The Red Band Society, Fox’s latest drama, depicts the lives of a group of young and critically-ill patients living in a hospital pediatric wing. The series was inspired by the creator’s brother, who was in a coma and could hear everything
that was going on around him.
Narrated by Charlie, a coma patient who hears the world around him, the show gives a look into the lives of teenagers undergoing treatment for a variety of conditions – from an eating disorder to cancer – starting with Jordi, a good-looking orphan with cancer in his leg. His is probably the saddest storyline of the entire show.
While the idea of a lighthearted show about sick kids who are able to see past their illnesses and live as normally as they can is appealing, the plot has been constantly reused.
The teenagers live as they would in a college dorm: they hang out, go to school and don’t seem to be getting that much constant care. This makes the show seem a bit unrealistic.
The Red Band Society is destined to make a mark on evening television. There is a space for shows about ailing teenagers, similar to Glee in which every character has their personal drama.
Teen fangirls are going to be all over the idea of having attractive doctors and their equally attractive patients on their television screens every week.