Member-only story
“The Pitt” Is The Most Honest Television Medical Series Ever Created
Despite some exaggerations and semi-fanciful scenes, it is largely an accurate portrayal of a big city emergency room.
I have never been a fan of or watched many television doctor shows — ER—no, Grey’s Anatomy—never, Chicago Med—pass. For over 40 years, I worked in many hospitals. I saw it IRL (in real life). The last thing I wanted to do at night after an exhausting day at work was watch a sanitized and largely inaccurate portrayal of medicine.
The only exception was “House,” where an irascible drug-addicted hospital physician, Dr. Gregory House (played skillfully by Hugh Laurie), would challenge and skewer medical students and resident staff. His tough exterior masked his struggles, and I tried to guess the answers to the medical mysteries as they unfolded.
However, “The Pitt,” on HBO Max, is highly addictive and mostly accurate. The series is done in a manner akin to Fox’s famous “24”, where each episode represents one hour of the day. (DISCLAIMER: At the time of this writing, I have not completed Season One.) The show follows a 15-hour shift of Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch.
In the opening scene of the first episode, Dr. Robby is seen walking into work with his…
