‘Chicago Fire,’ created by pair of Baylor alums, debuts tonight on NBC

First Danny Watkins, now Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. I’m not sure what the connection is between Baylor and firefighters, but I like the support they’re showing.

Brandt (BBA ’91, MA ’94) and Haas (BA ’91, MA ’95), the writing duo behind movies such as 2 Fast 2 Furious, 3:10 to Yuma and Wanted, have taken their first step into the world of television as the creators of Chicago Fire, which premieres on NBC tonight. The show — the latest from executive producer Dick Wolf, the man behind the Law & Order franchise — examines the extended family of Chicago Firehouse 51; think ER in a firehouse.

Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Steve Chikerotis serves as a consultant on the show, and he’s been impressed with what he’s seen. “No one’s doing it like they’re doing it,” he told TV Guide. “Chicago Fire is making an attempt to do it real and sell the emotions that go along with it. The average firefighter throughout the nation will be pretty proud of this show, I think.”

Brandt and Haas made sure the BU connections don’t stop with the creators. Randy Flagler, BBA ’92, plays a character named “Capp,” and two Baylor interns worked on the show this past summer. Onscreen, one of the first characters you meet in the pilot, Darden, is named for Baylor prof Bob Darden, and the main characters later meet up at a bar named for Waco favorite Buzzard Billy’s.

The pilot debuts tonight on NBC at 9 p.m. CT; it can also be streamed online at Hulu.com or downloaded free from iTunes.

Sic ’em, Michael and Derek!