Devotees of Call the Midwife are being encouraged to discover a period medical drama chronicling the lives of staff at a fictionalised version of an actual hospital during the early 1900s.
The programme, which debuted in 2014, centres on Dr John W Thackery (portrayed by Clive Owen) and the team at New York City's Knickerbocker Hospital.
Audiences witness the constraints faced by surgeons and nurses, with Dr John Thackery loosely inspired by the genuine historical figure William Stewart Halsted.
As the newly appointed head of surgical staff, he must grapple with his own dependencies while preserving his standing as a medical innovator.
The programme also unfolds against the backdrop of a racially divided city, where a Harvard-educated Black American surgeon must struggle for recognition amongst the entirely white hospital workforce.
The Knick Has Been Hailed a Masterpiece
The Knick, which spanned two seasons, is the programme in question and can be streamed on HBO Max.
Enthusiasts flocked to IMDb reviews to express their opinions, with one declaring the show an 'absolute masterpiece', noting: 'The caster for this show deserves an applause for hiring Clive Owen as Dr Thackery. Mr Owen is THE only man who can play that role in its two outer ends, a clever doctor and a cocaine addict, switching between these ends sometimes in one single scene!'
Another enthusiast remarked: 'It's the best series out there! You must watch it. Right after the first episode I was sold. In two days time I finished the whole first season and I'm already looking forward to the next one. The series is a mix of medicine, biology a VERY-good story and history all-in-one, you going to like it.'
A third viewer commented when the programme initially premiered: 'Can't get enough! It is extraordinary in so many ways and I am restlessly awaiting the start of Season 2. As a long time health care professional, I especially enjoy all of the modern technology of the era, that today we just take for granted. The Knick really does have something for everyone - sex, drugs and a rock star chief of staff, to name a few.'
The Knick Was Inspired by a Real Hospital
A fourth person wrote: 'Acting and directing at its finest. I'm not even sure I have the right words to describe this TV series. Magnificent, a true masterpiece.'
Cinemax officially axed the programme in March 2017, prompting devoted viewers to campaign for another broadcaster to rescue it.
In an encouraging development, director Steven Soderbergh revealed in 2020 that a fresh season was being developed, with a pilot episode already completed.
By 2023, creator and writer Begler acknowledged that a spin-off series remained under development, with the pilot episode set against the backdrop of 1919 Harlem.
New York City's actual Knickerbocker Hospital opened its doors in 1862, initially operating as a temporary tent facility during the American Civil War. The institution subsequently gained recognition for predominantly treating impoverished and immigrant communities.
Dr John Thackery is partly inspired by Dr William Stewart Halsted, a renowned physician who developed numerous innovative surgical instruments and procedures in the early 20th century and was known to suffer from addiction to cocaine and morphine, similar to Thackery.
The Knick is available to stream on HBO Max.
