It’s now a workhorse, but when it launched, Grey’s Anatomy was revolutionary. The soapy depiction of medical residents’ personal lives informing and interfering with their work made it more than another hospital drama. Twelve seasons in, the formula is often imitated, and now Melissa George, who appeared on Grey’s, is donning the scrubs. In NBC’s Heartbeat (debuting March 22 and 23), she’s a cardiothoracic surgeon with a perfect blowout. George’s Dr. Alex Panttiere pauses her search for a donor heart to play a flirty game of basketball with her doctor beau (Dave Annable). “I’m bored. Wanna have sex?” she asks, making the common TV mistake of confusing bland frankness with wit. She’s not the only one who’s bored.
Heartbeat has welcome flashes of true weirdness. But the show isn’t thoughtful enough to earn its insouciance. Life-and-death situations are a tricky place to try to find sassy edge.
–DANIEL D’ADDARIO
Heartbeat airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. E.T. on NBC
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com