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HBO’s medical drama The Pitt isn’t just a hit with audiences; it’s also awards bait, having won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series last year. This was somewhat unexpected because The Pitt seems so…ordinary: it’s a show about doctors that puts out 15 episodes per season and that releases a new season every year. In an age when HBO and other networks have tried to outspend each other with expensive, lavish epics like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon, shows that generally have fewer than 10 episodes per season and that can go years between seasons, The Pitt is a welcome return to TV fundamentals.
And HBO plans to bear down on its success. Per Deadline, it’s hired veteran showrunner Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) to make a cop show called American Blue, about a police officer named Brian “Milk” Milkovich who returns to his hometown of Joliet, Illinois to rescue their beleaguered police force while also seeking redemption for himself. Milk will be played by Milo Ventimiglia, star of TV favorites like Gilmore Girls and This Is Us. Ventimiglia will also co-executive produce the series. David Ayer, who’s directed everything from cop movies (End of Watch) to cop movies with orcs (Bright) will helm the pilot.
Like the medical drama, the cop drama is a sturdy TV staple, which isn’t an accident. Head of Max Original Programming Sarah Aubrey even name-checked The Pitt when talking about this new series. “American Blue will take audiences inside a gritty and authentic police drama, reflecting the myriad challenges in policing today,” she said. “As with The Pitt, our goal of longer seasons will allow viewers to sink deeply into this world across multiple episodes and to return to it on an annual basis.” Imitating The Pitt is part of HBO’s strategy, at least for some shows.
HBO Is Thinking Small and Winning
HBO has a reputation for being at the forefront of TV; the network pioneered the gritty prestige drama in the late 1990s and early 2000s with shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, and then helped lead the charge into era of the expansive super-show with Game of Thrones in the 2010s. It’ll be interesting to see if HBO will lead the industry again, this time towards a place where they embrace smaller, more traditional series. In addition to American Blue, HBO has also ordered a drama show called How To Survive Without Me, about a group of adult siblings dealing with the death of their father. That one is also taking cues from The Pitt in terms of having a modest budget and a yearly release schedule, per Deadline. Even the latest Game of Thrones prequel show, the well-reviewed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is keeping things small.
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As for American Blue, the synopsis makes it sound a little like a police procedural version of The Bear, since it’s also about a native son with a silly nickname and personal problems returning home and using their skills to help their local outfit. For that matter, How To Survive Without Me sounds a little like This Is Us. But that’s the point: HBO is betting that people will be receptive to shows made it a classic mold, and they may well be right.
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There’s no release date for American Blue set as of right now.
The Pitt Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Release Date January 9, 2025 Network Max Showrunner R. Scott Gemmill Directors Amanda Marsalis Writers Joe Sachs, Cynthia Adarkwa 6 Images Close Cast See All Noah Wyle Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch Tracy Ifeachor Dr. Heather Collins
Creator(s) R. Scott Gemmill Powered by Expand Collapse
