- "The Pitt" is the latest word-of-mouth viral TV series.
- Max has already renewed the show for a second season.
- Here's what to know about the cast, plot, and potential release date.
"The Pitt" has become a surprise hit for Max, inspiring the streamer to renew the series to return next year.
The critically acclaimed medical drama is part of a recent wave of procedural shows from major streamers. These shows are popular on network TV channels and feature the professional lives of medical, emergency service workers, and cops.
"The Pitt" season one had an interesting twist on the usual medical show model, focusing on the medical staff of a fictional Pittsburgh hospital during a single, extended 15-hour shift. Each episode covered one hour of that shift.
Max told the Wrap, a week after "The Pitt" premiered in January, that the series had one of the most-watched premieres for the streamer since it launched in 2020. Word-of-mouth helped build the audience even further, as chatter on social media about the intense drama encouraged more people to watch.
Taking heed of the show's viral success, Max announced in February that it had ordered another season.
Here's what we know so far about season two.
Season two will be set on the Fourth of July, one of the busiest days for hospitals.
Season one introduces Dr. Robby and his Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital dayshift team, which includes two bright-eyed medical students, an arrogant intern, and multiple resident doctors.
While the workday is already chaotic from the start, the drama intensifies when there's a mass shooting at a festival near the hospital.
Robby is barely keeping it together already, still dealing with trauma from working at the hospital during the pandemic. When his stepson's girlfriend dies on his watch due to injuries from the shooting, he breaks down and is consoled by one of the medical students.
The team pulls through with only six deaths out of the 112 patients that come to the hospital. Dr. Jack Abbott, a night-shift doctor, talks Dr. Robby down from quitting — or jumping off the roof.
There are other unresolved stories at the end of the finale. Dr. Langdon was caught stealing drugs, Dr. McKay got in trouble with the police for breaking her ankle monitor to help save the multiple shooting victims, and there are a few patients still in critical care that have to be passed on to the night shift team.
Season two may not even address or resolve these story threads.
R. Scott Gemmill, the show's creator, said during a Deadline Contenders TV panel event in April that season two would be set 10 months later than season one, during a Fourth of July weekend. It will still keep the 15-hour shift model.
Holidays are some of the busiest days for hospitals, and the Fourth of July has one of the biggest spikes in hospital visits of the year, partly due to incidents with fireworks. Fans are expecting even more chaos than season one.
"The Pitt" season two is expected to premiere in January 2026.
Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, told Vulture in March that they plan to have the series out in January 2026, so fans won't have to wait more than a year to see new episodes.
"This model of more episodes cuts down on the gap between seasons. On the platform, we have shows like 'House of the Dragon,' 'The Last of Us,' and 'White Lotus,' which, because of how they're made, can take two years to make," Bloys said. "What I love about something like 'The Pitt' is, I can get 15 episodes in a year."
Noah Wyle, who plays Dr. Robby and is an executive producer, told Esquire in April that the writing room is already meeting to develop a script for season two.
Variety reported that the series will start shooting season two in June.
There may be a new cast for season two.
Since Wyle is an executive producer and star of the show, he will likely return as Dr. Robby, but the rest of the cast's fate is uncertain.
Ten months is a long time and may mean certain doctors and nurses have left or transferred hospitals.
The medical students Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez) will have finished their rotation and likely return to school. Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) was on the edge of being fired, and Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) considered quitting in the finale.
Alternatively, certain characters could be on other shifts this time round.
At the Deadline Contenders event in April, Wyle said they are casting new actors to join the series.
"We're calling all pros," he said. "We want people who are good at memorising dialogue and really good with props and are used to working in a company, an ensemble."
Wyle did not clarify if this casting was for a main role as a doctor or a guest appearance as a patient.
