HBO boss reveals how hit medical drama The Pitt recaptures a "lost art" in television

Highly-anticipated medical drama The Pitt will finally be available to watch in the UK from Thursday 26 March – with the entire first season landing on the new HBO Max platform, followed by new episodes of season 2 weekly.

The series marks a creative reunion for Noah Wyle and executive producer John Wells, who previously collaborated on the groundbreaking ER.

To mark the launch of HBO Max in the UK – with The Pitt as one of its key launch titles, along with new Steve Carell comedy Rooster and a new season of The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow – Radio Times spoke with Casey Bloys (chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content) about what he feels sets The Pitt apart from its competitors.

"One of the things with The Pitt… what we would do sometimes is look around the landscape and see what's not being done or what's not out there," Bloys explained. "And one of the things that occurred to us was a lot of the people were chasing us [HBO], doing seven or eight episodes, prestige series, limited series, whatever.

"And one of the things that kind of got neglected was, for lack of a better word, broadcast-style shows… so more than seven or eight episodes – in the case of The Pitt, 15 episodes – and really the ability to return on an annual basis, which is somewhat of a lost art.

"So when we looked around and said, ‘Well, what's not there?’, that kind of show – more than eight episodes and coming back every year – felt like something that was missing."

The series is set in the emergency department of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center – known as 'the Pitt' – with each season following Dr Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch (Wyle) and staff as they battle a gruelling 15-hour shift amid shortages and limited funding, with every episode unfolding over roughly one hour of that shift.

The Pitt premiered on HBO Max in the US on 9 January 2025, with the second launching almost exactly 12 months later – 8 January 2026.

"I know every January we're going to have a new season, because we've set it up," Bloys said. "John [Wells] and Noah and [series creator] R Scott Gemmill set it up... you have to, obviously, plan for something like that. You have to set up a show that you're able to produce on an annual basis, and with writers who know how to turn around a show and are able to do 15 episodes of story."

For more on The Pitt, you can read our exclusive interview with Noah Wyle, where he opens up about returning to the emergency room and the personal experiences that shaped the series.

HBO Max launches in the UK and Ireland on 26 March. Visit hbomax.com for more information. The Pitt season 1 is available to watch from launch – season 2 begins on 2 April.

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