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Revision as of 04:49, 27 July 2010

Hawthorne
File:Hawthorne1.gif
Created byJohn Masius
StarringJada Pinkett Smith
Michael Vartan
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes15 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJohn Masius
Mikael Salomon
Jamie Tarses
Running time60 minutes
Original release
NetworkTNT
ReleaseJune 16, 2009 –
present

Hawthorne (sometimes rendered HawthoRNe) is an hour-long medical drama on the TNT television network starring Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan. It premiered on June 16, 2009.[1] On August 10, 2009, Hawthorne was renewed for a second season consisting of 10 episodes, which will air in 2010.[2]

Plot

Main article: List of Hawthorne episodes

Christina Hawthorne is introduced as Chief Nursing Officer heading a group of nurses at Richmond Trinity Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. She is very passionate about her work and is always advocating for her patients and her staff, even when it threatens her job.

Season 1 shows her dealing with financial issues at her hospital, dealing with her rebellious daughter and coming to terms with her recently deceased husband. We are introduced to her closest friends and to Tom, a doctor who once took care of her ailing husband and harbors feelings for her.

In Season 2, we discover that Richmond Trinity is closing its doors due to financial ruin. Christina turns down a position to run a private Dialysis clinic to become Director of Nursing at James River Hospital, the last hospital in that area and one that faces shut down due to providing low quality of care. While originally taking this position under the assumption that she would replace the existing Director, we learn that she must split the responsibilities with a head strong, difficult and emotionally burned out nurse who has no intention of working with her and resents her newly appointed position.

While acclimating to the new work atmosphere, she must also deal with a new relationship that has formed between her and Tom. She deals with the fact that he wants a commitment now and she is still unsure if she can adjust to becoming close with someone else.

Cast

Production

Jada Pinkett Smith was cast as the star of Hawthorne in September 2008.[3]

John Masius created the program and served as executive producer for the first season.[5] Glen Mazzara also served as executive producer for the first season.[5] The program was initially going to be called Time Heals.[3] Megan Branman and Dylann Brander of Branman/Brander Casting were involved in casting for the program.[1] In September 2008, Jamie Tarses was reported to be an executive producer on the program.[6]

In September 2008, The Press of Atlantic City reported that Jada Pinkett Smith signed on as both the star of the television pilot, and to serve as executive producer of the program.[3] Pinkett Smith had previously promised never to work in television again, but changed her mind after reading the script of the pilot.[7] She recalled getting the script from her manager: "He said, 'I would never send this to you if I didn't think it was fantastic.' I read it and then I let my husband read it. (Will) said to take the meeting and see."[7] She decided to return to television because of the show's unique qualities.[7]

In the pilot, Jeffrey Nordling portrayed Dr. Tom Wakefield, director of medicine.[4] In February 2009, Michael Vartan was cast to co-star alongside Pinkett Smith as Dr. Tom Wakefield in the series.[4] By June 6, 2009, the program's title had been changed to Hawthorne.[8]

Masius will continue on as executive producer in the second season.[5] In September 2009, Glen Mazzara was named showrunner for the program's second season.[5] Masius decided to name Mazzara as showrunner for the second season, citing a desire to focus more on writing.[5] Pinkett Smith hopes to cast her nine-year-old daughter Willow as a character in the show's second season.[9]

Ratings

The first episode of Hawthorne received 3.8 million viewers, with a debut at the 17th spot in the list of the "Top 20 cable network television shows for the week ending June 21, 2009".[10] It placed directly below the Nickelodeon episode of iCarly, "iDate A Bad Boy", and above the USA Network program, In Plain Sight.[10] By its 10th episode, the show's viewership had declined to 3.5 million.[11]

Overall, the show's first season was beaten in the ratings among adults aged 25–54 by the new science fiction program Warehouse 13 produced by Syfy, and the medical drama Royal Pains produced by USA Network.[12] Dark Blue, another program produced by TNT, came in fourth, and Drop Dead Diva produced by Lifetime TV came in fifth.[12]

Critical reception

Hawthorne has received generally negative reviews. Amy Amatangelo of the Boston Herald gave the program a grade of "C+", commenting: "'HawthoRNe' can't make a diagnosis. It's a comedy; it's a drama. It's a mess, fronted by Jada Pinkett Smith, making a return to series television as Christina Hawthorne, the chief nursing officer for Richmond Trinity Hospital and about the closest thing to a heavenly figure on the small screen since Roma Downey took flight on 'Touched by an Angel.'"[13] In a review for Zap2it, Amatangelo commented "With each passing episode, they seem to be writing Christina (Jada Pinkett Smith) deeper and deeper into a corner. She can’t always be in an uproar about everything or always play the hero. The show cannot center around her at the expense of everyone else."[14] Greg Braxton of the Los Angeles Times noted, "Tom Shales in the Washington Post suggested 'HawthoRNe' is 'a show in need of emergency care.'"[15] In an assessment of the program for Bangor Daily News, Dale McGarrigle wrote that "It also pales in comparison to other original dramas on its own channel."[16] Alan Pergament of The Buffalo News was critical of the lead actress's decision to star in the series: "Jada Pinkett Smith, the actress married to film superstar Will Smith, must be getting a little bored lately. And now she is going to bore some of us. There is no other explanation for her decision to star in TNT's routine 'HawthoRNe' as the latest strong, flawed woman on the cable network."[17] Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote: "HawthoRNe would be terrible if it were the only series on TV and the only medical drama you'd ever seen. It's just too bad it's not TV's first medical show. At least it could get credit for inventing clichés instead of rehashing them."[18] Of the lead actress's performance in the show, Bianco commented: "Pinkett Smith's Hawthorne is tired in every sense of the word, and she's not the only one. Every character and event falls under the category of painfully predictable."[18] Gail Pennington of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch commented that the Showtime program Nurse Jackie was superior to Hawthorne, writing: "Maybe if Showtime's 'Nurse Jackie' weren't so riveting, 'Hawthorne' wouldn't seem so weak. Or maybe 'Hawthorne,' the nurse drama headlined by Jada Pinkett Smith, would seem trite and derivative no matter what."[19]

Writing in the Akron Beacon Journal, Rich Heldenfels commented that "the show is weakly written and much of the acting is often mediocre."[20] Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Mary McNamara was also critical of the program: "Whatever the reason, I found myself thinking less about the characters than I did about the enormous amount of work that goes into making a TV show. Everyone working so hard, everyone talented and professional and doing their very best to make this a terrific television show, and it just isn't."[21] In a review for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Robert Philpot wrote that the show was "watchable" but not "essential", and did not add anything to the genre of shows on similar topics on television at the time: "Is Hawthorne a bad thing to have around? No. Trouble is, that's also the answer to 'Does it add to its genre?' and 'Is it essential?'"[22] Michael Starr of the New York Post gave the show a rating of one and a half stars, and criticized the ensemble cast as "flat and one-dimensional".[23] A review in The York Dispatch by Kevin McDonough was critical of the show's "onslaught of medical emergencies and miniature soap operas".[24] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times wrote: "The writing is a bit stilted and predictable, but the show is not unbearable — there are some amusing supporting actors and the occasional engrossing medical crisis."[25] When the show was renewed for a second season, Jennifer Godwin of E! Online commented: "TNT has renewed Jada Pinkett Smith's sloppy, gloppy, chintzy and incredibly boring 'drama' Hawthorne for a 10-episode second season, set to premiere in 2010. ... There are surely many people working very hard to make Hawthorne a success, but whatever those people are doing, generally speaking, it is not working."[26]

Registered nurse Judith S. Mitiguy reviewed Hawthorne for NurseWeek, and wrote: "Hawthorne defies the limits of ethical, and sometimes legal, professional practice when it suits her purpose. Plus, she micromanages every situation. Those of us concerned about nursing’s image in the media are more than unhappy with these programs."[27] "The Truth About Nursing", an advocacy organization located in Baltimore, Maryland, judges how nurses are viewed on such programs and gave Hawthorne a rating of 3.5 stars out of 4.[28] Suzanne Gordon, author of Nursing Against the Odds, reviewed the program for The Atlantic, and noted: "Unfortunately, the show’s acting is poor, its dialogue silly, its syrupy soundtrack absolutely dreadful, and its contrived dramatic situations straight out of—you guessed it—Hollywood. What’s worse, from the perspective of the nursing profession, is that it reproduces the fundamental problem of TV doctor shows, which perennially distort who really does what."[29]

International broadcasts

Country Channel Premiere date
 Australia Universal Channel July 3, 2010[30]
 Germany ProSieben January 13, 2010[31]

References

  1. ^ a b "Los Angeles Production Listings". Back Stage. www.backstage.com. September 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  2. ^ Weprin, Alex (August 10, 2009). "TNT Renews 'HawthoRNe': Will return for second season in 2010". Broadcasting and Cable. www.broadcastingcable.com. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  3. ^ a b c d The Press of Atlantic City staff (September 20, 2008). "ShortList". The Press of Atlantic City. South Jersey Publishing Company. p. B1.
  4. ^ a b c The Boston Globe staff (February 19, 2009). "Casting with an eye for the 'Fabulous'". The Boston Globe. Globe Newspaper Company. p. 25G.
  5. ^ a b c d e Andreeva, Nellie (September 24, 2009). "'Hawthorne' shifts change for twosome". Hollywood Reporter. www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  6. ^ The Bismarck Tribune staff (September 19, 2008). "Pinkett Smith makes 'Time' for TNT pilot". The Bismarck Tribune.
  7. ^ a b c Gay, Gerald M. (June 4, 2009). "Pinkett-Smith returning to TV". The Arizona Daily Star. p. 10.
  8. ^ Hiltbrand, David (June 6, 2009). "Nurses get the TV treatment - The hardworking healers are suddenly hot in series, beginning with Showtime's crusty yet compassionate junkie, Nurse Jackie". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C04.
  9. ^ The Straits Times staff (October 11, 2009). "Jada's blood ties". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  10. ^ a b Gorman, Bill (June 23, 2009). "Jon & Kate Minus 1.3 Million Falls Way Out Of Cable Top 20". TV by the Numbers. tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  11. ^ Seidman, Robert (August 19, 2009). "Hawthorne snags 3.52 million in season finale". TV by the Numbers. tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  12. ^ a b Seidman, Robert (September 23, 2009). "Summer sensation Warehouse 13 finishes first season as most successful series in Syfy history!". TV by the Numbers. tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  13. ^ Amatangelo, Amy (June 16, 2009). "Television Review: Misdiagnosis TNT series ' HawthoRNe ' suffers from identity crisis". Boston Herald. p. Section: The Edge.
  14. ^ Amatangelo, Amy (July 20, 2009). "Pilots, pilots everywhere and quite a few for me ... a sneak peek at the fall". TV Gal. Zap2it. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  15. ^ Braxton, Greg (Los Angeles Times) (June 25, 2009). "Jada Pinkett Smith Moves To The Center - In New 'Hawthorne,' Actress Takes Unfamiliar Spotlight". San Jose Mercury News. p. 45T.
  16. ^ McGarrigle, Dale (June 16, 2009). "TNT hopes drama about hospital, home draw fans to ' HawthoRNe '". Bangor Daily News. p. 5c.
  17. ^ Pergament, Alan (June 16, 2009). "'HawthoRNe' suffers from the same old routine". The Buffalo News. p. C7.
  18. ^ a b Bianco, Robert (June 30, 2009). "Critic's Corner Tuesday". USA Today. Gannett Co. Inc. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  19. ^ Pennington, Gail (July 31, 2009). "A summer TV report card". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  20. ^ Heldenfels, Rich (June 14, 2009). "Pulse of 'Hawthorne' Weak - New TNT Drama About Nurses Inferior to Similar Offerings". Akron Beacon Journal. p. G1.
  21. ^ McNamara, Mary (June 16, 2009). "'HawthoRNe' could use an Rx to cure the blahs". Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune Company. p. 5.
  22. ^ Philpot, Robert (June 16, 2009). "Weekly dose of ' Hawthorne ' is probably not essential". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. E01.
  23. ^ Starr, Michael (June 16, 2009). "'Hawthorne' Too Far Out". New York Post. p. 068.
  24. ^ McDonough, Kevin (June 16, 2009). "TNT not fooling anyone with ' Hawthorne ' crisis parade". The York Dispatch.
  25. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (June 15, 2009). "Television Review: Hawthorne - This Nurse Is Riled, Better Head for the Pills". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
  26. ^ Godwin, Jennifer (August 10, 2009). "TNT Inexplicably Renews Hawthorne for a Second Season". E! Online. E! Entertainment Television, Inc. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  27. ^ Mitiguy, Judith S. (September 21, 2009). "Opinion: Annie Oakley Rides Again - TV shows make heroes of RNs despite ethical flaws". NurseWeek. Nurse.com. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  28. ^ Eckenrode, Vicky (September 17, 2009). "Real-life nurses talk about how they're portrayed on TV". StarNews Online. StarNewsOnline.com. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  29. ^ Gordon, Suzanne (July 9, 2009). "Prime Time Nurse". The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  30. ^ Knox, David (June 21, 2010). "Airdate: HawthoRNe". TV Tonight. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  31. ^ http://www.fernsehserien.de/index.php?suche=hawthorne

External links

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