‘THE PITT’ ON MAX

Watching the MAX television series “The Pitt” about the medical chaos taking place in real-time in a hospital emergency room could fill you either with dread or hope that dedicated healthcare professionals may save your life.

Each hour of a 15-hour shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital is tracked in the 15-episode series wherein Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch runs the hectic emergency department.

No better actor could likely fill the starring role in “The Pitt” than Noah Wyle, who is best-known for his role of medical doctor John Carter in the NBC medical drama “ER” that ran for fifteen seasons.

The day starts at 7 a.m., where the waiting room is already full, and you might be lucky to be seen by a doctor before dinner time, and as a result some of the patients can be unruly.

A 15-hour day in the emergency room is an endurance test, not just for the doctors, but also for the composed charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), a veteran who has probably seen it all, and the scores of nurses, medics, and emergency medical technicians coming and going.

It’s also the first day for a group of interns and medical students, and one of them greets an overnight shift doctor with “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here,” to which the doctor replies “Talk to me at the end of the day.”

The veterans, including Dr. Robby, know that you survive the tense environment of a frenzied workplace with good-natured banter that helps you get through the day. On top of that, Dr. Robby has a good bedside manner with patients but won’t hesitate to tangle with an administrator.

Interesting players include Tracy Ifeachor’s Dr. Heather Collins, a senior resident at odds with Dr. Robby. Fiona Dourif’s Dr. Cassie McKay, a single mom and older resident, is unconventional. Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones) is an overly self-confident intern.

For all the medical jargon and procedures that seem realistic, “The Pitt” deals with trauma and pressure in ways that feel so genuine that the trial and tribulations of the emergency room result in must-see television.

After viewing a few episodes, one might wish that “The Pitt” was streaming for a binge-watch, but the good news is that the last episode looks to be on track for early April.

TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL EARLY LOOK

It’s not too early for cinephiles to plan for the upcoming start of the annual four-day TCM Classic Film Festival that begins on April 27, 2025 in the center of Hollywood at the primary venue of the landmark Chinese Theatre that many still refer to as Grauman’s Chinese.

This year’s theme is “Grand Illusions: Fantastic Worlds on Film,” which is described as an invitation for “a wondrous journey to enchanted worlds of fantasy and stories beyond belief.”

Perhaps more to the point, the journey will be “from myths and magical creatures to ghostly encounters and travel through time,” where you can “escape with fellow movie lovers to places that will ignite your imagination.”

An interesting mix of films, announced so far, fit the festival’s theme. Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a groundbreaking science fiction that explores humanity’s evolution, artificial intelligence, and the mysteries of space and time.

Director Vincente Minnelli’s 1954 romantic musical “Brigadoon” follows two American travelers, Gene Kelly and Van Johnson, who stumble upon a magical Scottish village that appears only once every hundred years.

When one of them falls for a beautiful woman who lives there, played by Cyd Charisse, they face a choice between love and the outside world. “Brigadoon” is based on the 1947 Broadway musical of the same name from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.

“Car Wash,” the groundbreaking comedy directed by Michael Schultz (who is slated to be honored by a tribute at the festival), follows a day in the lives of employees at a car wash that included Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Franklyn Ajaye, and The Pointer Sisters.

In the world of fantasy, 1978’s “Superman” was the first of the big superhero blockbusters, where actor Christopher Reeve made his film debut as the Man of Steel in director Richard Donner’s screen adaptation of the comic book icon.

Four levels of festival passes may be found on the TCM Classic Film Festival website, which offer access opportunities to screen films, attend “meet and greets” with TCM guests, shop for TCM souvenirs, and enjoy panel discussions with experts on all aspects of film and the history of Hollywood.

The festival has drawn many special guests, from directors like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese to filmmaker and actor Mel Brooks and actors like Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas and Kim Novak.

Declared guests so far include writer, director, producer, playwright, and author George Stevens, Jr., the Founding Director of the American Film Institute, and director Michael Schultz, whose Hollywood career began with “Cooley High,” a landmark film in Black cinema.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.