The Pitt: A Fresh Take on the Medical Drama
"The Pitt," a new medical drama streaming on Max, reunites Noah Wyle, John Wells, and R. Scott Gemmill, the team behind the groundbreaking series "ER."
Returning to the genre, Wyle plays Dr. Michael "Robby" Rabinavitch, an overworked senior attending physician in a beleaguered emergency room. But unlike "ER," "The Pitt" focuses on the practice of medicine rather than the personal relationships of the medical staff.
Shot in continuity and set in real-time, "The Pitt" offers an immersive experience that captures the chaos and intensity of an urban emergency department. Wyle, Wells, and Gemmill discuss the show's unique format, the challenges of writing medical scripts, and the importance of supporting healthcare professionals.
On the authenticity of the medical storylines:
Noah Wyle: "This is more of a provider-centric show, which puts the focus of the medicine and the current way that it's practiced in first position."
John Wells: "We designed the set before we started writing so that we could write to it...We wanted to put people into a world in which they are not comfortable."
On the challenges of writing medical scripts:
Wyle: "I give [medical advisor Dr. Joe Sachs] a tremendous amount of credit for the contributions he makes, which are not just technical."
Wells: "You really don't want to know what all the terms mean. You really don't want to know what all the Latin is."
On the importance of supporting healthcare professionals:
Gemmill: "The fragility of our system is in the strength of our practitioners and the support that we give them measures the quality of our civilization, in some ways."
Despite acknowledging their age, Wyle, Wells, and Gemmill remain excited about the potential for future seasons of "The Pitt." They emphasize the importance of providing jobs and supporting the healthcare industry through their work.