The ’90s kid in me practically screamed out loud when I learned that Noah Wyle was back on the bill as an emergency room doctor. Instead of being the plucky new resident, Wyle plays Dr. Michael Robinavich (aka “Robby”), a seasoned ER doc who is guiding his own set of new residents through their harrowing first shift at a Pittsburgh hospital.
Robby must deal with the bureaucracy of hospital administration in search of less care and more money, patients with no patience left, and a staff each on their own level of mental and physical breakdown. This is a medical drama, sure. Even more so, though, it’s a ship helmed by Robby himself, and vignettes of those who surround him get pulled into the light as we work through this never-ending 15-hour shift.
The new kids range from sweet to ambitious to downright bloodthirsty. Watching them ride through their first day is exhausting. From a patient who punches the head nurse to a mass casualty event, every episode is filled with the kind of storylines that anyone who loves a medical drama knows well. Welcome back to the genre, Mr. Wyle! I’m already ready for season two. (fifteen 40- to 60-min. episodes)
—Anna Starkey
This article appears in May 1-11, 2025.