TNT may have cancelled HawthoRNe but that doesn’t mean the cable channel is out of the medical drama business for good. In fact, the network has ordered a pilot that brings the work of an medical expert together with the work of a drama expert, which could result in one very watch-worthy TV show if all goes well.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, TNT has ordered a pilot written by David E. Kelley (Harry’s Law, Boston Legal), which is based on the upcoming novel by neurosurgeon (and CNN chief medical correspondent) Dr. Sanjay Gupta called Monday Mornings. The pilot is called Chelsea General and here’s how THR describes the book on which it’s based:
The book follows the lives of five surgeons as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. It uses as its backdrop their hospital’s weekly morbidity and mortality conference, when doctors gather with their peers for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care.
The idea of looking at things from the perspective of the weekly conference to review errors is definitely interesting and could set this series apart from other medical dramas out there. The set up also sounds a little bit trial-like, which is much more fitting to Kelley’s style, as many of his TV successes have been legal dramas. We'll have to wait and see where things go for this one.
