The Pitt’s weekly rollout rekindles debate over binge vs. appointment TV

Season 2 of The Pitt begins on Thursday on HBO Max, and the show’s once-a-week release schedule has renewed discussion about whether television is better consumed in weekly installments or as a binge. The series is a throwback hospital procedural that releases new episodes Thursdays at 9 p.m., and HBO Max sought to create what Casey Bloys called “15 weeks of engagement.” A Carnegie Mellon study cited in the coverage found that weekly releases lead to greater subscriber retention, and other platforms such as Disney+ and Apple TV have used weekly or hybrid schedules.

Commentators and a Vulture essay argued weekly viewing restores a collective experience, and the show’s star, Noah Wyle, said the schedule makes room for “the water cooler conversation.” James Poniewozik, The New York Times chief television critic, who saw nine episodes of the new season in quick succession, called Season 2 “very good” and said the series is also an excellent binge.

He wrote that the show’s real-time storytelling and interlaced patient plots give it momentum and that changing the tempo — bingeing versus weekly viewing — alters how story arcs and character developments land. The new season reportedly depicts the intrusion of A.I. into hospitals and includes a midseason plot twist about staff rediscovering analog medical practices.

Key Topics

Culture, The Pitt, Hbo Max, Noah Wyle, Casey Bloys, Carnegie Mellon University