ABC’s Station 19 Cast On Putting Joy In The Hearts Of Others

Twenty-five Disney bloggers, me included, had an opportunity to meet and interview Stacy McKee (Executive Producer/Showrunner), Jaina Lee Ortiz (Andy Herrera), and Boris Kodjoe (Captain Robert Sullivan) on ABC’s show “Station 19”.  “Station 19” airs Thursdays at 9|8c on ABC follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line.

The drama is produced by ABC Studios with Stacy McKee (“Grey’s Anatomy”) serving as showrunner and executive producer, along with Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Paris Barclay (“Pitch” and “Sons of Anarchy”) serving as the producing director and executive producer of the series.

 

We were sitting there eager to jump in with questions waiting patiently for Stacy McKee to arrive.  She walked in and Boris yelled, “there she is” and that set the atmosphere for me.  As soon as Stacy sat down, before we could ask any questions, she jumped right in.  I was so drawn in by her passion and enthusiasm, I was listening intently.  I figured she was something special when Boris introduced her the way he did, but when we began sharing why Station 19 was so important, I knew for myself that she was extraordinary. 

 

“Right now, this day and age, I feel like the world can be tough.  There’s a lot of difficulty when you wake up every morning, open up the news, there’s stuff that’s hard.  And to focus on a group of people whose only job is to help other people.  Doesn’t matter who you are, doesn’t matter what color you are, what your religion is, doesn’t matter what your politics are.  It doesn’t matter.  All that matters is that if you are a person who needs help, these characters will help you.  And to me, that was just remarkable.  I wanted to put that little piece of joy out into the world.  It’s so unifying and universal.  And it seems like this was the right moment to tell stories like these.”

 

 

I was so inspired and completely agreed with Stacy.  It doesn’t matter, we need to do our part to put the joy I the hearts of others.  It’s clear that the atmosphere on the set of Station 19 does that from the screen to the hearts and minds of the viewers, as well as the cast.  Boris Kodjoe said,

“and this is such a great atmosphere and (to Stacy) that speaks to what you bring to this universe because it starts at the top and then it trickles down all the way to everybody else.  I’ve been part of sets where it wasn’t the case where there were a lot of negativity and people just not happy to be there and this is just a pleasure to be a part of, every single day.”

 

 

Immediately following the interviews, we took a tour of the Station 19 set.  The set was amazing!  We all loved the kitchen, it was very nice and homely.  As we walked to the Captain Sullivan’s office, we ran into a few other cast members.

 

 

I am not sure what I enjoyed most, learning about the show or walking through the set talking to Boris Kodjoe.  He is so kind, and we have a lot of friends in common.  He even took a call on my phone from one of our mutual friends once she found out I was interviewing him.  It was pretty funny!

 

From mom to mom, I wanted to not only share my interview but share why I encourage you and your family to support ABC’s “Station 19”.  One of the most inspiring things about the show is the authenticity.  It was interesting to hear such a compelling perspective from Stacy in reference to having conversations with real firefighters.

“Yeah in fact, almost every story that we tell is inspired by something that we’ve heard from or heard about from a first responder. We have a lot of firefighter consultants and paramedic consultants both the Los Angeles area and in Seattle because some of the specifics are regional and so we wanted to make sure we could be as authentic as possible.”

 

 

These are real life stories! Stories that teach us why we should extend compassion, kindness, and love every day.  Watch tonight’s episode of “Station 19” on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand. entitled “Last Day On Earth” – Just when Ryan agrees to talk it out with his dad, Greg Tanner makes an unexpected visit to Station 19, leaving Ryan and others confused. In an effort to connect with his crew, Captain Sullivan enlists the help of an unlikely source for some bonding tips.   

 

 

I’m telling you it’s a good show.  Please share your thoughts in the comment section.  Tune in tonight and follow along using #Station19 or following on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

 

[latoyia]