Gritty medical drama The Pitt praised for realism too

Ever wondered what it is like to work in the emergency department of a major hospital?

- Jan Lee

THE PITT Max ★★★★★ Medical drama The Pitt, which recently wrapped its first season after 15 episodes, will show you, hour by hour.

Each episode of the series streaming on Max covers one hour of an extraordinarily busy 15-hour shift, so the whole season takes place within one day.

Audiences follow the doctors and nurses working the emergency department, known as "the pit" at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre. The team is led by senior attending doctor Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, played by Noah Wyle, the star of the seminal medical series ER (1994 to 2009).

With a stellar cast, its gritty, realistic look at the state of health-care in America and a relentless pace, The Pitt is simultaneously heartfelt and brutal. It takes a tired genre — the medical procedural—and makes it one of the best things on TV right now.

Here are three reasons to tune in.