3 out of 5

Created by: David Schulner

covers season 1

…And he has cancer!

New Amsterdam is every single NBC / ABC / CBS dramedy you’ve ever seen.  It’s comparable, currently, to This Is Us in terms of its ensemble cast, tear-jerking lows and feel good, “human” highs, but of course, This Is Us is nothing new either, nor is setting that formula against a hospital setting, the titular New Amsterdam a public hospital in a Hollywood version of New York that’s come under the management of eccentric director Max Goodwin, a.k.a. George Clooney-lite (hey, in a good way – we like Max) Ryan Eggold.  And, yes, he has cancer, putting a ticking clock on his ability to make things ship-shape for his various featured residents.

Yeah, you know these moves: drug addictions; strained father/son relationships; super serious doctors who miss the obvious; funny guys who undercut their jokes with super insightful statements; New Amsterdam definitely makes more room for how-can-we-save-the-hospital-this-week over House-like mystery afflictions, but that’s for the best, as the show scored itself a likeable cast that’s all pretty equally enjoyable to be around, and the writers have also made the smart play (thus far) of keeping inter-office romances out of the picture.  Max and his wife are expecting and seemingly devoted to one another; other docs have boyfriends and girlfriends and flings outside of work, but inside, people are mostly dealing honestly with one another, which clears the plate of the biggest episode-fillering sin of many primetime dramedies: withheld information.

And thus do we have another hour-long show with doctors and emotions, but it errs toward a generally satisfying version of that formula, and one out to make us feel better much more often than worse, so you’re not slightly hesitant to hit play on the ol’ stream this week.  The cancer… probably isn’t necessary, but, hey, easy out for whenever the show no longer gets renewed.