Medical drama draws to close
Race riots. Rape. Child Prostitution. Immigration. Politics. These are some of the topics The Night Shift has tackled over three seasons.
Now the fourth and final season of the medical drama series is set to bring another hot topic to the small screen: veteran care.
‘‘We’ve been trying to tackle this issue for quite some time,’’ says Jill Flint, who plays Dr Jordan Alexander.
‘‘We can send people off to war and we have all this money to send them there. But there is no money or a solid programme for when they get back.’’
The show follows the lives of the doctors and staff members who work the overnight shift in the emergency room at San Antonio Memorial Hospital.
The majority of the doctors and staff are back in the civilian world after a few tours in Afghanistan.
Many of the characters, such as Dr TC Callahan, played by Eoin Macken, have their own struggles to overcome.
Callahan is a former army medic and Ranger from Baltimore who witnessed his brother’s death in Afghanistan.
After being discharged, he returned with post-traumatic stress disorder and his relationship with Alexander ended.
‘‘TC has been away from San Antonio,’’ Macken says of beginning the fourth season. ‘‘He’s off on a mission and it helps him. He’s actually on a journey of escapism. TC doesn’t want to face what’s happened to other characters or to Jordan. He’s trying to run away from anything.’’
Though set in San Antonio, the series is filmed in Albuquerque and housed at Albuquerque Studios. Production on the fourth season began in April and concluded in July. This season consists of 10 episodes.
Macken says one episode this season will feature real veterans.
‘‘I think what they’ve done really beautifully in the show is that they have always had an important topic in the show,’’ Macken says. ‘‘They’ve invited Michelle Obama. In this episode we’re doing, Tim Busfield is directing and it’s all veterans that is in it. What’s great about this show is that it touches on all the issues, but it’s still fun at the same time and you care about the characters. It touches on stuff that is very relevant and I think that’s important and they do it in a way that’s not preachy and it allows you to have a conversation.’’ - TNS
‘‘What’s great about this show is that it touches on all the issues, but it’s still fun at the same time and you care about the characters.’’ Eoin Macken
The Night Shift 11pm, Mondays from November 6, Three.