NurseWeek

In glut of reality shows, this one rings true

By Mary Elizabeth Hopkins
September 4, 2000


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Baltimore. Reality television flashes a less smarmy face in "Hopkins 24/7," an ABC six-part series that began Aug. 30. Medical staff at Johns Hopkins University submitted to constant filming so that editors could splice together the most gripping moments into six hours of infotainment.

The show reveals everyday conversations between physicians and patients, on-the-spot reactions to grave surgeries such as the one for a 15-year-old with uterine cancer. A morbidity and mortality conference among hospital staff made the final cut.

Filmed with an unobtrusive digital camera, "Hopkins 24/7" has the look and feel of a traditional television documentary rather than the wobbly camera techniques of The Blair Witch Project, said Charlie McCollum, television critic for the San Jose Mercury News.

Professional narration by ABC reporter Sylvia Chase also gives the show a polished air, although she never appears on camera. The show is much closer to real life than "ER," McCollum said, and offers lay viewers "rare insights into the medical system in this country."

The show will air every Wednesday evening through Sept. 27 on ABC.