A powerful return to the world of emergency medicine from the creators of ER.
In January 2025, the streaming service Max released the medical drama series “Pitt Hospital” from the creators of the cult series ER. Initially, the new project was planned as a direct continuation of ER: Noah Wyle was supposed to return to the role of Dr. John Carter, but legal obstacles prevented this from happening. The heirs of Michael Crichton, the author of the original show and “Jurassic Park,” refused permission to film. As a result, the concept of the future series was completely reworked, and the result exceeded all expectations.
Dr. Michael Rabinovich (Noah Wyle) returns to medicine after a long break caused by the difficult COVID era in 2020. He heads the emergency department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The continuous stream of patients and the crazy pace of work leave no moment of respite: the battle for human lives continues around the clock. Most doctors here are young interns undergoing their first serious practice. They cannot make mistakes. Patients are sought to be saved at any cost, but this is far from always successful. The series stands out for its uncompromising nature and realism: there is no place for personal life or relationship issues here — only work.
The number of medical dramas has indeed decreased. Despite the existence of “The Good Doctor,” the endless “Grey’s Anatomy,” or “New Amsterdam,” the industry critically lacked a fresh perspective on on-screen doctors. After the completion of “House” and “Scrubs,” viewers were waiting for something special — and finally “Pitt Hospital” appeared. The first season represents one work shift of one team. Each episode is one hour of work, and all 15 episodes cover just one day.
Although the episodes were not shot in one take, like in the recent Netflix hit “The Age of Transition,” the sense of presence thanks to the crazy dynamics and cinematography is guaranteed. Viewers, together with the doctors, switch from one patient to another, so it’s sometimes difficult to even remember the characters’ names, because emergency medicine means exactly that — extremely fast help for those who need it. Although bureaucratic problems sometimes interfere with the quality of work, Dr. Robbie (as his colleagues call him) makes every effort to help absolutely everyone — treat patients, train doctors, and please the management as much as possible. With each episode, the tension only intensifies. This is not just a dynamic show that many initially compared to the first season of “The Bear.” The series gradually transforms into something much more significant. This is a spectacle with a complex plot, innovative medical solutions, and a complete destruction of all templates.
The cast is especially impressive. Almost all performers are little-known, but they play so convincingly that it’s hard to believe: we’re not looking at real doctors. Before filming, the actors underwent special training, learning to perform ultrasounds, set up IVs, and intubate. And if Dr. Rabinovich is an experienced professional and a true leader, then each intern here has their own distinct character. From the simple country worker Dennis Whittaker (Gerran Howell) to the idealist Melissa King (Taylor Dearden). Among the experienced doctors, Patrick Ball as Dr. Langdon (this is only his second role in his career) and the strong duo of Fiona Dourif and Tracy Ifeachor, representing different female archetypes in the world of emergency medicine, stand out especially. Characters here are not divided into good and bad — each has their own truth.
The creators managed to achieve the impossible: create one of the most unique medical series of the post-COVID era. The show, which initially seemed like just another procedural, demonstrates its originality with a non-standard format: each episode is an hour in hell, where doctors have no time to remember names, because lives need to be saved. Ratings increase with each new episode, and the story approaches its climax. Will Dr. Rabinovich be able to continue controlling this chaos not only outside but also inside himself? It seems he has no choice, since the series has already been renewed for a second season. And this is completely unsurprising.