SCU: Serious Crash Unit is a New Zealand documentary series that aired on TV2. The show was cancelled after seven seasons.
| SCU: Serious Crash Unit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Factual Television Series |
| Written by | Sharon Bennett, Peter Clews, Jenny Williams, Paul Hagan, Nicola Griffin |
| Directed by | Sharon Bennett, Peter Clews, Jenny Williams, Paul Hagan, Candace McNabb |
| Narrated by | Shane Cortese, Craig Hall |
| Composer | Liquid Studios |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 49 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Andrea Lamb |
| Producers | Peter Clews, Jenny Williams |
| Production locations | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Editors | Phil Holt, Jon Kirk |
| Camera setup | OPC, multi single-camera crews |
| Running time | 22 minutes (approx) |
| Production company | Greenstone TV Ltd - www.greenstonetv.com |
| Original release | |
| Network | TV2, TV One (current) |
| Release | 2 April 2004 – 26 May 2015 |
| Related | |
| Crash Investigation Unit | |
Overview edit
SCU: Serious Crash Unit follows a New Zealand Police-based Auckland Serious Crash Unit as they investigate crashes and examine the evidence found at the crash scene to find out what happened, and what caused the accident.
Episodes edit
Season 1 edit
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Albany/Novotel" | 2003 | |
| Two vehicles are destroyed in a fatal head-on accident on Albany Bridge. | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Okura/Stanway" | 2003 | |
| The SCU investigates a crashed four-wheel-drive. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Simpson Rd/Southern Motorway" | 2003 | |
| Two West Auckland factory workers get into a crash on Simpson Road in Ranui. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Windy/Wellsford" | 2003 | |
| A man loses control of his vehicle on his way to visit his children, and the SCU suspect his brakes may have been at fault. | ||||
| 5 | 5 | "Whangaparaoa/joe Dee" | 2003 | |
| The SCU are called to two crashes on Whangaparaoa Road. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Bush/Dome" | 2003 | |
| A young motorcyclist is killed in a collision with a truck. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Upper Harbour/titrangi" | 2003 | |
| A bus veers out of control in Titirangi with fatalities. | ||||
Season 2 edit
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | "Wainui Road" | 2005 | |
| The police investigate the death of 27-year old Hamish MacDonald driving home from a night out with friends. | ||||
| 9 | 2 | "Golf Road" | 2005 | |
| The police investigate a fatal crash that kills three people. | ||||
| 10 | 3 | "Lincoln/Newtown Road" | 2005 | |
| The police investigate why a car ploughed through an intersection hitting another vehicle and critically injuring the driver, who is left in critical condition. | ||||
| 11 | 4 | "Kahikatea" | 2005 | |
| The police investigate the death of a young man whose car has come off the road as he was heading home to a family emergency. | ||||
| 12 | 5 | "Oriel/Coatsville" | 2005 | |
| The police investigate a crash where a car left the road and hit a tree. | ||||
| 13 | 6 | TBA | 2005 | |
| ... | ||||
Season 3 edit
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Te Hana" | 2006 |
| 15 | 2 | "Muriwai/Rua Rd" | 2006 |
| 16 | 3 | TBA | 2006 |
| 17 | 4 | TBA | 2006 |
| 18 | 5 | TBA | 2006 |
| 19 | 6 | TBA | 2006 |
| 20 | 7 | TBA | 2006 |
Season 4 edit
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | TBA | 2008 |
| 22 | 2 | TBA | 2008 |
| 23 | 3 | TBA | 2008 |
| 24 | 4 | TBA | 2008 |
| 25 | 5 | TBA | 2008 |
| 26 | 6 | TBA | 2008 |
| 27 | 7 | TBA | 2008 |
| 28 | 8 | TBA | 2008 |
Season 5 edit
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 1 | "Mangatawhiri" | 6 June 2011 | |
| The SCU investigate a crash where a truck driver is killed after he swerves to avoid crashing into a line of traffic on a busy state highway. | ||||
| 30 | 2 | "Wellsford" | 13 June 2011 | |
| Two women are killed and three women are seriously injured after a multivehicle high speed crash south of Wellsford. | ||||
| 31 | 3 | "Pinewoods" | 20 June 2011 | |
| The SCU investigate a serious crash where a rugby star is killed when he is thrown from a car as it plunges over a 25-metre cliff at a camping ground north of Auckland. | ||||
| 32 | 4 | "Hobsonville" | 27 June 2011 | |
| The SCU investigate a fatal crash after a motorcyclist, who has just finished building his classic motorbike, is killed when he tries to avoid a car at an intersection. | ||||
| 33 | 5 | "Mill Road" | 4 July 2011 | |
| The SCU investigate a crash where the mother of three young children is seriously injured when she swerves into the path of an oncoming truck. | ||||
| 34 | 6 | "Wily Road" | 11 July 2011 | |
| A man is killed when his BMW fails to take a bend, rolling six times down a hill, leaving his partner and young daughter with moderate injuries. | ||||
| 35 | 7 | TBA | 2011 | |
| ... | ||||
Season 6 edit
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1 | "Papakura" | 22 January 2013 | |
| The SCU investigates a single vehicle crash at a major intersection after reports of road rage earlier in the evening. | ||||
| 37 | 2 | "Lincoln Road" | 2012 | |
| ... | ||||
| 38 | 3 | "Kingseat" | 19 February 2013 | |
| The SCU investigate a fatality at an intersection that has been the site of many crashes. | ||||
| 39 | 4 | "Kaiaua" | 2012 | |
| ... | ||||
| 40 | 5 | TBA | 2012 | |
| ... | ||||
| 41 | 6 | TBA | 2012 | |
| ... | ||||
| 42 | 7 | TBA | 2012 | |
| ... | ||||
Season 7 edit
| Number in series |
Number in season |
Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 1 | "Kingseat" | 29 July 2014 | |
| The SCU investigate a double fatality at an intersection. | ||||
| 44 | 2 | "Port Waikato" | 4 August 2014 | |
| The SCU investigate a crash where an Australian tourist is killed while on a quad bike tour. | ||||
| 45 | 3 | "Birdwood" | 12 August 2014 | |
| The SCU investigate a fatal crash after a motorcyclist is killed. | ||||
| 46 | 4 | "Maramarua" | 19 August 2014 | |
| The SCU investigate a crash where an elderly woman is killed on a highway after colliding with a truck kilometres from home. | ||||
| 47 | 5 | TBA | 2014 | |
| Two young women are killed and three are seriously injured after a multi-vehicle high speed crash south of Wellsford. | ||||
| 48 | 6 | TBA | 2014 | |
| ... | ||||
| 49 | 7 | TBA | 2014 | |
| ... | ||||
Broadcasting edit
The following list is ordered by the date of the series premiere.
| Country | TV Network(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly Schedule | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 New Zealand |
TV2 | N/A | All episodes aired | |
 Australia |
Channel Seven | 17 March 2008 | Monday 8:00pm | All episodes aired |
Ratings edit
Australia edit
In Australia, SCU: Serious Crash Unit was watched by 1.4 million viewers in its premiere episode, and received similar ratings in its second week.[1] In its premiere week in Australia, SCU: Serious Crash Unit was the third most watched program in the five mainland state capitals.[2]
The second series premiered Monday 8:00pm at 1.2 million viewers,[3] and ratings remained between 1.2 and 1.7 million viewers, following a strong lead in from Border Security: Australia's Front Line.
References edit
- ^ "Stay In Touch", Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 14 December 2006
- ^ Five mainland state capitals include Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
- ^ "The Tribal Mind", The Sun-Herald, retrieved 28 April 2008