If your first thought about the new show The Pitt is, “Am I really going to watch another medical drama?” I was with you. The genre has been heavily explored for years, largely following the same formula that usually includes an endearing lead doctor character, emotional deaths and some odd medical cases, and overwhelmed student or more junior healthcare workers.
While you’ll be tempted when starting The Pitt to think it’s just like all the other medical dramas you can watch, you start to realize this one is different. The show, starring ER alum Noah Wyle, proves that sometimes just leaning into what people already love can be just as entertaining as something completely new.
It’s also worth noting that the estate of ER creator, Michael Crichton, filed a lawsuit claiming that The Pitt is an unauthorized remake of the show that ran from 1994 to 2009. Warner Bros. Television responded by arguing that the shows are completely different.
The Pitt premiere date: Jan. 9Where to watch The Pitt: Crave in Canada, Max in the U.S on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ETCast: Noah Wyle, Tracey Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, Katherine LaNasaNumber of episodes: 15
Noah Wyle in The Pitt Season 1 (Warrick Page/Max)
What is ‘The Pitt’ about
Created by ER’s R. Scott Gemmill, The Pitt takes place at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital with each episode chronicling each hour of a 15-hour shift for healthcare workers in the emergency department.
Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Wyle) is the chief attendant guiding us through this shift, who’s still greiving the death of his mentor in the earlier days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The patients we see range from an accidental fentanyl overdose, to a woman who makes herself sick because she’s concerned about her son’s behaviour.
The hospital is packed, the waiting room is overflowing with people waiting to see a doctor, some of which get aggressive with the medical staff, and each other, while some admitted patients are on gurneys in the hallways.
Robby works with residents Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor), Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball), Dr. Mohan (Supriya Ganesh), Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif) and. Dr. King (Taylor Dearden). There’s also intern Trinity Santos (Isa Briones).
The bright eyes but sometimes overwhelmed medical students are Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez), while charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) keeps the entire place functioning.
Ned Brower, Patrick Ball, Noah Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor in The Pitt Season 1 (Max/Warrick Page)
Stress and chaos will such you inot ‘The Pitt’
The Pitts i frantic, absolutely stuffed with different medical cases. Some patients only being present for part of one episode, while others we see over the course of several hours, and that’s what’s fantastic about the show.
The reality of the healthcare system in many countries, Canada included, is that medical professionals are overwhelmed, and The Pitt is able to bring that overwhelming feeling to its audience.
That being said, if you’re someone who’s squeamish around blood, needles, or similar elements of injury, you may want to proceed with caution with The Pitt. Additionally, if you’re hoping to get a significant romance fix, The Pitt‘s characters don’t have time to really dive into their love lives in the chaos of the emergency department.
Getting personal information about the show’s characters comes in spurts, and not with consistent timing. But in this context, it feels like coming up for air in the chaos of all the different patients.
With so much going on in each episode, with all the medical professionals just trying to see as many patients as the can, and effectively treat them, The Pitt does feel bulky and at times disjointed. But the strength of its cast helps to push through.
What The Pitt achieves in all its messiness is the ability to keep you coming back for more. While episodes are being released weekly, the show is incredibly bingeable for anyone who like a stress-inducing watch.
The show leans into the familiar but kicks up the energy several notches, making The Pitt a show that’s hard to stop watching.