Cognitive Daily

Neurosurgeon the hero of new TV show

Posted by Dave Munger on November 15, 2006
(5)
More »

i-c5039315c0d58b8e7423a04632e48b45-3lbs.jpgI’m actually doing better than usual: I’m just a day behind on the latest entertainment news. Last night, CBS premiered a TV show called 3 Lbs., which focuses on the tensions in a world-class neurosurgery unit of a major hospital. Most promising aspect of the show: it stars Stanley Tucci. If you missed it, you can catch the entire first episode on the show’s web site. I haven’t watched it yet, but if I have a free 40 minutes later in the day, I’ll post an update with my thoughts about the show.

If you’re not ready to commit that sort of time to the show just yet, you might watch this CBS news interview with Tucci. Four minutes still too much time to devote? You can probably read this CNN report on the show in under 2 minutes. Or quicker still, just read the excerpt I’ve posted below from the show’s web site.

Not your average medical drama, 3 Lbs. … is a show where hard science collides with the intricacies of personality, logic, emotion, and faith as modern day heroes on the cutting edge of their profession explore the last mysterious frontier of medicine: the human brain.

The group is led by Dr. Doug Hanson (Stanley Tucci), a brilliant, sharp-witted neurosurgeon who compares the workings of the brain to wires in a box. On the other hand, his thoughtful, highly skilled protégé, Dr. Jonathan Seger (Mark Feuerstein), honors the mysteries of the mind, and feels that in order to operate on someone’s brain he needs to know a little bit about the person as well.

While Dr. Hanson prefers to focus on the intricacies of peoples’ craniums instead of the people themselves, Dr. Seger uses his charm and intuition to balance the emotional and psychological needs of his patients. However, this doesn’t get in the way of their shared obsessions about the brain, and their growing, sometimes secret mutual respect for each other’s talents and approaches.

Oh, and one more thing: I mentioned it to Greta this morning, and based solely on the show’s premise, she proclaimed that it’s extremely unlikely they’ll get the science right: “They’ll probably vastly overstate what we know about the brain.”

If you have seen the show, feel free to post your impressions in the comments section.

In other news:

(5)
More »

Comments

  1. #1 Dave Munger
    November 15, 2006

    FYI, Jonah Lehrer watched the show last night; here’s his review

  2. #2 Dave Munger
    November 15, 2006

    Okay, I’ve now watched the first fifteen minutes, and I have to agree with Jonah and Greta: this thing’s unwatchable. That said, I don’t like medical dramas in general; your mileage may vary.

  3. #3 Gordon Worley
    November 16, 2006

    This sounds like a lame rip-off of House that focuses just on the brain.

  4. #4 Dia DiCristino
    November 16, 2006

    Aren’t there enough medical dramas on television pretending to know what it is like in the neurosurgical world? Take grey’s anatomy for example…we only ever see one neurosurgeon. “Dr. Mcdreamy” performs every single brain and spinal surgery in the hospital. We never see any neuro residents, nurse practitioners,etc. The logic behind that is ridiculous. I am almost afraid to give this new show a chance.

  5. #5 M. J. Burns
    November 22, 2006

    Wed. Nov. 22/06

    I was quite taken with 3 lbs last evening, my first viewing. While it’s true that TV is inundated with medical dramas and law and order dramas, I thought 3 lbs offered something unique. I like the title too but I thought the show displayed more intelligent points of view from some of its counterparts.

    I think McDreamy looks very weary from being so dreamy and ah knows thems fighting words but maybe 3 lbs will offer its viewers something more cogent and less enervating.