Transplant (TV series)

Transplant is a Canadian medical drama television series created by Joseph Kay, that premiered on CTV on February 26, 2020.[1] The series centres on Bashir "Bash" Hamed, a doctor from Syria who came to Canada as a refugee during the Syrian Civil War, and is now rebuilding his career as a medical resident in the emergency department at York Memorial Hospital in Toronto.[2] In June 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[3]

Transplant
GenreMedical drama
Created byJoseph Kay
Starring
Country of originCanada
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Joseph Kay
  • Jocelyn Deschênes
  • Bruno Dube
  • Randy Lennox
  • Virginia Rankin
  • Jeremy Spry
  • Tara Woodbury
Running time40 minutes
Production company(s)Sphère Média Plus
Release
Original network
  • CTV (Canada)
  • NBC (United States)
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
Original releaseFebruary 26, 2020 (2020-02-26) –
present (present)

Cast and characters
  • Hamza Haq as Dr. Bashir "Bash" Hamed, a resident at York Memorial Hospital. Due to issues around recognition of foreign credentials, in the pilot he has been unable to get a job with a hospital, and is instead working as a line cook at a Middle Eastern restaurant; however, he soon has an opportunity to prove his mettle when a serious accident occurs at the restaurant, and his training in a war zone enables him to save everybody's life, using emergency medical techniques that can be performed without conventional medical equipment, before the emergency responders arrive.[4]
  • Laurence Leboeuf as Dr. Magalie Leblanc, a driven resident with health and personal issues she is struggling to stay on top of in the high stress environment of a hospital emergency room.[4]
  • John Hannah as Dr. Jed Bishop, the gruff but compassionate head of the emergency department at York Memorial.[4]
  • Ayisha Issa as Dr. June Curtis, a resident who is trying to hide the fact that she's in a romantic relationship with the hospital's security guard.[4]
  • Jim Watson as Dr. Theo Hunter, a pediatric resident from Sudbury who struggles with having to be away from his wife and kids while he completes his residency.[4]
  • Sirena Gulamgaus as Amira Hamed, Bash's younger sister.[4]
  • Linda E. Smith as Dr. Wendy Atwater, the attending physician who is the residents' immediate supervisor.[4]
  • Sugith Varughese as Dr. Aajay Singh, a surgical attending.[4]
  • Kenny Wong as Arnold De Luca, an emergency nurse.[4]
  • Grace Lynn Kung as Vivian Barnes, the hospital's social worker.[4]
  • Torri Higginson as Claire Malone, the head emergency nurse.[4]

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateCanadian viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Holly DaleJoseph KayFebruary 26, 2020 (2020-02-26)1.312[5]
2"Tell Me Who You Are"Holly DaleStory by : Sarah Glinski
Teleplay by : Joseph Kay		March 4, 2020 (2020-03-04)1.274[6]
3"Your Secrets Can Kill You"Holly DaleRachel LangerMarch 11, 2020 (2020-03-11)1.192[7]
4"Saleh"Alain DesrochersJenn EngelsMarch 18, 2020 (2020-03-18)1.213[8]
5"Eid"Alain DesrochersNikolijne TroubetzkoyMarch 25, 2020 (2020-03-25)1.405[9]
6"Trigger Warning"Alain DesrochersLynne KammApril 1, 2020 (2020-04-01)1.278[10]
7"Far From Home"Stefan PleszczynskiJoseph Kay & Anar AliApril 8, 2020 (2020-04-08)1.499[11]
8"Birth and Rebirth"Stefan PleszczynskiJoseph Kay & Sami KhanApril 15, 2020 (2020-04-15)1.6[12]
9"Under Pressure"Stefan PleszczynskiTamara MoulinApril 29, 2020 (2020-04-29)1.473[13]
10"Collapse"Erik CanuelNikolijne TroubetzkoyMay 6, 2020 (2020-05-06)1.702[14]
11"Orphans"Erik CanuelLynne KammMay 13, 2020 (2020-05-13)1.433[15]
12"Relapse"Erik CanuelRachel LangerMay 20, 2020 (2020-05-20)1.594[16]
13"The Only Way Out is Through"Erik CanuelJoseph KayMay 27, 2020 (2020-05-27)1.677[17]

Production

Although set in Toronto, the series is actually shot primarily in Montreal, with some location shooting in Toronto for establishing shots and other scenes which require a clear Toronto geographic marker.

Produced by Sphère Média Plus, the series entered production in June 2019.[18] It will also be broadcast in French on Vrak.[19]

International broadcast

In May 2020, NBC acquired the U.S. broadcast rights for the series.[20]

Reception

Critical response

John Doyle of The Globe and Mail wrote that the show's positioning of Bash as an immigrant struggling for acceptance in his adopted country set the show apart from other medical dramas: "The plot device that kick-starts the series - and Episode 1 sure comes with a kick - might seem ludicrous, but it gets your attention and signals what themes in Transplant are about to blossom. It's about the terror and frustrations that immigrants experience, trying to use their skills in a new country. Much is made of Bashir's knowledge and knowhow being heightened by his experience working in a war zone with few resources. He can intuit medical problems and injuries faster than most of his colleagues. This does not, however, make him either distinctly heroic or arrogant. Given his situation, he's actually an extremely vulnerable man. He's not the irascible Dr. House, nor is he the spookily wise young virtuoso at the heart of The Good Doctor." He praised the series and Haq's lead performance in particular, ultimately concluding that "There are numerous medical dramas that move with a breathless, hectic pace and then stop for some romance or heart-warming moments. Transplant has some of that, but there is an astutely Canadian spin on the familiar. It gives grim articulation to the issues of immigration and the harried, under pressure immigrant experience. It's not entirely original, but certainly superior to the usual and disarmingly different."[21]

For etalk, Christine Estima also favourably reviewed many aspects of the show, giving special praise to its choice to avoid positioning its two female doctors, June and Magalie, as competitive rivals, instead presenting them simply as doctors who respect and support each other even if they don't always agree.[22]

References
  1. Peter White, "Canada’s CTV Partners With NBCU International Studios On Medical Procedural ‘The Transplant’". Deadline Hollywood, January 31, 2019.
  2. Greg David, "Joseph Kay returns to TV with a new family in CTV’s Transplant". TV, eh?, February 24, 2020.
  4. Kelly Townsend, "CTV’s Transplant goes to camera". Playback, June 12, 2019.
  5. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) February 24, 2020 - March 01, 2020 - numeris
  6. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) March 02, 2020 - March 08, 2020 - numeris
  7. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) March 9, 2020 - March 15, 2020 - numeris
  8. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) March 16, 2020 - March 22, 2020 - numeris
  9. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) March 23, 2020 - March 29, 2020 - numeris
  10. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) March 30, 2020 - April 5, 2020 - numeris
  11. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) April 6, 2020 - April 12, 2020 - numeris
  12. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) April 13, 2020 - April 19, 2020 - numeris
  13. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) April 27, 2020 - May 3, 2020 - numeris
  14. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) May 4, 2020 - May 10, 2020 - numeris
  15. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) May 11, 2020 - May 17, 2020 - numeris
  16. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) May 18, 2020 - May 24, 2020 - numeris
  17. Top Programs – Total Canada (English) May 25, 2020 - May 31, 2020 - numeris
  18. Kelly Townsend, "Bell Media greenlights medical drama The Transplant for CTV". Playback, January 31, 2019.
  19. Richard Therrien, "Laurence à l’urgence". Le Soleil, November 15, 2019.
  20. "NBC Expands Medical Drama Series Lineup With Canada's 'Transplant'". Deadline Hollywood. May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  21. John Doyle, "Transplant: A medical drama with its own energy and voice". The Globe and Mail, February 26, 2020.
  22. Christine Estima, "The premiere episode of ‘Transplant’ confirms it’s a must-watch medical drama: Not for the faint of heart, but it will also fill your heart", eTalk, February 26, 2020.
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