John Allen finds himself in need of a heavy rescue when he gets stuck on an icy side road; a rotator operator takes on a tough challenge when he tries to save a trailer buckling under heavy concrete; a new member joins the Preferred crew. | |||||
| 61 | 14 | "For Some Reason, I Like It" | April 6, 2021 | N/A | |
| Racing to prevent a fuel spill, Mitch must execute a complex maneuver he's never tried before; Adam attempts to help out a group of drivers stranded on a dangerous hill; when James Ireland faces a tough wreck, he turns to his wife, Fabiana. | |||||
| 62 | 15 | "Slay the Dragon" | April 13, 2021 | N/A | |
| Adam improvises when heavy winds complicate a tough recovery; Gary's new team – and his hopes for the future – are put to the test against a heavy sea container; when a trailer loses its wheels, Duncan has to wrestle it to the road. | |||||
| 63 | 16 | "A Major Situation" | April 27, 2021 | N/A | |
| Sonny needs to pull off an urgent recovery with all eyes on him; a tight recovery puts Duncan right up against a live lane of traffic; Gary's crew takes on the last big rollover of the winter as a blast of frigid weather makes the job more difficult. | |||||
References[]
- ^ Sarah Godard, Renee Dupuis (March 21, 2016). "Closure is Not an Option: Production Underway on Discovery's New Series HEAVY RESCUE: 401 From Producers of Top-Rated HIGHWAY THRU HELL". Bell Media. Bell Media. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ "Heavy Rescue: 401". Premiere Date. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ Business, By Chris Isidore and Paul P. Murphy, CNN (2019-04-18). "The Weather Channel knocked off air by 'malicious software attack'". CNN. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
- ^ Heavy Rescue: 401
- ^ "Highway Thru Hell spin-off hits ratings record for Discovery". Media of Canada.
External links[]
- Official Discovery Channel Canada website: Heavy Rescue: 401 (original network website)
- Heavy Rescue 401 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeavyRescue401
- Heavy Rescue 401 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavyRescue401
- Heavy Rescue: 401 at IMDb
Categories:
- 2010s Canadian reality television series
- 2017 Canadian television series debuts