We are only a few weeks into the fall 2022 TV premieres, and yet there already seems to be at least one definitive winner: Fire Country. The CBS drama from creator/star Max Thieriot that follows a group of convicts who join a firefighting program in Northern California to reduce their sentences was such a hit right out of the gate that it was given a full season order after only two of its episodes had aired. Thieriot is doing double duty on his new series while sticking around on SEAL Team, and now his co-star, Billy Burke, has opened up about working with him and why he thinks the show is already so popular.
What Did Fire Country’s Billy Burke Say About Working With Max Thieriot?
Viewers who’ve already enjoyed what the freshman fire-fighting drama has to offer know that the relationship between Burke’s Vince and Thieriot’s Bode is a very strained one, meaning that many of their on-screen interactions land somewhere between awkward, at best, and tense at their worst. Thankfully, the Twilight actor recently told TV Line that things are much easier between him and his TV son:
Oh my god, I love that kid. Yeah, we’re having a great time. I mean, he’s just a dear man and he really cares about this story and all its components. He’s just so invested in it, and it bleeds out into everything he does and everything we do on set. We couldn’t have asked for a better guy to come and work with.
As noted earlier, the star had already been a major part of SEAL Team for several seasons when he came up with the idea for the new series. It’s based on his time actually growing up in Northern California’s fire country and a real firefighting program was used for inspiration, so it makes a lot of sense that all of his work on the Friday night hit would be infused with his passion for the story.
What Did Billy Burke Say About Fire Country's Success?
Speaking of the show’s success, it’s becoming more and more rare for network series to break out the way this fire-fighting family drama has, with the first two episodes pulling in 8.3 million viewers and making it the most watched, top rated show. And, Burke, who’s played major parts in series like Revolution, Zoo, and The Closer, thinks he knows why people are loving his new drama:
I don’t want to say it’s a “no brainer,” because there are no “no brainers” when it comes to TV anymore, as we all know. But it is one of those shows that’s got all the elements of what people watch TV dramas for. And that is relationships, family, involvement in whatever that family does…. A good, competent mixture of all those things always leads to good entertainment, and I think this show does that really well.
With those who tune in being treated to the action-packed fire-fighting scenes and some solid family stories, this hot new show should be catching eyeballs for the foreseeable future. You can watch the Fire Country cast when the series airs weekly on CBS, Fridays at 9 p.m. EST, or check it out with your Paramount+ subscription.
