This Emmys season proved favorable for the cast and crew of HBO Max’s The Pitt, which took home three major awards, including “Outstanding Drama Series.” The medical drama follows a team of doctors and nurses at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center as they navigate the challenges that encompass both the emergency room and real life. Although the response from audiences following this win was generally positive, some Apple TV and Hulu subscribers expressed deep disappointment with the Television Academy’s decision.Â
I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, seeing some viewers diminish the integrity of the show by labeling it as “just another medical drama” leaves me no choice but to publicly assert that The Pitt was entirely deserving of its Emmy Awards sweep. The Pitt stood out from other nominees by employing a one-of-a-kind format, upholding medical accuracy, and examining real stories about real people.Â
The Pitt takes an approach to directing and storytelling that is unparalleled by other shows within its genre. Each one of the 15 episodes portrays one hour of the same shift. In other words, we stay with Dr. Robby and his team from the very beginning of their shift at 7 a.m. to when the night team takes over at 9 p.m. This way of storytelling completely immerses the viewer into the trauma floor’s organized chaos. In an interview with PBS, Noah Wyle, who portrays chief attending physician Dr. Robby, explains the intention behind shooting the show in this way. He states, “We wanted to come up with a device that felt intimate and created a sense of tension, analogous to doing kind of a ride-along with a police officer in the back seat of a cruiser or being embedded with a combat unit as a journalist.”Â
Although The Pitt’s ability to absorb audiences is impressive in its own right, what sets it apart from other medical dramas is that its content sticks to the books. I’m aware that the point of medical dramas is to entertain rather than inform. In fact, most production studios feel no obligation to uphold medical accuracy in their shows. To illustrate, one study surrounding eight popular medical dramas found that about six medical mistakes occurred within every hour of viewing. This is not something The Pitt shares with its competitors.
The Pitt derives its content from experts in every facet of healthcare and trauma-related incidents. Emergency medicine physician Brady Pregerson affirmed The Pitt’s commitment to maintaining accuracy, calling it “a more accurate picture of a busy ER than any other show I have seen since the original ER concluded.” In fact, Pregerson goes as far as to say that the series has inspired him to be a better doctor for his patients.
“As an emergency physician, I appreciate not only how the medical cases are presented accurately, in a way that may help me become a better clinician, but also how the show artfully handles difficult, relevant social issues.”
– Brady Pregerson
Although the series’ format and content are certainly nothing to blink at, it is the authenticity of its plotlines, characters, and themes that earned it its clean sweep at the Emmy Awards. Admittedly, I’m a sucker for a good medical drama. I obsessively binged watched the first couple seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and took the deaths of some of my favorite characters more personally than I should have. But authenticity and realism is not at the show’s core. Disregarding the fact that Meredith Grey died and came back to life at least seven times throughout the show, most plot lines were wildly obscure and highly dramatized. Conversely, The Pitt focuses on telling the stories of real-life situations that occur in emergency rooms every day.Â
Wyle said in the PBS interview that the show’s content directly stems from discussions with healthcare workers affected by the current socio-political climate. He stated, “We talk to people that specifically help practitioners get back their medical degrees after they have gone on a road of recovery for a drug and alcohol substance abuse problem. We have talked to people that deal in human trafficking, people that deal with ICE and immigration and how that’s going to affect emergency rooms, which are no longer considered safe spaces, sanctuary spaces.” Obscure plot lines, although at times possible, do not reflect the truth. The truth is, Dr. Robby exists in every hospital. It is their untold stories that facilitate production and keep patients alive.Â
Although The Pitt was up against some powerful nominees, there is a competitive reason as to why it received widespread praise. The Pitt’s unique format, commitment to accuracy, and authenticity proves that it is a standout amongst other television series. Even if you are not a medical drama junkie, I encourage you to see through the lens of a healthcare professional for a few hours and appreciate the time, energy, and care that goes into every case by tuning into this incredible series.