Medical procedural The Pitt captured the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series on Sunday, outdoing fellow category front-runner Severance.
The HBO/HBO Max rookie’s series trophy followed a Lead Actor win for star Noah Wyle, on his seventh career nomination, and an earlier one by Katherine LaNasa for Supporting Actress.
“This is insane,” said R. Scott Gemmill, creator, executive producer and showrunner, as he stepped to the microphone. After shouting out a number of names, including Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks chief “Channing [Dungey] for believing in this show from the get-go,” he closed with a big non-industry tribute. “I want to dedicate this on behalf of everyone to all the health care workers, front-line, first responders,” he said. “Respect them, protect them, trust them, thank you!”
The Pitt is somewhat unorthodox among hit originals on streaming or premium cable as a hospital drama with many quintessential traits of a broadcast television series. That resemblance is not accidental, but the degree to which it emulates Hall of Fame medical procedural ER is now a matter of legal dispute. A lawsuit filed by the widow of ER creator and bestselling author Michael Crichton against Warner Bros. Discovery alleges that The Pitt is actually a spinoff of the long-ago NBC mainstay, but participants in the original series have been cut out of the proceeds.
The fact that Wyle, a longtime ER cast member, is the lead of The Pitt has only deepened the intrigue. In his acceptance speech Sunday, Wyle thanked Warner Bros. Television for “allowing the conditions to exist for lightning to strike twice in my life.”
Despite the legal shadow cast over the show, viewers certainly haven’t been dissuaded by it. The Pitt has been a reliable performer for HBO Max, averaging more than 10 million viewers per episode, according to WBD. Even before the premiere of Season 1 in January 2025, HBO execs said they were looking at other procedurals to possibly follow the series onto the air and on HBO Max.
The post ‘The Pitt’ Creator R. Scott Gemmill Dedicates Best Drama Emmy To Health Care Workers: “Respect Them, Protect Them, Trust Them!” appeared first on Deadline.
