The Town with Matthew Belloni The Retro Innovation of ‘The Pitt,’ With Lead Producer John Wells
39 snips
Feb 26, 2026 John Wells, veteran TV writer-producer behind ER, The West Wing, Shameless and The Pit, discusses reviving a 15-episode broadcast-style model. He explains the efficiencies of a permanent Los Angeles set and nine-day shoots. They explore rebuilding water-cooler viewing, why procedural drama earned awards attention, and how streaming may be shifting back toward long-running, appointment-style TV.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Streaming Can Embrace Broadcast Season Lengths
- Streaming can revive broadcast-style TV by delivering longer seasons that rebuild viewer attachment to characters.
- John Wells built The Pit as a 15-episode, lower-cost prestige procedural to recreate water-cooler engagement and weekly appointment viewing.
Build A Reusable Set To Cut Episode Costs
- Build permanent, centralized production assets to drive per-episode efficiency and lower costs.
- John Wells built an expensive hospital set and shoots nine-day episodes on it so they reuse the stage across 15 episodes.
LA Can Beat Out-Of-Town Shoots Economically
- Shooting in Los Angeles can be cheaper overall than shooting on location due to available talent and crew.
- Wells cited access to 250 speaking roles per season and crews happy to stay home as key savings compared with flying actors to Pittsburgh.