Few genres have been as popular for as long a time as medical dramas, as evidenced by the fact that two such shows are in double digit seasons this fall and two more are premiering for the first time in the 2024 TV schedule. Brilliant Minds is one of those two new shows, and the premiere on September 23 will prove that it’s no Chicago Med or Grey’s Anatomy, and similarities to Doctor Odyssey on ABC later in the week will surely be minimal.
With Tamberla Perry starring opposite Zachary Quinto, the actress spoke with CinemaBlend about what exactly sets Brilliant Minds apart on a weekly basis from other series in the genre. Having seen some of the episodes myself, I have to agree with her.
What To Expect From NBC’s Brilliant Minds
NBC’s newest medical drama is inspired by the work of author and neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, with Zachary Quinto playing Dr. Oliver Wolf. As anybody who has seen one of the trailers can guess, Wolf isn’t the kind of neurologist you’ll run into at any old hospital, and he’ll lead a team of interns as they explore the human mind as the last great frontier. Tamberla Perry plays Wolf’s friend and peer Dr. Carol Pierce, the Chief of Psychiatry at Bronx General. Teddy Sears is on board as neurosurgeon Dr. Josh Nichols.
Having watched some early episodes myself, I can vouch – without getting into spoilers – that Wolf’s unique approach goes beyond him taking a patient’s drugs, swimming in the Hudson, and taking a patient with dementia on a motorcycle ride like we see in the promos. When I spoke with Perry, she went further into establishing what sets Brilliant Minds apart.
What Tamberla Perry Told Us
Tamberla Perry – who came to the new medical drama fresh off of Hulu’s short-lived Death and Other Details as well as part of the cast of Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone – spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the Brilliant Minds premiere on September 23. As the actress behind Dr. Carol Pierce, she said this when asked why people should check out the show:
Our show is different. One of the things that sets us apart is that you're not going to come to our show week to week and watch a case of somebody coming in the hospital and getting fixed and then leaving or dying by the end of the episode. In most cases on medical dramas, they're getting fixed. Somebody's not going to come in here with a heart condition and then go out and run a 26.2-mile marathon. They're just not. Our show is about adaptability. Patients come in, we see some of the same patients from week to week, seeking treatments for the mind. It's about mental health.
As a fan of the medical drama genre going back to when I was probably too young to be watching ER, I have to concede that the formula for cases is usually for patients to come in, be fixed or die, credits to roll, and then the show moves on to new cases the next week. That’s not the status quo for Brilliant Minds with the focus on the brain, as Perry went on:
Just like you can't expect to go into your therapist session and expect to be fixed within that hour, that's not what the expectation should be for this show. We are teaching people adaptability, and with mental health being such a hot topic in conversation right now, I think that people will be made aware of the importance of mental health and respect it a little bit more. Give people grace, people who they would have otherwise called crazy, give them a little bit more grace in knowing that this could be any of us at any point in our lives. We can switch places with that person that we deem as crazy.
It’s safe to say that even though NBC already has a very successful medical drama in Chicago Med, Brilliant Minds will be telling different kinds of stories with a different approach that won’t be redundant to the One Chicago series. Perry concluded by sharing the goal of the new series:
So our goal, our hope, is that people see themselves in both the doctors and the patients and walk away with an understanding that there is help on the other side, there are people who want to literally get into your shoes to help you.
I can confirm as a viewer that Brilliant Minds’ approach to treating patients stands out from what you can find elsewhere on network TV. The closest comparison that I can find would be to House with Hugh Laurie’s performance, and even that is quite a stretch. So, whether you’re not watching any medical dramas this season, are already tuning into others on different nights, or have never really been invested in the genre at all, I have to agree with Tamberla Perry about why it’s worth checking out.
How To Watch Brilliant Minds
The wait for the new show is nearly over, after NBC gave it a strong promotional push during the coverage of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. You can find the series premiere on Monday, September 23 at 10 p.m. ET following the Season 26 premiere of The Voice. For now, check out the official Brilliant Minds trailer:
If you’re more of a streamer than a primetime viewer, you can also catch new episodes of Brilliant Minds streaming with a Peacock subscription on the day after they air live on NBC.
