Watching other people work has become a common way for people to wind down after a long day of…. well, work. At least that is what has seemed like a common trend that comes up in television at least once a decade. Using a workplace as a setting has shown to foster great potential for comedy, romance, tension, and overall comfort for audiences. The most popular examples of these shows tone down much of the realism in place for something else. Grey’s Anatomy toned down realistic medical procedures to amp-up the dramatics, and The Office includes way more perfectly-timed humor than most mundane, paper-producing offices. While the genre has not really gone away since its most famous examples were released in the 2000s, a new era highlighting a lot of real-world issues has emerged, giving voice to the lives of underappreciated laborers.Â
When discussing realism in shows, it seems no example is better than HBO’s The Pitt. With its first season releasing in 2025, the show follows the 12-hour shift (although most characters usually end up working overtime) of workers at Pittsburgh’s emergency room. Each episode covers a different hour in the shift, and expands upon both the individual lives of the patients and the toll that the job takes upon its workers. The show has been praised for its hyper-realistic scenes of emergency-medical procedures. Realism acts as a form of drama itself. Audiences can not help but feel captivated by the constant high-stakes environment, and feel the tension as it reeks through the screen. The ensemble cast of workers is constantly having their attention pulled every which way by changes in patients’ health statuses, and they rarely get a moment to themselves, which starts to add up on their mental health. There are some discrepancies in terms of the accuracy of each role, but overall healthcare professionals have been considering it the most accurate out of mainstream medical dramas. Along with its accuracy regarding the work itself, the show focuses on bringing to light many issues that have been increasingly prevalent in healthcare. It emphasizes the disrespect that healthcare workers fall victim to, especially nurses. Many of the patients have financial struggles that force them to put their health second to just getting by and supporting their families. The long-term staff has clear trauma from the pandemic. The mental health of the workers is continuously addressed several points throughout their shift. While the frantic atmosphere offers a naturally intriguing plot, it simultaneously highlights the worsening issues evident in healthcare that have yet to be addressed.Â
Comedy is a common aspect of many of the most iconic workplace shows, and just because these newer shows are quite realistic does not mean they are exempt from including humor. Abbott Elementary, another member of this new television wave, follows the mockumentary style similar to many predecessors. It takes place at an underfunded, predominately black public school in Philadelphia. It follows a group of teachers at different places in their careers and lives. The characters are incredibly endearing and work so well together, and despite only being around for a few years, many of the jokes have garnered the level or recognizability that comes with decades of fame. Abbott Elementary definitely is not on the same level of realism as something like The Pitt. Upon reading elementary teachers’ input on the show, many noted the fact that the students are unrealistically well behaved, and that the teachers are given much more time to interact with other adults. In fact, my mom (a retired 2nd-grade public school teacher) watches this as her comfort show – although it did make her have nightmares about substitute shortages during a sickness outbreak. However, the show brings to light a lot of issues that many public schools face. They are underfunded, especially in comparison to the charter schools that draw away students and resources. They experience a teacher shortage so bad, that one of the main teachers, Melissa, has to teach both 2nd and 3rd grade. The district is constantly viewing the school as less valuable. While maintaining the appeal that its humor has, it brings to light the constant battles public school teachers have to face, especially in underfunded areas.Â
It is important to note that the casts of both of these series contain a large portion of people of color, and the storylines make note of issues central to race. The Pitt contains both a diverse ensemble of healthcare workers and patients. The show stresses the way patients of color, black women especially, commonly do not have their medical needs met. A couple of the doctors are specifically knowledgeable about the underreporting/misdiagnoses of certain conditions in people of color, which helped them in properly treating patients. One of the earliest patients in the show was a victim of a racially-motivated hate crime. Abbott Elementary highlights a clear example of the systemic issues public schools face, since it is a predominately black school that is underfunded and is not receiving the resources it needs. The writing in both of these shows do not just acknowledge the general problems within these professions, but the way that they impact specific demographics. They draw audiences in through their captivating characters and engaging storylines, while bringing light to the very real issues that real-life workers face everyday.Â