Brilliant Minds: Is the NBC medical drama based on a true story? Here's everything you need to know

NBC's freshman medical drama Brilliant Minds returned for Season 2 on September 22. While the small screen has plenty of critically acclaimed medical shows like Chicago Med and Grey's Anatomy and beloved newcomers like The Pitt, NBC's latest series stands apart, as it is based on real-life cases.

Actor Zachary Quinto plays the lead role of Dr. Oliver Wolf, a talented neurologist at Bronx General Hospital. Quinto's character is inspired by the real-life British neurologist, Dr. Oliver Sacks.

Dr. Sacks was a pioneer in his field and wrote extensively about his patients and their illnesses. His case studies were later published as two best-selling books, 1985's The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales and 1995's An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales. Both of these groundbreaking works became the inspiration for Brilliant Minds.

More on this in our story.

Dr. Oliver Sacks: The inspiration behind NBC's Brilliant Minds

Dr. Oliver Sacks was a renowned and famous British neurologist, writer, naturalist, and historian of science. After earning his medical degree from The Queen's College, Oxford, in 1958, he completed his residency in neurology and neuropathology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Reportedly, Dr. Oliver Sacks decided on a career in neurology after seeing a close family member struggle with their mental health. The unconventional treatments and methods practiced by Quinto's character, Dr. Oliver Wolf, in Brilliant Minds, are inspired by Dr. Oliver Sacks, who is now considered a pioneer in mental health. He was a true visionary in the field of neurology at a time when mental illness was looked down upon. Dr. Oliver Sacks treated his patients as humans first and did not let their mental illness define them.

Sacks was dubbed the 'poet laureate of medicine' by The New York Times because of his extensive research in his field. He not only treated his patients with dignity but also wrote extensively about them, which became the basis for Brilliant Minds. As revealed by Quinto, Dr. Oliver Sacks resurrected the art form of case studies, which not only helped him understand his patients better but also expanded the field of neurology for future generations of doctors.

NBC's Brilliant Minds is an ode to Dr. Oliver Sacks

In an interview with NBC, Zachary Quinto revealed how Brilliant Minds is a tribute to the work, life, and writings of Dr. Oliver Sacks. Quinto's character, Dr. Wolf, is certainly inspired by his real-life work but is a fictional and modern reimagination of the man who advanced neurology. Quinto explained this to NBC as

"I'm not tethered to any of the vocal mannerisms or physical characteristics of Oliver Sacks himself because we're exploring what would a person like Oliver Sacks experience in today's world?"

In another interview with People Magazine, the actor revealed how the medical drama is a 'love letter' to Dr. Oliver Sacks:

"Oliver Sacks then dedicated his life to writing about these things and talking about them and listening: all of these things that are so important to Brilliant Minds...We're sort of trying to carry that torch forward."

In addition to being a trendsetter in the world of neurology, Dr. Oliver Sacks was also an inventive writer who kept extensive journals about his patients. These journals and important writings were eventually compiled into books and case studies, which have become the source of inspiration for many medical dramas and movies. Robert De Niro and Robin Williams' 1990 drama Awakenings is also based on Sacks' eponymous book.

In one of his interviews, Quinto noted that Dr. Oliver Sacks’ vast writings and case studies provide enough material for Brilliant Minds to continue for many seasons on NBC.

In NBC's Brilliant Minds, Quinto's Dr. Oliver Wolf is joined by his team of interns, which includes Van (Alex MacNicoll), Dana (Aury Krebs), Ericka (Ashleigh LaThrop), and Jacob (Spence Moore II). Teddy Sears' Dr. Josh Nichols is another accomplished neurosurgeon at Bronx General, who eventually starts a relationship with Dr. Wolf. The procedural follows a new medical case in every episode, tackled by Dr. Wolf and his team of interns.

Brilliant Minds Season 2 will release weekly episodes every Monday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

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