Ivan Radford | On 04, May 2026

Some TV shows fall short of their reputation. Some exceed them. The Pitt is the latter. After years of waiting for it to arrive on our screens – held back by HBO Max for its UK launch – the series doesn’t disappoint.

Created by R Scott Gemmill, it marks a reunion between the ER veteran and ER exec producer John Wells, plus most notably ER heartthrob Noah Wyles. Here, he plays Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, an attending physician at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Based in the emergency room (ER), which is in the basement of the old building, he refers to it as “The Pitt”, not in an overly affectionate way – and the people in charge aren’t best pleased with both his attitude and the hospital’s consistently low patient satisfaction scores. With money and resources stretched by poor budgets, let alone the pressure placed on the hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, they’re not exactly well placed to address either problem – and The Pitt invited us to witness that ongoing clash as it progresses, in real-time.

The Pitt isn’t the first medical drama to use time as its distinguishing feature – Jed Mercurio’s Critical took a similar concept by counting down through the golden hour of a patient’s arrival in intensive care each episode. The real-time structure makes for a riveting watch, knowing that every second and minute that ticks by is having a potentially life-or-death impact. But The Pitt’s approach goes one step further to create something harrowingly immersive – it’s not just a sense of time unfolding, but a sense that it’s continuing to do so. In this limbo of a constant present tense, it feels like there isn’t an end to the situation – and we’re put in the same boat as the doctors and staff trying to help people with every passing second while the strain on themselves and their workplace shows no sign of ever ending.

That psychological depth, the acknowledgement of how difficult it is to be a healthcare worker in an overcrowded and underfunded ER, brings a new punch to a genre that’s been on our screens for decades. The scripts, meanwhile, resist descending into sensationalised soap opera territory – the focus in such tight constraints is four new trainee doctors getting up to speed with the job. Even the music is barely present, with composer Gavin Brinik leaning into Robby’s tinnitus and opting for drone-like noises that blur into the ever-present background hum of the ER’s busy chaos. Filmed on handheld with an insane level of continuity and blocking as the characters move through a free, open set, it’s a technical triumph.

The medical jargon, of which there is plenty, is accompanied by some brutal surgical scenes – but even here, there’s an intent to move away from convention and instead focus on the reactions of the people more than the procedure themselves. The writers also use the real-time nature of the narrative to suddenly end up story while others stretch over several episodes, keeping us on our toes when it comes to getting attached to any patients.

The medical staff, on the other hand, are a well-oiled ensemble with a lived-in chemistry and tension between the veterans among the team: Tracy Ifeachor is superb as the resilient Dr Heather Collins, who has a past with Robby; Patrick Ball is authoritative as Dr Frank Langdon, a senior resident with an eye on the goal of helping others; Supriya Ganesh is sympathetic as Dr Samira Mohan, a third-year resident trying to get better at working quickly without losing quality; and the standout Fiona Dourif is wonderfully charming as Dr Cassie McKay, an energetic second-year resident with a son and more secrets and layers than you might initially expect.

The newbies are an engaging bunch, particularly the amusing Isa Briones as Dr Trinity Santos, an ambitious intern who isn’t afraid to – and actively enjoys – riling up others, including Gerran Howell’s endearingly naive student, Dennis, who just wants to prove himself. Taylor Dearden brings real nuance to Dr Mel King, a neurodivergent second-year resident, and Shabana Azeez sinks her teeth into student Victoria Javadi’s meaty challenge of establishing herself and her career in spite of – and not because of – her parent’s professional success at the hospital.

Holding it all together is Noah Wyle, who is flawless as the determined Robby – a no-nonsense, unafraid-to-speak-up rebel who has an earnestness and kindness that marks him out as a truly good guy. His own trauma from the pandemic is the lingering time-bomb under the first season’s 15 episodes – and spending 15 hours in his shoes is as exhausting as it is exhilarating. Wyle is utterly convincing as a doctor, but also raw in Robby’s struggles with grief, PTSD and depression, delivering a study in burnout that’s hugely emotional – and laced with a dogged dark humour and unrelenting compassion.

The result is a visceral, moving and intense watch – and one of the best TV shows you’ll see this year or any year.