"The Pitt" may take place in an emergency room and star Noah Wyle, but nothing else about Max's new medical drama resembles the classic series "ER" -- at least according to the show's creators. The new series,

Medical dramas don't tend to be my primary choice of TV show. But I'd be a liar if I said The Pitt didn't hook me right away. The Pitt immerses us in the high-stress environment of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center's emergency department,

HBO’s streaming platform Max is emulating network TV with a weekly medical drama. Each episode tracks an hour of a shift in the ER.

Time to check the pulse on Max's spiritual successor to ER.

The cast of Max's medical drama "The Pitt" is clocking in for their shift, meet the stars of the intense new streaming series.

Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azees) is a third-year medical student and fast-tracked prodigy who experiences an embarrassment on her first day but is determined to prove her worth. Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) is the charge nurse who has three decades of experience and knows at least as much about how things work as the doctors.

When watching the premiere of Max medi- cal drama “The Pitt,” one might feel as if they’ve stepped into a time machine. The series stars Noah Wyle, who rose to stardom in the future-celebrity-studded cast of “ER.

Consider this example both an enticement and a warning. Created by ER alum R. Scott Gemmill, The Pitt takes a ruthlessly realistic approach to its depiction of our beleaguered/broken healthcare system — but it’s also the most engrossing and addictive medical drama to come along since Grey’s Anatomy and, well, ER.

Promising to be an incredibly tense and insightful watch, The Pitt takes place in the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. As with any self-respecting medical drama, The Pitt explores the highs and lows of working in healthcare as the staff attempt to save lives,

The series speaks to contemporary issues in the way it attempts to dramatize the toxic drug crisis and issue of systemic bias in medical care

In Canada, The Pitt will air on the newly rechristened USA Network (formerly The Discovery Channel) with episodes going out weekly at 10pm ET / 7pm PT starting Thursday, January 9. You stream USA Network live via Sling TV ( get half off your first month with this deal ).