There is little denying that we are currently going through a television renaissance. Shows such as “Game of Thrones,” “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Americans” (among countless others) have shown audiences to look no further than their living rooms for high-quality, gripping dramas. And tomorrow night, Cinemax is looking to join the crowd with a new series from director Steven Soderbergh, titled “The Knick.”
Starring Clive Owen (“Children of Men”), “The Knick” focuses on the staff at New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital in the early part of the 20th century. This is how the network describes the series:
It is centered on the Knickerbocker Hospital and the groundbreaking surgeons, nurses and staff who work there, pushing the bounds of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and zero antibiotics.
A 10-episode run is a lengthy investment of anyone’s time, and, because of that, it’s important to see what the critical consensus is for the show before you engage. Luckily for Soderbergh fans, the reviews so far have been extremely positive.
Vulture gushed about the show’s themes and attention to detail:
"The Knick is the rare series that works through its themes in visual as well as literary terms."
Complex Magazine was equally addicted to the series’ first episode:
"The Knick" is the best new show on TV—if you can stomach it: https://t.co/B0n927JvBp
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) August 7, 2014
Grantland describes it as the savior of the summer:
Steven Soderbergh and Clive Owen save summer TV with 'The Knick,' by @andygreenwald https://t.co/N83d6boMdu — Grantland (@Grantland33) August 6, 2014
The New York Times also describes the show as “unusual and very good.”
The praise didn't stop there. Even more critics weighed in with their thoughts on the series:
#TheKnick Review: Steven Soderbergh's Vision of New York as Hell https://t.co/6R9uUJjYut pic.twitter.com/misqoC7Arv — TheWrap (@TheWrap) August 6, 2014
TV REVIEW: 'The Knick,' director Steven Soderbergh's bold, stylishly directed period medical drama https://t.co/UIttjO94jR — Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 3, 2014
The show is also holding onto an impressive 78 score on Metacritic. With so many choices available on TV, it’s hard to know which series are actually worth your time. Thankfully it’s looking like “The Knick” could be television’s next great drama, so if you're into the graphic world of barbaric surgery (and who isn't?), this could be exactly what you are looking for. Word of caution: we don’t suggest watching the show at dinner.
