The Pitt is a medical drama centered around a fictional Pittsburgh hospital. The hospital was actually based off AHN – Allegheny which is located on the city’s Northside community. However, while exterior shots of the hospital is based on something real, needless to say – the interior is a prop set located in California. For obvious reasons, they can’t simply shut down the emergency room department of an actual hospital.
As of time of writing the blog, the Pitt has 2 seasons on HBO Max which is an online streaming service. Since I don’t have cable TV, I can’t tell you if it shows on HBO, but I would assume it does. However, past episodes might require the IPTV? subscription.
The Good
In reality, I actually like the show much more than I would have expected. Maybe because it is promoting the city of Pittsburgh which is where I live, but I really like the show. It is based off 1 hour per episode giving it an ultra-real feeling to it. The show has been inclusive with inter-racial couples, and even homosexual couples. Considering this demographics are properly included into most television, it is good to know that this show has included them. And while I am heterosexual, one should be able to appreciate diversity.
The show has also addressed addiction, autism, and the realities of a trauma center around a mass shooting. These are all impactful events that can be not shown enough in concern with public reaction. I really appreciate the reality of this show.
The Bad
While I am sure they done this to keep the audience’s attention, I would find it hard to believe there has been as many significant emergencies that the show has provided. Every episode, there is something that is new and serious going on. If this is the reality, it definitely shows the sad fact of the US Healthcare system where people have to wait until it becomes and emergency rather than seeing a doctor before the problem gets much worse (and therefore, an emergency).
The Ugly
While not directly related to the show, it would have been nice if they referenced Pittsburgh a little more. Considering that the show is assertive in noting that it is based in Pittsburgh (even though the hospital is fictional), it would make sense to show locations of the city, and provide for the positive outlook of the city. I feel that this could have been more of an option to promote the city to fans of the show, and maybe increase the visitor count, and hopefully would have brought more dollars into the city. I don’t think the Pitt has done enough to promote the city. Hopefully, in season 3, this will happen.
Final Thoughts
If you like medical dramas, this is a very powerful, and realistic show. I would strongly suggest that you at least watch season 1 all of the way through before making any final judgements. Each episode is based off of 1 hour in real time, so it might seem slow to some people, but the intensity surrounding the emergency room should attract the attention of most people.