From The Pitt to Pulse, Canadian showrunners are giving Americans a taste of their own medicine

The Pitt has been praised widely as the most realistic depiction of American emergency room medicine ever – and that goes beyond the superficiality of its cable aesthetics that haven’t shied away from up-close surgical procedures or body parts usually kept tucked away on network TV hospital gurneys. Generally unremarked upon, however, has been that this exceptional TV drama’s creator and showrunner, R. Scott Gemmill, is from Fort Erie, Ont., – and grew up in a different, public health care system than the mixed one he and his writers have depicted with such a sharp critical eye to the effects of profit motives and customer satisfaction surveys. Gemmill’s nationality might just be a bit of trivia if weren’t for the fact that he’s one of several Canadians showrunning small-screen dramas about American medicine right now.

Noah Wyle Feels 'Profoundly Sad and Disappointed' That ER Creator's Widow Sherri Crichton Sued Him Over The Pitt

An August 2024 lawsuit refers to the Max medical drama, in which Wyle stars and executive produces, as "a shameful betrayal of [Michael] Crichton and his legacy”

Please, No Kissing on The Pitt!

The Max medical drama has an extremely light touch when it comes to workplace romance. Good!

Real-life ER doctors on the appeal of The Pitt: ‘This show actually gets it’

It’s praised by critics (97 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), Stephen King (an unabashed stan who described the show as, “Realistic and heart-wrenching. Come for life-or-death medical situations, stay for the human drama, which is real rather than corny”) and by actual health care professionals such as Archibarld-Verley, who appreciate the unvarnished representations of their daily reality.

The Pitt: Not Your Average Medical Drama

There’s a reality in the way that healthcare professionals communicate with each other. It’s something we learn and becomes a part of us. To me, and based on my experience, this style of communication is something that easily identifies you as someone who’s been through the rigors of healthcare work. It’s similar to the shared language found in other unique professions, but the one that stands out most to me is the military. Having family and many friends who were members of the United States Marine Corps, I’ve observed that their way of speaking isn’t just a shared language—it’s a shared life experience. The acronyms, pace, and other subtleties speak volumes. If you’re unfamiliar with that style, it’s easy to miss, but once you’re attuned to it, it’s unmistakable.

What an ER Doctor Who’s Worked Multiple Mass Shootings Thinks of Those Episodes of The Pitt

Dr. Christopher Colwell, who worked Columbine and Aurora and the 2017 UPS shootings, tells us what the hit show gets right and wrong.

‘The Pitt’ Captures the Real Overcrowding Crisis in E.R.s

From the “chairs” to the hallway medicine, the show’s depiction of an emergency medicine system that is beyond capacity rings true for medical experts.