Hit medical drama The Pitt has been praised for its casting, accuracy, and willingness to address real-life topics. But lead star Noah Wyle has shared what he thinks is “the most brilliant decision” the show made.
According to the former ER actor, who plays Dr Michael “Robby” Robinovitch in the HBO Max series, the show’s success stems from the creative choice to avoid the use of music.
Unlike the majority of other shows on TV, The Pitt has no soundtrack, an idea first suggested by co-creator R Scott Gemmill. Wyle characterises the decision as an antidote to lazy viewing habits created by the rise of streaming services.
“I think the most brilliant decision that we’ve done was Scott’s decision to take the music out of the show,” he told The Independent. “Because I’ve watched my own children as they watch television and, as soon as they hear strings, their attention wanes. As soon as they hear drums, their attention goes back to the screen.”
Wyle said when you strip something of an “audible indication on how to feel”, viewers become more curious “and have to look for clues within the frame”.
“They have to listen to the voices of the doctors to catch what the degree of severity is, and it’s a much less passive viewing experience”.
He continued: “It’s more rewarding in the long run if you’re leaned in, and sort of not knowing where the story’s gonna take you, as opposed to being sophisticated and jaded, and leaned back and disinterested.”
Wyle also suggested that TV viewers have become disillusioned after investing their time into series without satisfactory payoffs.
“Audiences have also been betrayed before. You put this kind of investment into a show and then it doesn’t pay off narratively and it makes you feel a little bit like a jilted lover,” he said.
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“So I’m really proud of the writing on this show – that we’ve been consistent, so far anyway, to paying off those expectations and having the arcs really land in satisfying places.”
Every season of The Pitt tracks a 15-hour stint in the heart of a busy Pittsburgh emergency room, with each episode focusing on one hour in the lives of the doctors and nurses being pushed to their limits.
Season one is available to stream on HBO Max in the UK and Ireland, with episodes from season two airing weekly.
