PILOT REVIEW: New Amsterdam

NEW AMSTERDAM

Starring: Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, Freema Agyeman, Jocko Sims, with Tyler Labine, and Anupam Kher

Created for Television by David Schulner
Based on the Book "Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital" by Dr. Eric Manheimer
Written for Television by David Schulner, Directed by Kate Dennis

IN SHORT: The Great Doctor

THE PREMISE:
New Amsterdam is a fictional version of Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in the country. Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) is brought in as the new medical director and determined to change the old ways of the hospital. No surprise, he gets some push-back and spars with a publicity-loving head of oncology, Dr. Hana Sharpe (Freema Agyeman). But he also finds a few allies including head of emergency, Dr. Laura Bloom (Janet Montgomery) and child psychiatrist Dr. Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine). Goodwin fires all the cardiovascular doctors, but retains one, Dr. Floyd Reynolds (Jocko Sims). Veteran neurologist Dr. Anil Kapoor (Anupam Kher) rounds out the main cast.

THE REVIEW:
Watching this right after the pilot of FBI, New Amsterdam is every bit as generic just in medical drama format. But it has one major thing going for it that FBI didn't and that is a compelling cast and especially Ryan Eggold in the lead role. Sure, the show is emotionally manipulative at times and outrageously unbelievable at other times but Eggold sells everything like a champ and that goes a long way towards making this show work. He is charming, funny and compassionate as Dr. Goodwin and has a great rapport with the rest of the cast in different ways.

The rest of the cast is solid too. I think I was one of the only people who liked CBS's short-lived Made in Jersey, but its good to see the star of that show, Janet Montgomery, back on TV. I've mostly seen Tyler Labine in comedies so he was interesting here and I think he could have some good storylines going forward and perhaps filling the role Oliver Platt fills on Chicago Med. I was also intrigued by Freema Agyeman's character and her chemistry with Eggold.

While I liked the cast and it elicited the same response I have to most medical dramas (which is "I liked it but I probably won't stick with it"), I did leave wishing this show had been a little more ambitious in its writing and storytelling. I think the oldest public hospital in the country has a lot of stories to tell, but they didn't really explore that angle much in the pilot. Instead, it was a lot of the same case of the week and hot-shot doctor upending the system stories we see so often. New Amsterdam has a very compelling lead and a solid supporting cast. I think it could aim a little bit higher.

BOTTOM LINE:
It will be interesting to see how this does following This is Us. It certainly has the capability to tug on the same heartstrings that NBC's hit drama does. But it's also a standard medical drama following a very unique version of a family drama. We'll see! And I'll probably keep watching for a few episodes. I always do with medical dramas.