Entertainment NOW

November 21, 2015

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TV Media Weekly | November 21 - 27, 2015 Gay Harden ("The Mist," 2007) as residency director Dr. Leanne Ror- ish. Her approach to medicine is a bit more rash than some of her col- leagues, and certainly Dr. Neal Hudson (Raza Jaffrey, "MI-5") would prefer it if she toned it down. Dr. Hudson was once men- tored by Dr. Rorish, but now be- lieves she's too reckless for both her own good and the hospital. Dr. Rorish proves time and again that she is both experienced and skilled enough to pull off unorthodox or high-risk procedures. Dr. Rorish has been nicknamed "Daddy" by the other staff, with senior nurse Jesse Sallander (Luis Guzmán, "Traffic," 2000) earning the nickname "Mama." Sallander manages the residents, skirting a fine line between being tough enough to keep the young doctors in line and being likeable enough to build relationships with them. Rounding out the senior staff members is Dr. Rollie Guthrie (Wil- liam Allen Young, "Moesha"), an upbeat attending physician who has been at the hospital longer than any other doctor and who is always available to help the resi- dents talk through a tough shift. This week's episode features some talented guest stars as cast members from "The Lion King" musical drop by the set. Alton Fitzgerald White, who has por- trayed Mufasa more than 4,000 times in the musical, appears as es- sentially a fictionalized version of himself who shows up at the ER with a throat infection. Several other cast members also appear, and fans won't want to miss their performance of "He Lives in You." A new episode of "Code Black" airs Wednesday, Nov. 25, on CBS. By Jacqui Wiens TV Media W hen it comes to medi- cal dramas, for better or for worse, new shows tend to be com- pared to the iconic "ER," which ran for 15 seasons on NBC. That classic program succeeded in exquisitely balancing the hectic professional lives of ER staff with their personal drama, and set a benchmark that its successors have been hard- pressed to match. "Grey's Anato- my," which premiered a few years before the finale of "ER," has argu- ably been the most successful medical drama since. Over the past several years, new medical dramas have come and gone, often folding within one or two seasons. Fox's "Red Band So- ciety," ABC's "Black Box," and USA's "Rush" are a few good ex- amples. Lately, NBC is trying to re- assert its dominance in the medical drama department with two new series — "Chicago Med" and "Heartbreaker" — but CBS is throwing its hat in the ring, too. Stepping into the operating room with a brand-new, adrenaline-filled show, the eye network premiered "Code Black" in September. A new episode airs Wednesday, Nov. 25, on CBS. "Code Black" is a medical term that can have different meanings depending on the hospital you're in. In this case, it refers to a situa- tion in which there are too many patients for the staff to assess and treat each one properly. While an average hospital might encounter a few "code black" situations a year, Los Angeles's fictional Angels Memorial Hospital is so under- staffed and overworked that a code black is an almost daily occur- rence. Despite the unrealistic nature of having such a consistently busy emergency room, "Code Black" at- tempts to stay as authentic as pos- sible. Cast members prepared ex- tensively for the show by learning medical terms, following real med- ical professionals at work and learning to perform a handful of real medical procedures. Addition- ally, there are advisers on hand to provide feedback and advice dur- ing production, and some of the background actors are actually trained nurses. But, of course, "Code Black" is still a drama, and you can only be so realistic before you lose the au- dience's interest. Like other fiction- al medical shows, risky procedures will work more often than they should, treatments will take effect faster than they would in reality, and staff will still find moments for intense conversation, even in the worst rushes. It may play into some of the clichés of modern television, but you won't find anyone using a defibrillator to try to start a heart that's stopped beating in this se- ries. Headlining the cast is Marcia Luis Guzmán and Marcia Gay Harden in a scene from "Code Black" Up to 'Code' CBS delves into the world of medical dramas with 'Code Black' 2 | Cover story Tipton Ford 3 x 10" A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" 455-2700 3833 S. LaFountain • Kokomo, IN 46902 www.norrisinsurance.com • Home • Auto • Business • Life Call for a FREE Quote! Serving You For Over 50 Years Bill Neher on display beginning First Friday, December 4 at Kokomo-Howard County Public Library 220 N. Union Street | Downtown Kokomo For more information or to download an entry form go to kokomotribune.com/gingerbread First Annual Kokomo Tribune s rs o ko ne Competition and Display Encouraged donation to Kokomo Rescue Mission *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest open to U.S. residents. Contest will run between 5:30 pm on 12/4/15 and ends at 8:00 pm EST on 12/4/2015. Certain restrictions apply. See Official Rules at kokomotribune.com/rules for details including prize description. Sponsor: Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. and the Kokomo Tribune. Void where prohibited.

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