Combat Hospital [ABC - US ** Spoilers **]

Richard Dower

It's a Canadian/US co-production, it's basically the same financial model that brought us last years Rookie Blue. Basically it's Greys Anatomy set in Afghanistan :rolleyes:

Production on Global Television’s gritty new medical drama, THE HOT ZONE (working title; formerly known as “Combat Hospital”), has begun. Commissioned by Global’s original content team and recently picked up by the ABC Television Network, the 13 one-hour episodes will be shot in Toronto until July 2011. Broadcast details will be revealed at a later date, but it will air this summer on the ABC Television Network.



The Hot Zone is a fictional medical procedural set in 2006 at the only military hospital providing advanced surgical care in all of Southern Afghanistan. The series charts the frantic lives of the hospital’s resident doctors and nurses from Canada, America, the U.K. and other allied countries. This highly-charged series follows the characters as they navigate their way through the relentless life-and-death battles on the operating table, and the never-ending conflicts that arise from working in a war zone military hospital.

The Hot Zone features a diverse ensemble cast including: Elias Koteas (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as Colonel Marks; Michelle Borth (Hawaii Five-0) as Canadian surgeon Dr. Rebecca Gordon; Luke Mably (The Gates) as neurosurgeon Dr. Simon Hill; Deborah Kara Unger (The Hurricane) as Australian army psychiatrist Major Ada Pedersen; Terry Chen (Sanctuary) as trauma team leader Captain Bobby Trang; and Arnold Pinnock (The Listener) as Commander Will Royal, Chief of Nursing.


The series is being shot on an expansive 185,000 square foot (17,187 square meters) indoor and outdoor set recently constructed in Toronto. It is one of the largest standing sets ever built for a Canadian original production and is modelled after the real Canadian-lead NATO Role 3 Hospital at Kandahar Airfield. The set is a meticulous re-creation of a portion of the hospital compound and the vast Kandahar Airfield, including the helicopter landing zone, boardwalk area and barracks, which housed over 15,000 military and civilian personnel.

Mr E

Richard Dower wrote: »

Basically it's Greys Anatomy set in Afghanistan

I stopped reading riiiiiiight about here.

JP Liz V1

Luke Mably

Richard Dower

First promo....i thought they changed the title from Combat Hospital to The Hot zone??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWlkTqYhwvs

M.A.S.H. meets China Beach?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hot_Zone_%28TV_series%29

Richard Dower

This new extended promo seals my opinion, Shonda Rhimes/Grey's in Afghanistan: http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/05/combat-hospital-extended-preview.html

Hot doctors hooking up with sexy nurses, meh!

Richard Dower

Shinny.....this is for you :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwEAe6vXpPo

Richard Dower

All you Greys fans!....your hour has come, time to embrace hot doctors and sexy nurses and sexy shennanigans as they save lives in this new show kicking off tonight!

Richard Dower

Did anyone watch it?...opinions?
[snafu edit] - oops!, not very good ratings at all...it's no Rookie Blue!

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/22/tv-ratings-the-voice-slips-still-dominates-tuesday-wipeout-returns-101-ways-premieres-modestly-combat-hospital-off-the-map/96248/

Conor108

I wasn't expecting much from it but it wasn't that bad! Cant remember the Colonel's name now but he that was pretty good when he shot the snake in theatre and the C-17 combat landing at the start was great!

Not reaaaally my thing though! Never watched Grey's but I'd say the "Grey's in Afghanistan" description is fair enough. That neuroscientist is so so so annoying.

I'll give it another episode or 2 to grab but unless they kill the neurosurgeon I'll probs give up on it

Richard Dower

I watched it, mixed opinions....it's actually a mashup [no pun intended] of M.A.S.H. and Greys Anatomy, the whole pregnancy test on the plane was right outta Greys, but once at the base it felt more like MASH. The acting is very weak all round, kinda reminded me of Miami Trauma in that regard.

The pacing i felt was all wrong, i expected it to be snappier, i kept getting *this could turn into Greys at any moment* vibes, and i still think it might!, this was the pilot....my gut is telling me some network honcho saw the pilot and said....make it more like Greys!

Right now it's a crossbreed that could go either way, there was a fair bit of CGI used, more then i expected....not great quality but better then i expected for a Canadian co-production.

Character wise, nothing standout....i guess the lead girl Rebecca and the overall head guy, dunno....i'm undecided, it wasn't great but not horrid either. If it turns into Greys i'm out!....right now it's a mixed bag of ideas that needs more identity, better scripting and more acting chops!

Richard Dower

http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/06/combat-hospital-hit-in-canada-flop-in.html

Combat Hospital was a hit in Canada with stronger ratings than Rookie Blue last summer with 1,959,000 viewers (which is great for Canada) in the US on the other hand it's 1.2 A 18-49 demo and 5.26 million viewers are disappointing and the series could go in the same direction as The Listener which was pulled by NBC after a few episodes but is still being renewed in Canada two season later.

Richard Dower

Finally!....a watchable episode, ep. 5 was the best so far...but it's a dreadful, terrible, horrid acting, poorly writen, all round horror of a show!!!....really bad, but that bloody Michelle Borth has me hooked in, damn you for being hot!!!!!!

Richard Dower

FYI - ABC won't be broadcasting episode 12, they skip that and air the finale (13), but Global tv in Canada has decided to air ep. 12+13 in one night. Btw....i've seen every ep. - it has got a bit better as it went along, i'd say the last 3 eps. have been improved alot. Less annoying Michelle Borth....terrible whiney actress, hope she buggers off if it gets a second season.

Richard Dower

Season (series?...on ABC at least?) tonight, it's OK for filler.

Richard Dower

No surprise from me, and i watched all 13 eps. - cancelled: http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2011/12/confirmed-combat-hospital-kaput.html

The show was very poorly written and acted, but...it did pick up slightyly around ep. 6 or 7 and got somewhat better, but overall it was a very average show with generic characters, michelle borth made my blood boil she was sooo annoying and vapid + dreadful actress.

Conor108

Richard Dower wrote: »

No surprise from me, and i watched all 13 eps. - cancelled: http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2011/12/confirmed-combat-hospital-kaput.html

The show was very poorly written and acted, but...it did pick up slightyly around ep. 6 or 7 and got somewhat better, but overall it was a very average show with generic characters, michelle borth made my blood boil she was sooo annoying and vapid + dreadful actress.

Only watched the pilot, it was a struggle. Not surprised.

davetherave

I quite liked it. It have good character build-up, plot continuity and the lead female wasn't exactly hard on the eyes
Thought the final scene

Major Chao's funeral/memorial

was really well done, and the music.....

But then again, I also like Off the Map and that got cancelled.
And Chicago Code, and that got cancelled....maybe I'm just a jinx :eek:

JP Liz V1

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