Written By: Jeffrey Lieber
Draft Date: January 12, 2009
Pages: 60
Network: CBS
Category: Thumbs Down
Guys. I seriously think this might be The Worst (Drama) Script Of Pilot Season.
As such it's either going to take me a long review or a short one to do it justice.
I'm in the mood for a short one.
Big freaking accident off the shore of Miami as a cruise ship and a chemical barge crash into each other.
We meet one of the three teams at the trauma center:
- Dr. Serena Warrer, a first-year resisent who sips coffee, listens to her iPod, and skateboards to work (it would be funny if it weren't on a supposedly dramatic show).
- Dr. Christopher ("Dr. C") Deleo, a trauma surgeon who is described as talking with the slow drawl of someone born in the Florida panhandle (um, stereotype much?) but he also misquotes Yoda so I guess he's supposed to be cool-as-a-cucumber-ish?
- Dr. Marisol Zambrano, another trauma surgeon and second in command of Bravo team, and also hot when she's out of scrubs and lets her hair down (which is not often)
- Dr. William Rayner, the leader of Bravo team, a surgeon who, within the 13-page teaser section of the script, has a freak out while operating, strips himself naked (why is this happening so often to surgeons on TV?) and runs from the triage OR... only instead of any of the characters following after him or even checking back in with him after the disaster is over... he simply disappears from the script never to be seen or heard from again (even though they make a toast to him at a bar at the end). SERIOUSLY!?
- Dr. Thomas Proctor, a guy who was going to working on one of the other trauma teams but now steps in for Rayner (we meet him in bermuda shorts and a Phish T-shirt, he's on vacation)
- Head Nurse Tuck Brody
Amidst the chaos of the victims coming in, Dr. C usurps control from Zambrano despite her having 3 months seniority on him and being Rayner's 2nd, but Zambrano gets her position back in the end by showing Dr. C up (in a good way... they're still friends at the end of the day and have respect for each others' work).
If the characters in Three Rivers were cardboard, these characters are paper thin. The pilot might have the flash of it's big disaster in the opening moments (and the gore... not a show for the squeamish), but... jeez, really?
4 comments:
I heard that Jeremy Northam is involved in this show. Any idea who he'll be playing, and why would such an accomplished British Actor be doing in this? Hugh Laurie wannabe? ...pity
Funny that CBS didn't see things quite your way did they.
Better "guess" next time!
@Anonymous May 18
Hah. Well, there are many caveats to CBS not seeing things my way. Scripted elements definitely change between drafts and shooting. Cast chemistry and production counts for a ton. And just because they picked it up doesn't mean it's any good!
"...and why would such an accomplished British Actor( Jeremy Northam) be doing in this?"
Then the same must be said for the following accomplished Brit/Aussie actors and I don't hear anyone questioning their involvement in American TV
Joseph Fiennes "Flash Forward"
Rupert Perry Jones "The Forgotten
Simon Baker(Aussie) The Mentalist
Damian Lewis "Life"
Rufus Sewell "11th Hour"
Tim Roth "Lie To Me"
James Purefoy "The Philanthropist"
There are others but you get the drift.....?
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