Grey’s Anatomy is not only a pioneer in the medical drama genre but also the longest-running scripted primetime show. It was recently renewed for one more season. Naturally, more competitors, including Netflix, are trying to replicate its success.
Grey’s Anatomy led to other recent popular medical dramas like The Good Doctor and The Resident. Now, Netflix has added its own version called Pulse to the mix, with the show having premiered on April 4. Although the medical drama didn’t have the best reviews when it began, according to Tudum, the series has attracted enough viewers to become a streaming hit. Although it only had two days to make an impact for the week between March 31 and April 6, Pulse debuted in the charts at number three globally, attracting 6.5 million views, with 52 million hours viewed.
Pulse fell behind the viral limited series Adolescence, which has added another 17.8 million views and jumped up several points in Netflix’s Most Popular TV list, placing itself firmly in the fourth spot, just over 1 million views away from dethroning Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and the true crime docuseries Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer.
Pulse is Netflix’s first-ever English-lanuage medical procedural drama. It comes from Emmy-winning Lost writers and executive producers Carlton Cuse and Zoe Robyn. “You don’t really want to be in the hospital. But if you were in the hospital – this is the one you would want to be in,” Robyn shared with Tudum about the medical drama. “You want to be in the care of these people.”
Pulse follows Dr. Danielle “Danny” Simms (played by The Fall of the House of Usher’s Willa Fitzgerald), a third-year resident and rising star on Maguire Medical Center’s team, a hospital from Miami, Florida. The series puts Danny in an unexpected position when she gets promoted after Maguire’s respected chief resident Dr. Xander Phillips is suspended. She must find a way to work with Xander, even after the details of their complicated romance come out.
Pulse also stars Colin Woodell (The Continental: From the World of John Wick), Jack Bannon (Pennyworth), Jessie T. Usher (The Boys), Chelsea Muirhead (Warrior), Daniela Nieves (Vampire Academy), and Jessy Yates (Law & Order: SVU).
Pulse Has Yet To Convince Its Audience
Medical dramas are hardly about the medicinal aspect of hospital life. As such, the series needs a strong cast, storyline, and character development to get people invested. The lives of the residents in Grey’s Anatomy became the biggest reason why the show’s legacy is so impactful. Other shows have tried to replicate that, including Pulse. However, Netflix’s first medical procedural has yet to impress.
Netflix’s Pulse debuted with an unusual Rotten Tomatoes score, as it had critics and viewers in agreement over its score – a low 47%. Since its debut, the critics’ score has slightly improved to 50%, which still comes with a “rotten” badge. Netflix hasn’t unveiled the series’ future yet, but the show is not off to a great start, although it attracted a decent viewership.
