Reality ER show to start shooting second season
Life and Death at VGH is the most popular documentary series in Knowledge Network’s history
If there was ever any doubt about the public’s appetite for gory hospital drama, the Knowledge Network’s series filmed in the emergency department at Vancouver General Hospital killed it.
The $2-million six-part series, Emergency Room: Life and Death at VGH, which aired last year and can still be seen online, was the most popular documentary series in the network’s history. More than 1.2 million viewers watched the series on TV and it has had about 200,000 video plays online.
It received critical acclaim as well — including two Leo Awards and two Canadian Screen Award nominations. Those who publicized the series — the public relations company, Edelman, and a team from Vancouver Coastal Health, also won awards from the International Association of Business Communicators.
So what does a successful TV program do? Create another season of shows, of course. Which is why patients at the VGH emergency department over the next few months will see camera crews as they film 750 hours of human drama to be distilled into six one-hour episodes. Patients may be asked to consent to being filmed because they could appear in the next series of episodes, airing in spring. If they’re unconscious or too ill when admitted, the consent process can take place after the fact.
Michelle de Moor, operations director of the hospital’s ER, said VGH agreed to a second series because it was such a favourable experience the first time.
“The series had a positive impact on staff morale as it showcased their work and dedication, it raised public awareness about the ER and the feedback from patients and the public was also positive.
“In fact, we had no negative feedback from either patients or staff. And there was only one comment from a viewer that we construed as somewhat negative, about long hair (on a health professional) not being tied back, which is a fair comment because it should be.
“So, for the most part, we see only benefits. The series has strong educational value,” she said, noting that at times, the camera crew (of three or four) had to be asked to get out of the way in tight spaces and precarious situations.
Rudy Buttignol, CEO of Knowledge Network, said ethics are top of mind for the network and the company making the series, Lark Productions.
“We’re not using people here for the purposes of entertainment. Hospital staff and patients who don’t want to be filmed aren’t.”
The documentary series is graphic in its portrayal of successful and unsuccessful medical interventions. Viewers aren’t shielded from ineffective treatments and patient deaths. Indeed, in the first season, there were multiple failed attempts to resuscitate patients. Viewers see health professionals trying to restart hearts, taking turns with chest compressions. And when it’s futile, doctors discuss when to step back and let go.
Family members are summoned to watch the last desperate attempts so they know everything has been tried.
For health professionals, there’s no time to process grief or even emotions while they’re on shift.
“This is the tough part,” an ER doctor says after losing a patient, “having to get back to work right away.”
For the second series, a female director, Sheona McDonald, has been hired.
Lark president Louise Clark says while the look and style of the series isn’t likely to change, it’s possible a female director will take a different approach from Kevin Eastwood, the director of the first series who had his own brush with death a couple of years ago.