Red Band Society Review

At first the premise of Red Band Society seems bleak. A comedy set in the children's wing of a hospital could be limiting and hospital comedies are few and far between. Fox has adapted Red Band Society from a successful Catalan TV show Polseres Vermelles, that has been running since 2011.  So Fox is putting their faith in executive producer Steven Spielberg and directors like Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (American Horror Story) and Jason Ensler (Hart of Dixie) to make the american adaption a success.

The story revolves around 6 teens who are suffering from various severe illnesses that have made them semi-permanent residents of the pediatric wing of the Ocean Park Hospital in Los Angeles. The story is narrated by Charlie, a young boy who is currently in a persistent coma. He tells the audience "Yeah, this is me, talking to you. In a coma. Deal with it." This candid, nonchalant and ingenious statement is an illustration of the tone of this eccentric, warm hearted show. Leo Roth, played by Charlie Rowe (Pirate Radio), is a long time resident who has positioned himself as the 'leader' of the group . He knows the hospitals secrets and along with his partner in crime Dash, played by Astro (Earth to Echo, A Walk Among the Tombstones), he loves to break rules like any normal teenager. Other quirky characters include Emma, played by Ciara Bravo, a sardonic and extremely intelligent hip girl suffering from an eating disorder, Kara, played by Zoe Levin, the dictator like cheerleader who is used to getting whatever she want, and new comer Jordi, played by Nolan Sotillo, who has traveled to Los Angeles to convince Dr Jack McAndrew to perform the surgery on his leg, refusing to take no for an answer.

The ringleader of this adolescent circus is  Nurse Jackson, played by Academy Award Winner Octavia Spencer. Best know for her award winning performance in The Help, Spencer is applauded for her blunt, no nonsense humor which is exactly the kind of caretaker Nurse Jackson is. A veteran at Ocean Park she has the know how to ensure the best care for her patients and the heart to nourish and tend to each and every patient, no matter how obnoxious.

The plot and relationships that are developed in Red Band Society could have easily been set in any high school in Los Angeles. The fact that they are set in a hospital wing instead truly makes this new comedy a distinctly original series. The cast of relatively fresh faces creates a frivolous, intelligent clique audiences will love to be a part of!

Red Band Society premieres Wednesday September 17th at 9pm only on Fox.