You may have seen the recent promos for a show featuring two attractive doctors and one attractive see-through doctor looming over you and wondered, "Why is the one doctor see-through? What is this?" Well, wonder no more, it's NBC's spirited new medical drama, Saving Hope! We've already seen the pilot, so please allow us to advise you on whether you should tune in... from beyond!
When will I feel the presence of Saving Hope on my television?
Saving Hope premieres Thursday, June 7 at 9pm on NBC.
What's it about?
Alex and Charles are surgeons at the same hospital. They're on their way to get married when they get into a car accident, which lands Charles in a coma. Neither dead nor alive, he spends his time roaming the hospital, interacting with the spirits of patients who've passed away or who are also in comas. Meanwhile, Alex and her surgical team struggle to save their patients... and Charles.
Essentially, Saving Hope = American Horror Story - camp + ER + Grey's Anatomy + A Gifted Man.
What actors haunt the show?
Canadian ones! Erica Durance (best known for playing Lois Lane on Smallville) and Michael Shanks (who played Dr. Daniel Jackson on Stargate SG-1, so he has medical experience) play Alex and Charles. Rounding out the cast are Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries) as Alex's swarthy ex Joel, Huse Madhavji (star of the Canadian version of E! who also appeared on the short-lived Combat Hospital) as neurosurgeon Shahir Hamza, and Julia Taylor Ross (Republic of Doyle) as novice doc Maggie.
Who conjured it up?
This very Canadian show will air simultaneously on NBC in America and CTV in Canada. It was created by Malcolm MacRury (Crash and Burn, Republic of Doyle) and Morwyn Brebner and is executive-produced by Ilana Frank, David Wellington, John Morayniss, and Lesley Harrison.
What type of apparitions will dig Saving Hope?
People who like voiceovers in their medical dramas, people who like montages of people coming to an understanding while a throaty singer sings, people who like to cry, people who like thinking about ethical dilemmas. This show is high drama, folks.
Tell me about the good spirits of the show!
It's an interesting premise that I hope will lead to Ghost M.D. interacting with ghost patients and advising on cases from beyond, even though I didn't see much of that in the pilot. The show seems to have a ghost of an idea (sorry!) of how insane it is, and I hope it really plays that up and runs with it. It probably won't, but I'd love to see the campy version of this show. Also, Erica Durance is very pretty to look at.
Tell me about the bad spirits!
High schlock, high drama, high cheese, and lots of manipulative tugging at heartstrings. It feels like it was designed for people who didn't think that Grey's Anatomy was dramatic enough. If you take out the Ghost M.D., I don't see anything that sets it apart from other hospital dramas. There seem to be three surgeons in the entire hospital and they work on everyone, and it seems like every patient "codes" and those three surgeons have to bring them back to life. And did I mention that the newest surgeon is our heroine's ex? Yup.
How about a final verdict? Should I watch or not?
Nah. It isn't campy enough to warrant watching for fun, and it feels too emotionally manipulative to watch for serious. Rather than medical mysteries, Saving Hope seems to focus on ethical dilemmas in medicine, which isn't as compelling.
Do you have a trailer or clip or something I can look at?
Knock yourself out!
What would pair well with the premiere?
Wine and cheese. Wine to really make you believe the melodrama, and cheese to match what's on screen.
TK
Most Commented Posts