The Pitt: The Most Real Medical Drama I’ve Seen

Written by Ale N.

TV RANK: S-TIER

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟 (extra star for being a personal favorite)

Ratings:

IMDb 8.9/10 Rotten Tomatoes 95%

First episode date: January 9, 2025 (USA)

Program Director: R. Scott Gemmill 

Network: Max

Genre: Medical Drama

No. of episodes: 15

January 9th felt like an extended stay in the ER—first as a patient at my local hospital, then later that night, as a couch-bound viewer of HBO’s new medical drama, The Pitt.

Growing up, I became pretty familiar with the U.S. healthcare system through my own ER visits and watching my family undergo life-altering surgeries. I never gravitated toward medical dramas. Most felt more like hospital soap operas, where residents somehow had time to hook up between surgeries. Were they entertaining? Sure, but I never expected them to be accurate.

I was happily proven wrong.

The Pitt, created by R. Scott Gemmill and produced by John Wells and ER sweetheart Noah Wyle, is a refreshing take on emergency medicine. Set in a Pittsburgh hospital, the series captures the realities of healthcare in a post-COVID world. With medical consultants like Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, who inspired plot lines like the Freedom House Ambulance, along with feedback from medical professionals, the show’s commitment to authenticity is clear and intentional.

What sets The Pitt apart isn’t just the procedures—it’s the feeling. Each episode plays out in real time, covering one hour of a 15-hour shift. Some viewers criticized the lack of a soundtrack, but to me, the silence was part of the immersion. In real ERs, there’s no cinematic score, only the hum of voices, footsteps, and medical urgency. The only moments with music come from Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinovitch, who wears headphones at the beginning and again at the end of the shift. It’s a subtle detail, but one that marks his day with a moment of peace and emotional reset. It was grounding.

Another detail that stood out to me was the inclusion of social workers. Growing up, social workers were an important part of my life, and I’ve seen firsthand how involved they are in medical settings. Most shows overlook them completely, but The Pitt gave them space not just as minor figures but as essential to patient care and decision-making. That same care for authenticity shows not only in writing but also in how the show was cast and shot.

The realism of The Pitt runs deep. Real-life nurses and physician assistants were cast as background actors. Ned Brower, who plays Nurse Jesse Van Horn, is a practicing ER nurse, and his presence, along with others, ensures the show’s medical details mirror real-life hospital settings. Graphic medical procedures, including an unfiltered, realistic traumatic birth, are rarely shown on TV. Yet, this series doesn’t flinch in its portrayal. By the end of each episode, I genuinely felt like I had attended med school.

What really makes The Pitt powerful, though, is its courage to tackle what other shows ignore. It confronts issues like workplace violence, mass shootings, external pressure of patient satisfaction scores, and the emotional toll of endless patient care. In one shift, a single doctor can interact with hundreds of patients, each carrying their own story. The Pitt doesn’t tie those stories up in a neat bow—it just shows them. 

Noah Wyle’s character, Dr. Robby, makes mention of the nursing shortage not because there is a lack of people who can do the job, but because of the fear and exhaustion that comes with it. Data from the Bureau of Labor shows that healthcare workers account for 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence since 2018, and it continues to be a growing concern. Emergency departments are especially vulnerable to these verbal and physical assaults.

Some hospitals have implemented location-tracking badges to assist staff in emergencies. Others, like the one portrayed in The Pitt, are left asking their administrators, “How will you guarantee our safety?” Along with other stressors in the emergency department, the show depicts how this is one of the major factors contributing to burnout for physicians, nurses, and others who work in the ER.

The collaboration between the show’s creators and real healthcare professionals brought something rare to television: honesty. In her interview with Pittwire, Dr. Owusu-Ansah states,“For better or for worse, media changes lives; that’s why it’s important that it be accurate.” The Pitt doesn’t romanticize medicine—it reflects it. It gave me a deeper respect for the people who live this reality every day.

Thank you to all the healthcare professionals who take care of us, seen and unseen. This show reminded me of your humanity, your exhaustion, and your impact.

Where to Watch:

HBO Max

Hulu

Citations

DeGrushe, Allison. “‘the Pitt’ Is Everyone’s New Favorite Medical Drama - but Is It Based on a Real Hospital?” Distractify, Distractify, 12 Mar. 2025, www.distractify.com/p/what-hospital-is-the-pitt-based-on.

Kaplan, Ilana. “Why ‘the Pitt’s’ Ned Brower Gave His Character Nurse Jesse a Nose Ring: ‘Er Culture of the 21st Century’ (Exclusive).” People.Com, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2025, people.com/the-pitt-ned-brower-gave-nurse-jesse-nose-ring-exclusive-11714950.

“Workplace Violence in Healthcare, 2018.” Edited by Andrea Cioffi, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 July 2023, www.bls.gov/iif/factsheets/workplace-violence-healthcare-2018.htm.

“Workplace Violence in Healthcare, 2018.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/iif/factsheets/workplace-violence-healthcare-2018.htm?. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

Faina, Nichole. “How This Pitt Professor Lent Her Voice to a Hit Medical Drama.” University of Pittsburgh, Pittwire, 15 Jan. 2025, www.pittwire.pitt.edu/pittwire/features-articles/2025/01/15/hbo-max-the-pitt-sylvia-owusu-ansah.