I’ve just witnessed an emergency room shift which was relentless, shocking and exhausting. I’ve seen the best and worst of humankind through the wide eyes of young, newly qualified doctors trying to help them. The medical procedures ranged from mysterious infections, gunshot wounds, and a drowning to a degloved foot and blown-up eye – and each looked so incredibly real that I couldn’t believe the actors were able to stomach each scene.
The Pitt is a TV phenomenon that drags you from your sofa into the thick of the action in a way that no other drama has managed before. I barely ever watch medical programmes and yet I’ve unashamedly binge-watched The Pitt, episode after episode, well into the early hours. And it’s left me with what I hope is a greater understanding of the exhaustion and emotions that a medic must feel when they’re staggering away from a busy shift.
Ever since this medical drama premiered, people have been raving about it, praising the resurgence of ER star Noah Wyle, and claiming that it’s a must-watch series. I know people often feel reluctant about committing to yet another new series. There are just too many instances where shows don’t live up to the hype. But when it comes to The Pitt, trust me – there’s no need to worry.
More than a year after its launch in the US, the engrossing drama finally landed in the UK last week on HBO Max with all of season one available to watch in one go, and season two episodes being dropped weekly. As I said before, I don’t watch medical dramas often – they’ve just never really been on my radar. I’m not a Holby City gal, and I haven’t attempted Grey’s Anatomy (though with over 20 seasons to get through, you can hardly blame me). I’ve never even watched ER.
The first thing that makes The Pitt stand out is the format of the show. A TV drama set in an emergency room isn’t a new concept, but this series follows an entire 15-hour shift from start to finish, akin to Jack Bauer’s 24. Episode one begins at 7am, episode two starts at 8am and so on, until the final episode of the season ends in the dead of the night. You feel as though you’re shoulder to shoulder with the doctors, nurses and students fighting to save as many lives as they can in real time.
Last week, I interviewed Wyle in person in London, and he pointed out that there’s almost no music in the show. This realisation hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t even clocked that there was no soundtrack, but it made so much sense, given how immersive The Pitt feels. Rather than music playing in the background, subtly telling viewers how they should be feeling, the series employs the noises of beeping monitors, ambulance sirens and disposable gloves being slapped on and off over and over again. If you’re squeamish, or if you work in A&E in real life and fancy a break when you’re settling in for a cosy night of watching TV, then The Pitt probably isn’t for you. But for anyone who doesn’t have an issue with gore, especially those of you like me who don’t normally watch medical dramas, I have no qualms with promising that this is one of the best TV shows you’ll watch in a long time. Not enough people are talking about it, and they should be.
