Philly's 'Do No Harm' off to a shaky start
The premiere of the first drama since CBS' "Hack" to be both set in Philly and filmed here did not go terrifically well Thursday.
Philly's 'Do No Harm' off to a shaky start
Ellen Gray, Daily News TV Critic
The premiere of the first drama since CBS' "Hack" to be both set in Philly and filmed here did not go terrifically well Thursday.
NBC's "Do No Harm," debuting in the 10 p.m. time slot where "Awake," "The Firm" and "Prime Suspect" all met their untimely ends, averaged just 3.126 million viewers and only about 3 percent of the available audience of 18- to 49-year-olds, the group advertisers pay to reach, according to the preliminary Nielsens.
These are not good numbers, even in the how-low-can-they-go world of broadcast ratings. At 10, CBS' "Elementary" averaged 10.8 million viewers and placed second in 18-49 and ABC's "Scandal," with a bit over 8 million, won the time slot in the target demo.
"Do No Harm" stars Steven Pasquale ("Rescue Me") as a neurosurgeon whose alter-ego, while not a brain surgeon, is smart enough to make his life a living hell. Phylicia Rashad plays his boss, who works with him at Independence Memorial Hospital, much of which is located in the School District of Philadelphia headquarters.
Note: This post was updated to add the words "since CBS' "Hack" to the first sentence.
so it's a dr. jekyll and mr. hyde type of deal? it also sounds a bit close to that other show not too long ago where every time the guy fell asleep he was awake in another life or something? i don't think it lasted very long. can't recall the name.— eaglesfillthesky- This isn't the first prime time drama to be set and filmed in Philly. CBS produced 2 seasons of "Hack" beginning around 2002.— jasonite74
- You're absolutely right -- what I get for working in a hurry. I did indeed mean "since "Hack," since I was covering TV here when it was on and certainly remember it well. The post's been updated to reflect that. Thanks to all of you for pointing out the omission.
- You actually said it in your comment. It was called "Awake." It looked fairly similar to Awake, and I liked Awake's premise and the show itself better than Do No Harm so far. I mostly watched it to see shots of Philly.— jester
- Wasn't David Morse's "Hack" a previous primetime drama filmed in Philly?— Pelti
- More like Do Not Watch....amirite???????— Senor El Kabong
- A well worn saying, you can’t go by the critics! Do No Harm is a subtle play on Jekyll and Hyde, not the violent, propane bomb explosion variety favored by critics. It has quick and witty repartee writing, as well as fast scenes, and long and intricate scenes. Steven Pasquale plays the main character as if it’s a valuable cello, with low voice, and scene dialogue that begs to be watched twice. Phylicia Rashad is management in the background, just like a real hospital. The exterior shots are gorgeous. This is tv that deserves a second season, as the plot unfolds slowly. Give us more of this ‘not-in-your-face’ tv! Tom Delconte— tommydel
- Previous posters are correct Ellen Gray,Hack was a drama filmed and set in Philadelphia.— GREEKPICNIC
- Can this show immediately.— gilligan
- What about shows partially filmed here and set here.— BumSatellite
- It wasn't that great, but this article reminded me to Google Dr. Solis when I got to work.— Roger Podacter
- I watched it & came away with an unsure. They should have had a 2 hour premier. But I will give it some more time.— paulie
- What about that cold case show? Wasnt that set in Philly?
— ai720jrzy - Set here, but filmed here only once in a while (same could be said of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia").
- I enjoyed it although admittedly the premise is out there a bit. You aren't going to have the head of neurology be a raving schizophreniac. If you can get past that minor detail its a fun entertaining well done show.Almost has a cablesque flair to it.
Hope it gets its following, some shows take a bit of time to gain an audience. The lead character was very good especially when he went darkside.The leading actress was very good and not too bad looking either.— argonne
