HBO's The Pitt, the medical drama series created by R. Scott Gemmill, was a smashing hit when it debuted with its freshman season on Max in January 2025. Set in the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center's emergency room, the show follows a harrowing 15-hour shift for Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) and his team of doctors. Each episode features an hour of the shift.With its unique format, an impressive cast, and an authentic portrayal of the psychological challenges faced by the healthcare workers, The Pitt created its own name among the medical genre veterans like Grey's Anatomy and Chicago Med. In addition to earning a well-deserved Season 2 renewal, the show also became an Emmy magnet in 2025, winning 5 (out of 13) awards it was nominated for.The Pitt's success was not only monumental to HBO but also resulted in a groundbreaking re-thinking to change its production strategy.More on this in our story.Exploring the changes in HBO's production strategy after The Pitt View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIt looks like The Pitt not only had a lasting effect on the audience and the medical genre on television but also led HBO to rethink its production strategy for the upcoming shows.In a recent interview with Deadline, HBO Max's Head of Originals, Sarah Aubrey, revealed all the behind-the-scenes changes in the network's strategy after its latest medical drama's smashing success. The series has led the streamer to evaluate how 15 tight episodes with close endings, an annual release, and a 'modest budget' have led to its success and appreciation among the audience.Aubrey explained the new model as:“Family soaps are much more serialized but with the other kind of workplace shows, our goal is to have a close-ended story in every episode, like The Pitt does. [It] has very long-running stories mixed with resolution and people being treated in one episode.''The freshman season of the medical drama series followed a clean premise where each episode followed a closed-ended story of the titular ER's medical staff handling and treating different patients. While each episode offered some insight into the characters, it redefined workplace procedurals and gave them a new definition, which connected with the audience.She added:"Interestingly, the thing that The Pitt did that is unusual and exciting, it engaged our core prestige audience but also broadened and really grabbed onto viewers that were coming to the service more for a movie or our library, and really hooked them in. Because of the 15 episodes and having time to build the word of mouth about the quality of the show, we were getting everyone by the end. That breadth of audience from these types of shows is important to us and to our business model."HBO has greenlit two show Pilots with this new strategy View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHBO is certainly working fast as it has already greenlit two show Pilots modeled on this strategy created after The Pitt's success. The first project is titled American Blue, a cop drama from Supernatural showrunner Jeremy Carver. The show will follow Brian “Milk” Milkovich, a native who returns to his hometown of Joliet, Illinois, to help its police force while looking for a second chance at life.The second series ordered for a Pilot at HBO is greenlit under the working title of How To Survive Without Me. It is a family drama from Robbie Rogers (My Policeman) and TV creator/producer Greg Berlanti, Bash Doran (Life After Life). The series is set in Los Angeles and will follow the lives of adult siblings with their father, and will explore the themes of family and loss.In her interview with Deadline, Aubrey revealed how The Pitt's success made them realize that nobody is investing in network-style shows with 15+ episodes that return annually. However, fan interactions with old shows suggest that this format works the best, and the network is determined to make profits with this model for its upcoming shows.Before The Pitt Season 2 drops on January 8, 2026, you can stream the freshman season of the medical drama on HBO Max.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow Soap Central.