Monday Mornings is BORING. Also see, who is Sanjay Gupta blowing at Turner?
TNT has jumped into the ring of medical dramas with a much-hyped new series “Monday Mornings.” The show, based on the novel penned by CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, focuses on the failures of its doctors rather than the miracle cases normally showcased on medical shows. This change unfortunately does nothing to make the show stand out in an already overdone genre and “Monday Mornings” is just as dreary as the day it’s named after.
The concept is actually interesting and if it had been done differently may have made for a hit. Analyzing failures has become a new American past time in recent years, but seeing the people who hold lives in their hands fail is a little too disconcerting. The story revolves around the surgeons of Chelsea General Hospital and the dreaded Monday meetings where cases are rehashed and unlucky souls are called to testify as to why they killed a patient.
The main problem with “Monday Mornings” is the casting. They don’t have any chemistry as a whole and it shows in the lifeless hour of manufactured drama. Certain characters bring a surface amount of entertainment in short bursts, but those are few and far between. Sarayu Rao is one of these characters, playing feisty but somewhat obnoxious Dr. Sydney Napur. At her best she is reminiscent of a Mindy Kalling character and at her worst, her emotional scenes are just decent. Keong Sim plays the Korean genius Dr. Sung Park, whose blunt attitude can be amusing, but borderline racially offensive as he’s been given every Korean and East Asian stereotype the writers could think of.
The other main characters are not likeable at all and none of their storylines are believable or even interesting. Heart-throb Jamie Bamber plays Dr. Tyler Wilson, the show’s main character with a troubled past, great hair and a tinge of crazy. He’s skin deep and there is just nothing about his character that draws the audience in. Even worse is his on-screen romance with the married Dr. Tina Ridgeway (Jennifer Finnigan), which is probably the most ridiculous charade of a plot twist on TV right now.
Do yourself a favor and skip this melodrama, you’ll save time and your faith in medicine.