Zachary Quintois the brains of the operation.
Quinto has always had a thing for brains.
Still, he might be the most “normal” character Quinto’s ever played.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
It’s that opportunity to play a character “rooted in light” that attracted him toBrilliant Minds.
“That’s what brought me back to online grid TV.”
And Quinto is hopeful that a doctor will be able to keep connection TV on the path to recovery.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
“There’s something about the reliability of [web link procedurals].
Audiences are more interested in appointment television than they were for a little while.”
Like a trusted family doctor, perhaps nothing is more familiar than the medical drama.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
“Networks are a great home for medical dramas,” saysBrilliant Mindscreator Michael Grassi.
“They’re such a comforting landing spot for audiences because they deliver on something that’s familiar.
I want to honor the genre and all the medical shows that came before and carry the torch forward.
Zachary Quinto and Alex MacNicoll on ‘Brilliant Minds’.Rafy/NBC
“TV that is not trying to be movies is the lifeblood of television,” he says.
Kildare(1961-66) to ensemble dramaSt.
Elsewhere(1982-88) to TV juggernautER(1994-2009).Dr.
Tamberla Perry as Dr. Carol Pierce, Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, and Kira Guloien as Hanna Peters on ‘Brilliant Minds’.Rafy/NBC
Over time, the shows evolved, moving toward a greater emphasis on verisimilitude.
“We had been gun shy ever sinceSt.
Elsewhere,” Littlefield tells EW.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
We had a lot of respect and fear.”
We need medicine for all.'
It was a real hot button issue," he says.
Aury Krebs as Dr. Dana Dang, Ashleigh LaThrop as Dr. Ericka Kinney, Teddy Sears as Dr. Josh Nichols, and Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf on ‘Brilliant Minds’.Rafy/NBC
It was for the world we were living in.
A crisis with an expert and a resolution is wildly satisfying.
Even when you don’t have that happy ending, it’s like, ‘You know what?
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
They had their best possible chance.’
That’s not to say NBC hasn’t aired any shows in the genre paging anyone who remembersInconceivable?
That’s a code blue.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
But nothing has hit the way thatERdid.
So, NBC is donning a freshly starched white coat in pursuit of the next big medical hit.
“The bar is very high,” says Katz.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
“If you’re going to do a medical drama, it needs to be exceptional.
The tone was so special.
It’s very dramatic, but also has humor and levity.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
It has all the ingredients for what would make a hit medical drama.”
I always imagined this beingThis Is Us: Medical,in terms of the emotional storytelling.
There’s medical mysteries, but it’s also an emotional procedural."
Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, Tamberla Perry as Dr. Carol Pierce, and Teddy Sears as Dr. Josh Nichols on ‘Brilliant Minds’.Rafy/NBC
As forWill & Grace,well, it changed everything for Grassi, who is openly gay.
“In a lot of ways,Brilliant Mindsis picking up that mantle.
That said, “It also is the source of a lot of personal conflict for the character.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
His relationship to his sexuality, to intimacy, and to his family is complicated.
All things that are very relatable and understandable from a human experience.”
As Grassi explains, “Oliver Sacks is our North Star every step of the way.
Zachary Quinto.JD Barnes
How do we honor him and keep the show exciting, but also grounded?
This show is a love letter to him and his work and what he dedicated his life to.”
“I completely steeped myself in his world,” theRiverdaleandKaty Keeneproducer says.
Andre De Shields as Harold and Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf on ‘Brilliant Minds’.Rafy/NBC
“And I fell in love with his work and his life.
“And this show is the safe place they’ve always wanted.”
Quinto finds that aspect of the storytelling particularly moving.
Zavhary Quinto.JD Barnes
Better head space
IfSt.
People are entertained ideally, but also maybe a little bit moved to consider their own experience.”
Many have surmised that the rise of streaming platforms reflects the ever-more fractured nature of our culture.
“One of the things we’ve stopped doing is listening to one another,” he says.
In short, just what the doctor ordered.
