The Prestige TV Revolution Set Procedurals Back Decades

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Before HBO’s recent success with The Pitt, The Sopranos unexpectedly changed the landscape of television by moving away from the traditional procedural format. These ‘procedurals’ – shows focused on solving a case each episode – were once hugely popular, but The Sopranos revolutionized TV with its mix of crime and family life. Now, 25 years later, HBO seems to be bringing back this style with its impressive new medical drama.

After a fantastic first season that critics loved, The Pitt is returning for a second season. It’s a show with the potential to become a huge cultural hit, comparable to series like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, or Game of Thrones.

Considering how much TV has evolved, that list of shows really highlights just how different things are now compared to the start of the 21st century.

HBO’s “The Pitt” Saves The Dying Art Of The Procedural By Elevating It To Prestige TV

Procedurals Have Languished As B-Tier TV For Decades

Procedural dramas didn’t disappear when HBO revolutionized television with shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, and Deadwood in the early 2000s. However, the genre definitely lost its dominance. In the 1990s, shows such as Law & Order and ER really mastered the procedural format, but after that, its popularity steadily declined.

Around the early 2000s, television underwent a huge change. It wasn’t just that shows got better—it completely changed what television could be and how it could be excellent. Creators gained more freedom to try new things, challenge expectations, and move away from traditional show structures, like crime procedurals.

What sets The Pitt apart is its skillful blend of modern, high-quality drama with the familiar structure of medical procedural shows. It successfully combines what works in today’s television with classic storytelling techniques, and importantly, it doesn’t sacrifice the core elements that make a good procedural – which is a major reason why it works so well.

21st-Century Procedurals Have Learned The Wrong Lessons From Prestige Drama; “The Pitt” Cures That

HBO Diagnosed A Problem And Fixed It

Over the past two decades, shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and House have attempted to evolve with the changing landscape of television drama. However, they often missed the mark, trying to imitate the style of more critically acclaimed shows. SVU is a prime example – for years, it seemed to forget its core identity as a procedural drama.

Procedural dramas need writers and viewers to be patient, but lately, that patience has worn thin. Many shows labeled as ‘procedurals’ skip over the detailed steps of the investigation. Detective shows often rely too much on the idea of investigators who magically solve cases. The Pitt offers a refreshing change from this trend.

With a fast-moving plot, The Pitt expertly combines intriguing medical cases with heartfelt character development. Each episode focuses on the detailed, step-by-step process of saving patients’ lives. After a 25-year wait, HBO has finally delivered a show with the same groundbreaking impact as The Sopranos with this new series.

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2026-01-10 17:08