The success of “The Pitt” already influenced HBO Max’s programming strategy going forward — more on that below — but we’re now also seeing reports of renewed interest in a reality show that, like “The Pitt,” also filmed at Allegheny General Hospital.
Back in the late ‘90s as basic cable docuseries were becoming a genre unto themselves (think: “Trading Spaces,” “What Not to Wear,” “House Hunters”), the success of NBC’s “ER” led to the creation of TLC’s “Trauma: Life in the ER,” a 1997-2002 docuseries that followed real-life medical cases at Level One trauma centers. For several of its seven seasons, “Trauma” was the No. 1 series on TLC.
In 1999 and 2002, “Trauma: Life in the ER” filmed episodes at Allegheny General Hospital, whose exterior is used as the exterior of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center in “The Pitt.” (“The Pitt” films 95% of its scenes on a soundstage in Burbank, Calif.)
Deadline.com reports that the success of “The Pitt” is leading to talk of a possible revival of “Trauma.”
Dan Laurent, the chief communications officer for Highmark Health, handled media relations for AGH during the run of “Trauma.” He recalled a lot of planning and preproduction work happened before a crew of four “Trauma” camera operators arrived at the hospital.
“We gave it some careful consideration and, from our perspective, it was a well-produced series and very well received by the audience,” Laurent said. “But before they arrived, we had to make sure our medical staff was on board and that we were confident about doing it from a legal and patient privacy perspective.”
“Trauma” was filmed before HIPAA, the federal law protecting patient health information, was fully implemented. AGH allowed the filmmakers to shoot in the hospital, but they could only use the footage if a patient and/or the patient’s family consented. Those permissions were sought after the medical emergency passed.
“When the patient was stable and the stress of the situation calmed significantly, we would talk to the patient and explain the project and ask [for their consent],” Laurent said. “Nine times out of 10, they agreed.”
The advent of HIPAA likely precludes future AGH participation if “Trauma” should be revived.
“Frankly, I’m not sure how any hospital in the current environment could do it,” Laurent said, pointing to a case involving New York Presbyterian, which was fined $2.2 million in 2016 after allowing the ABC docu-series “NY Med” to film without advance patient permission. “I don’t think they can.”
Glenda Hersh, an executive on the original run of “Trauma,” said TLC executives have inquired about a revival, which makes sense. TLC introduces a medical mystery-themed Wednesday lineup this month airing episodes of “Body Bizarre” (8 p.m.), “Bad Foot Clinic” (10 p.m. March 18), “ER: Off the Charts” (10 p.m. July 8) and “Untold Stories of the ER” (9 p.m. Aug. 19).
“ ‘Trauma’ was really the first show that was a verité, follow-job reality show,” Hersh told Deadline.com. “Everybody else jumped into that next and started creating these shows and that became what populated cable. It was really the first of its kind and it was the real ‘Pitt.’ ”
The success of “The Pitt” isn’t just leading to a circular pattern of one TV show influencing another — with AGH playing a role at least twice so far — but it’s also influencing what HBO Max original series may be available for subscribers to stream in the future.
The business proposition behind “The Pitt” was always an effort to create a streaming series that cost less than many big-budget programs (“The Pitt” costs around $5 million per hour vs. $20 million per hour on something like a “Game of Thrones” or “Star Wars” series). “The Pitt” was also an effort to expand a streaming season (15 episodes instead of the usual streaming short-order of six-to-10 episodes per season). And the goal was for “The Pitt” to return with a new season annually around the same time each year, mimicking the predictable pattern of traditional broadcast TV series (rather than airing new seasons every three years like, say, “Severance”).
Once it became clear last year that “The Pitt” was a true commercial and critical hit, HBO Max greenlit pilots for two more shows that, if ordered to series, will follow the same lower cost, more episodes, annual return (in success) formula.
Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”) stars in “American Blue” as a veteran cop who returns to his hometown of Joliet, Ill., to revitalize the police department. Jeremy Carver (“Doom Patrol”) is writer/showrunner. The pilot will film in Chicago next month.
Greg Berlanti (“Everwood,” “Brothers and Sisters”) executive produces “How to Survive Without Me” about a family that’s begun to drift apart following the death of the family matriarch. Ray Romano and Joshua Jackson will star.
‘Outlander’
The final season of Starz’s “Outlander” debuts Friday (8 p.m.) but its writers faced a unique task: While previous seasons could rely on author Diana Gabaldon’s novels, she’s yet to publish the final “Outlander” novel, so the TV show’s writers had to wrap up the series in their own way.
“She knows how we are planning to end it, because I think we were so sensitive to Diana, we didn’t want to step on her toes,” said “Outlander” executive producer Maril Davis during a Television Critics Association virtual press conference last week. “We certainly didn’t want to do an ending that she might do. It was also kind of impossible since we are ending it a book early, but we looped her in the whole way, ’cause I think we wanted her to be able to let us know if she wasn’t comfortable with something … so along the way we’ve kept her in contact just to make sure she was okay, which she totally was.”
Kept/canceled
Fox renewed “Best Medicine” for a second season.
“Zombies 5” got a greenlight from Disney and Disney Channel to continue the film franchise.
NBC will bring back competition series “Destination X” for a second season.
Netflix renewed its “Little House on the Prairie” remake for a second season; the first season debuts July 9.
Apple TV canceled “Palm Royale” after two seasons.
Channel surfing
Although Pittsburgh’s Fred Rogers Productions won no awards, the music of Fred Rogers opened the Children & Family Emmy Awards as singer Regina Spektor kicked off the ceremony this week singing “Won’t Your Be My Neighbor?”, the theme song from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” … “The Pitt” took home more awards last weekend, including best drama series ensemble and best drama actor (Noah Wyle) at the SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards and best episodic drama at the Producers Guild Awards. … Viewers who use Roku can now subscribe to Apple TV on The Roku Channel. … Netflix profiles the family behind Fox News in the four-episode documentary, “Dynasty: The Murdochs” (March 13) from director Liz Garbus (“Becoming Cousteau”). … Harry Styles will be host and musical guest on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m. Saturday) March 14. … Shemar Moore and Viveca A. Fox return to “The Young and the Restless” for a multi-episode story arc that will air sometime in April. … “Yellowstone” spinoff “Marshals” drew 9.5 million viewers to its premiere episode, making it the top-rated series premiere of the 2025-26 TV season. … Todd Meadows, a deckhand on a ship being filmed for the new season of Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” died in an incident during filming at sea on Feb. 25.