The Pitt Review: Noah Wyle Returns to the Hospital in Style

What’s It About

If you spent any portion of the late ’90s and early 2000s glued to ER, the premise of The Pitt is going to feel like a warm hug from an old friend — albeit a friend who’s covered in blood and running on four hours of sleep.

Noah Wyle stars as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the head of the emergency department at Pittsburgh Presbyterian Hospital. The show’s central hook is a ripper: each episode covers one hour of a single 15-hour shift, playing out in near real-time. You’re dropped into the controlled chaos of a busy urban emergency department and you stay there, experiencing every trauma, every impossible decision, and every moment of dark humour that keeps the staff sane.

This isn’t a glossy Grey’s Anatomy affair. The Pitt is interested in the grinding reality of emergency medicine — the overcrowded waiting rooms, the patients who fall through the cracks, the systemic failures that mean dedicated doctors can’t always do their best work. It’s grounded, gritty, and surprisingly moving.

The Verdict

The Pitt is proper good television that earns its emotional beats the hard way. Noah Wyle hasn’t just returned to the medical drama genre — he’s brought decades of experience and gravitas with him. His Dr. Robby is a far cry from the wide-eyed young Dr. Carter we met on ER. This is a man who’s been through the wringer, who carries the weight of every patient he’s lost, and who channels that pain into a fierce dedication to doing the job right.

The real-time format works brilliantly. It creates an urgency that keeps you leaning forward, and it means the show can’t rely on time jumps to skip past the boring bits. You get the full picture — the adrenaline of incoming traumas alongside the frustration of trying to find a bed for an elderly patient, or the quiet devastation of delivering bad news.

The supporting cast is excellent across the board. The show takes its time building out the ensemble, giving each staff member enough texture that you start caring about their lives outside the hospital walls. The writing resists the temptation to make anyone a saint or a villain — these are just flawed, exhausted people trying to help other flawed, struggling people.

Where The Pitt occasionally falters is in its pacing. The real-time conceit means some episodes inevitably have slower stretches, and not every storyline sustains the same level of tension. A couple of the mid-season episodes feel like they’re treading water slightly before the back half ramps things up considerably.

But these are minor gripes. When The Pitt is firing on all cylinders — and that’s most of the time — it’s riveting, compassionate television that reminds you why medical dramas became a staple of the genre in the first place.

Who’s It For

If you were an ER devotee, this is the spiritual successor you’ve been waiting for. It’s got that same blend of procedural intensity and character-driven drama that made ER appointment viewing for over a decade.

Beyond the nostalgia factor, The Pitt is ideal for anyone who enjoys grounded, ensemble dramas. Fans of shows like New Amsterdam, The Good Doctor, or even the more intense episodes of Scrubs will find plenty to love here. It’s the kind of show that makes you appreciate the people working in emergency departments — and maybe think twice before complaining about wait times.

It’s worth noting the show doesn’t shy away from confronting realities. There’s blood, there’s death, and there are some genuinely harrowing medical scenarios. It’s not gratuitous, but it is honest.

Where to Watch in Australia

The Pitt is streaming on Binge in Australia. Binge plans start from $10/month for the Basic tier (with ads on select content) or $18/month for Standard with two screens. If you’ve already got a Foxtel setup, you might find it bundled in there as well.

Our Rating

8/10 — The Pitt is a confident, compelling medical drama anchored by a career-best Noah Wyle performance. The real-time format adds genuine tension and the writing treats both its characters and its audience with respect. A couple of pacing wobbles aside, this is one of the best new dramas of the year and a must for anyone who’s ever loved a hospital show. Scrub up and settle in.