Red Band Society

This article is about the American series. For the Catalan series on which it is based, see Polseres vermelles.
Red Band Society
Genre
Based on Polseres vermelles by Albert Espinosa
Developed by Margaret Nagle
Starring
Narrated by Griffin Gluck
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Location(s) Atlanta, Georgia
Running time 42–44 minutes
Production company(s)
Broadcast
Original channel Fox
Picture format 720p (16:9 HDTV)
Audio format Surround
Original run September 17, 2014 – February 7, 2015
External links
Website

Red Band Society is an American teen medical comedy-drama television series on Fox for the 2014–15 American television season developed by Margaret Nagle. The series premiered on September 17, 2014.[1]

Based upon the Spanish drama series Pulseras Rojas, the series is a dramedy focused on a group of teenagers living together as patients in a hospital's pediatric ward.[2] This is the first medical series to focus on hospital patients.

On November 26, 2014, it was confirmed the show would stop production after its original 13-episode order, and the show was pulled from the schedule after episode 10.[3]

On January 13, 2015, Fox announced that the series was cancelled. The final three remaining episodes began airing on January 31. The last two remaining episodes aired as a two-hour finale on February 7, 2015.[4]

Cast and characters

Main

Main cast at the premier event, from left to right: Brian Bradley (Astro), Dave Annable, Nolan Sotillo, Ciara Bravo, Griffin Gluck, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Zoe Levin, Octavia Spencer, and Charlie Rowe.

Recurring

Guest Stars

Development

A remake of Polseres vermelles, known in English as The Red Band Society, was originally developed for ABC in 2011 by Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, but the network chose to not move forward after first production stages.[5] In November 2013, Fox announced a new project to bring an adaptation of the Catalan television show in the United States held by Warm Springs and Boardwalk Empire writer Margaret Nagle.[5] On January 17, 2014, the project received a pilot order, plus additional backup scripts.[5]

On May 6, 2014, Fox picked up the pilot with a series order for the 2014–15 season.[2]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Alfonso Gomez-RejonTeleplay and Television Story by:
Margaret Nagle
September 17, 20144.10[6]
Queen bee Kara collapses during cheerleading practice and is admitted to Ocean Park Hospital, where she meets and clashes with some of the other residents of the pediatric ward – Charlie, Emma, Leo, and Dash. Jordi, who believes that he has osteosarcoma, has run away from home to be treated by Dr. Adam McAndrew and after some hesitation, he is admitted. He is scheduled to have his leg removed the next day and bonds with Leo, who has also lost his leg to cancer.
2"Sole Searching"Jason EnslerMargaret NagleSeptember 24, 20143.43[7]
During Jordi's operation, Dr. McAndrew finds that the cancer had spread and was a more serious type than they had originally thought. Upon finding out that Jordi gets to keep his leg, Leo becomes jealous and blows off physical therapy to attend a frat party. Kara's mother arrives at the hospital with her partner, whom Kara despises, and they try to brainstorm ways to move Kara up on the organ donor list. Emma tries to get Kara and her Moms to make amends.
3"Liar, Liar Pants on Fire"Tricia BrockStory by: David Zabel
Teleplay by: Alison McDonald & Robert Sudduth
October 1, 20143.53[8]
Everyone is confused when Jordi's mother, Eva, shows up at the hospital after he had told them all that she had previously died. She was also the woman that Dr. McAndrew had encountered at a bar the night before. Eva is shown to have been an absentee mother who had left Jordi with his grandmother at a young age and Jordi is skeptical of her sudden interest in parenting. Dr. McAndrew tries to initiate amends in the light of Jordi's cancer diagnosis. Meanwhile, Leo tries to make things right with Emma, after he picks up on how close Emma and Jordi are becoming. Also, Nurse Jackson keeps a close eye on Kara to make sure she stays drug-free before her drug test.
4"There's No Place Like Homecoming"Elizabeth Allen RosenbaumBill Krebs & Natalie KrinskyOctober 8, 20142.92[9]
Kara is excited to return to school and attend homecoming, under the supervision of Nurse Brittany, who also invites introvert Emma. Leo is revealed to have received an athletic scholarship to Stanford before he lost a leg to cancer. Wanting to get back to his sport as soon as possible, Nurse Jackson arranges for some special training. At the dance, Kara is furious when she realizes that everyone now pities her. Leo also shows up to the dance to keep Emma company. Emma meets two girls who praise her super skinny figure, which does nothing to help her anorexia. Meanwhile, Jordi starts to enjoy having his mother around, although Nurse Jackson feels very differently. After seeing the realities of Jordi's condition, Eva slips away from the hospital at night while Jordi watches from his window, realizing that his mother had never really changed.
5"So Tell Me What You Want What You Really Really Want"Dan LernerAnna FrickeOctober 15, 20143.17[10]
Charlie's backstory is explained and the storyline flashes back to the night that he had gotten into a car accident while his father, Nick, was driving. Nick had unbuckled Charlie's seatbeat for him so he could lie down, right before a truck had struck them. Nurse Jackson was with him the night he went into the operating room and had promised him that she would be there right when he woke up. However, Charlie had extensive injuries and never woke up from surgery, thus resulting in his comatose state. His parents have been estranged ever since. Two legal men show up to assess Charlie's situation and confer that he most likely won't ever wake up. Nurse Jackson refuses to accept this, while his parents slowly come to terms. Jordi starts the emancipation process and a love triangle heats up between him, Leo, and Emma. Kara agrees to help Dash if he gives her inside information about the organ donor list.
6"Ergo Ego"Jason EnslerJeannine RenshawNovember 5, 20142.88[11]
Kara experiences more heart complications. She meets Hunter, a mysterious patient, along the way who seems to be the only one who can leave Kara speechless. Nurse Jackson continues her effort to get alternative treatment for Charlie. Dr. McAndrew's ex-fiancee, Dr. Erin Grace, returns to Ocean Park, sparking jealousy in Brittany, who has found herself with a crush. Things become heated between Leo and Jordi as they wait on Emma's decision as to who she wants to pursue. She chooses Leo and they get back together, Jordi sees them and gets furious. He then runs to the rooftop where Dash tries to calm him down, but Jordi takes his Red Band off and throws it across the roof, leaving Dash speechless. Dr. McAndrew agrees to let a foreign doctor treat Charlie, much to Nurse Jackson's delight. However, he lets her know that switching Charlie's blood samples would cause her to get suspended from the hospital.
7"Know Thyself"Griffin DunneRachel ShukertNovember 12, 20142.83[12]
Dash and Leo wanted to get the entire group together to figure out a way to get Nurse Jackson back into Ocean Park Hospital. However, Leo had also planned for two of his older friends to come visit him. He and Emma leave shortly after Leo receives a text that his friends were 5 minutes away. Hunter comes to tell the others that there were other things that mattered more and brings them on a little adventure. They enter places that only the staff could enter using a stolen pass. Eventually they are caught and they run everywhere to escape from nurses and doctors but they were still busted. Meanwhile, Emma and Leo went to lunch with Leo's friends. Emma, being anorexic, says she is not hungry. Leo's friends seem surprised. When they return to the hospital, things become shaky between Leo and Emma. Leo tries to fix things, and eventually succeeds with the two eating chocolate covered marshmallows. He returns to his ward only to see Dr. McAndrew talking to the others. Dash looks out of breath, however no one had known that he had missed two of his oxygen treatments, causing him to be out of breath. Dash talks back to doctor McAndrew and starts to cough blood. Upon receiving the news, nurse Jackson rushes back to the hospital, and meets doctor McAndrew. Doctor McAndrew informs Jackson that he had lifted her suspension. She goes to see Charlie and finds that his eyes have opened.
8"Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car"Mark PiznarskiBill KrebsNovember 19, 20142.90[13]
Dr. Naday comes to Ocean Park Hospital, although his approach to treatment has Nurse Jackson questioning that decision. Meanwhile, Emma, Dash and Jordi search of the perfect gift, and Kara learns the truth about Hunter.
9"How Did We Get Here?"Tricia BrockGina FattoreNovember 26, 20142.46[14]
Emma and Leo find themselves on the verge of being released from Ocean Park. Leo is ahead of schedule with his physical therapy and Emma convincingly lies to her therapist about her progress with anorexia. Meanwhile, pop star Delaney Shaw checks into the hospital for exhaustion and Dash and Jordi see this as an opportunity to go after some life goals. Nurse Jackson warns Kara against getting further involved with Hunter to avoid getting hurt. Also, Dr. McAndrew wants Dr. Grace back, but ends up sleeping with Brittany, who is left hurt when he tells her that it was nothing but a one-night stand. In the end, while Leo is ordered to stay for another few weeks, Emma is allowed to be released. Her frustrations with everyone, especially Leo, in regards to her eating disorder finally come out and Leo begs her stay to get better, but she leaves her red band behind and says goodbye.
10"What I Did For Love"Todd HollandRina MimounDecember 3, 20143.03[15]
Leo is depressed over Emma's departure and Kara overhears Hunter opting to checkout of the hospital while he waits on a liver. Delaney's friend visits Jordi in hopes of obtaining painkillers and while he initially objects, he later finds out that he needs to come up with the money for emancipation quicker than he thought. Meanwhile, Emma's reunion with her family is rocky. She harbors resentment towards her mother for sparingly visiting her while she was in the hospital and sees how her disorder has affected her younger sister. Her father reveals to her that her grandmother also had an eating disorder and this sends her into a tailspin. Leo and Kara venture out of the hospital and ponder about their futures when they leave Ocean Park. That night, the two hook up in Kara's car. Just as Hunter is about to walk out of the hospital, he is notified that they found him a liver and he has his surgery. Meanwhile, Dr. Neday has made some progress with Charlie, who is now able to communicate through a computer via eye recognition. He also shows some romantic interest in Nurse Jackson, who wants to avoid an inter-office relationship. Brittany is still reeling from her fling with Dr. McAndrew. After Emma's family forces her to have dinner, she locks herself in the bathroom to purge and a little while later, her father finds her passed out on the bathroom floor.
11"The Guilted Age"Dan LernerRobert SudduthJanuary 31, 20151.79[16]
Leo and Kara try to forget that their hookup ever happened, but are stuck feeling guilty when they find out that Emma has been readmitted and Hunter is facing complications from his transplant surgery. Kara finds out that the note Hunter left her is an official document stating that he will donate his heart to her in the event that he doesn't survive the surgery. Dr. Grace wants to appeal, thinking that Kara is undeserving, which (among other things) creates more tension between her and Dr. McAndrew. Emma finds out that her eating disorder might have caused permanent damage to her body and seeks comfort in Leo. Dash suggest that Leo cut ties with Emma so that she'll learn to take of herself first and foremost. He confesses about Kara and Emma kicks him out of her room. Meanwhile, Jordi attends a court hearing for his emancipation case, but is preoccupied about his drug-dealing situation and freezes up. Nurse Jackson speaks on his behalf, but the judge still denies his emancipation. Upon his return to the hospital, he gets a surprise visit from his grandmother. Kara is conflicted about whether or not to accept Hunter's heart, though Ashley tells her to not deny him his dying wish. Kara also shares a moment with Emma. Later, Kara sneaks into Hunter room to say that she loves him and he opens his eyes, but then the machines go off as his heart rate starts to plummet. Hunter is taken into the operating room, but ultimately cannot be saved. An inconsolable Ashley breaks down in Kara's arms. While preparing for Leo's discharge, Dr. McAndrew notices that the cancer has returned.
12"We'll Always Have Paris"Robert Duncan McNeillStory by: Alison McDonald
Teleplay by: Gina Fattore & Anna Fricke
February 7, 20151.74[17]
As Kara is undergoing a heart transplant in real-life, she finds herself in the in-between world with Hunter. Hunter explains that he has some time left before "going into the light" and suggests that they go on a little trip. They start off watching Kara's body in the operating room, but when Hunter asks about a happy time in Kara's life, they transport to Paris. After their time together, Kara doesn't want to leave Hunter, but he gives her a speech on the importance of life, after which she wakes up from surgery. A temporary patient named Mae shows up at the hospital, putting Dash on alert. They had started an online relationship on a cystic fibrosis forum, but he avoids her as their conditions don't allow them to be actually be together. Charlie is regaining his motor skills and Dr. Naday has him playing video games. He also tries to make progress with Nurse Jackson, who's mind is still preoccupied with what happened to Hunter. Meanwhile, Jordi's grandmother Alma has taken a disliking to Dr. McAndrew while he's still trying to get her to sign off on the surgery. However, Jordi later tells Dr. Andrew that he doesn't want it anymore, no longer believing that he can get better (due to the recent cases with Hunter and Leo). Alma then expresses her disappointment in Jordi losing his faith, which causes him to reconsider. At the end, Jordi decides to give Leo, who has been depressed and silent since he got the news about his cancer, a pep talk and is the one that's finally able to get through to him about continuing to fight their battles.
13"Waiting for Superman"Jason EnslerJeannine RenshawFebruary 7, 20151.88[17]
Dash and Mae sneak off to be together, but are caught by Kenji and Brittany, who end up employing security guards to keep them apart. Emma's parents are visiting for a family therapy session, but Emma's continued resentment towards her mother dismissing her anorexia is in the way of the family making progress. After a failed trust fall exercise and an argument with Emma in the bathroom, Emma's mother almost leaves the hospital until Brittany has a talk with her in the elevator. It is only her mother returns that Emma is able to have a deep conversation with her. Kara is also having problems with her mother, who tells her that she still needs to learn to change for the better. Kara does take it to heart. Charlie is now able to move about in a wheelchair and Nurse Jackson thanks Dr. Naday for everything before he jets off to meet with his next patient. Meanwhile, Leo is pessimistic about beating cancer for a second time and it's hard for him to have been the one to hold everyone up, until Mae tells him that he doesn't always have to be invincible like Superman. After they escape their rooms to see each other, Dash reluctantly ends it with Mae for their own safety. The "red band society", including Charlie, reunite on the roof one last time and start singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want", which results in Charlie speaking for the first time since the coma. Later that night, he is discharged from Ocean Park. The series ends with Dr. McAndrew and Nurse Jackson acknowledging that the hardest part of their occupations is knowing that everyone eventually leaves, though they themselves will always stay.

Reception

Red Band Society has received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show holds a rating of 60%, based on 47 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Its premise may be questionable and its light-hearted tone is occasionally overbearing, but Red Band Society succeeds on the strength of its young characters."[18] On Metacritic, the show has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[19]

Ratings

No. Title Air date Ratings/Share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
18-49
DVR Viewers
(millions)
Total
18-49
Total Viewers
(millions)
1 "Pilot" September 17, 2014 1.3/4[6] 4.10[6] N/A N/A N/A N/A
2 "Sole Searching" September 24, 2014 1.1/3[7] 3.43[7] 0.9 2.36 2.0 5.79[20]
3 "Liar, Liar Pants on Fire" October 1, 2014 1.1/3[8] 3.33[8] 0.8 N/A 1.9[21] N/A
4 "There's No Place Like Homecoming" October 8, 2014 0.9/3[9] 2.92[9] 0.8 N/A 1.7[22] N/A
5 "So Tell Me What You Want What You Really Really Want" October 15, 2014 1.0/3[10] 3.17[10] 0.7 N/A 1.7[23] N/A
6 "Ergo Ego" November 5, 2014 0.9/3[11] 2.88[11] 0.7 N/A 1.6[24] N/A
7 "Know Thyself" November 12, 2014 0.9/3[12] 2.83[12] N/A N/A N/A N/A
8 "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" November 19, 2014 0.9/3[13] 2.90[13] 0.6 N/A 1.5[25] N/A
9 "How Did We Get Here?" November 26, 2014 0.7/2[14] 2.46[14] N/A N/A N/A N/A
10 "What I Did For Love" December 3, 2014 0.9/3[15] 3.03[15] 0.6 N/A 1.5[26] N/A
11 "The Guilted Age" January 31, 2015 0.5/2[16] 1.79[16] N/A N/A N/A N/A
12 "We'll Always Have Paris" February 7, 2015 0.5/2[17] 1.74[17] N/A N/A N/A N/A
13 "Waiting for Superman" February 7, 2015 0.5/2[17] 1.88[17] N/A N/A N/A N/A

Cancellation and aftermath

After the airing of the show's pilot, it was said that the series would be canceled if its poor ratings continued. Due to this, Fox took the show off its Wednesday schedule after its tenth episode. Fans waged a strong social media campaign, while a change.org petition gained 37,000 signatures as of April 2015. Despite this, on January 13, 2015, FOX announced the series' cancellation after one season. Fox attempted to have the series run in the summer and lower the licensing fee, but ABC could not come to an agreement, thus the series was axed. Fox also tried to save the series by shopping it to other networks but none were interested.[27]

A month later, an Italian spin-off of the series, Braccialetti Rossi, was reported to be earning strong ratings in its Sunday time slot. Due to this news, speculations arose that a possible reboot to the American version, but it is unclear whether a reboot is possible.

References

  1. Bibel, Sara. "FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates for the 2014-2015 Season; 'Red Band Society' Launches Early, 'Sleepy Hollow' & 'Gotham' on September 22". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Goldberg, Leslye (May 6, 2014). "Fox Orders Lee Daniels' Hip-Hop Drama, Octavia Spencer's 'Red Band Society' to Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  3. Nellie Andreeva (November 26, 2014). "'Red Band Society' Pulled From Schedule, Will Stop Production After 13 Episodes" (Press release). Deadline News. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  4. DuBois, Lauren. "'Red Band Society' Cancelled? FOX Confirms Show Will Air Final Three Episodes, Find Out Show's Surprising New Timeslot". ENSTARZ. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2014). "Fox Makes First Orders Under New Model: "Series Prototype" For 'Red Band Society', "Further Investment" For 'Runner'". Deadline. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bibel, Sara (September 18, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'America's Got Talent' Adjusted Up; 'The Mysteries of Laura', 'Extant' & 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Kondolojy, Amanda (September 25, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'The Middle', 'The Goldbergs', 'Modern Family', 'Law and Order: SVU', & 'Red Band Society' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Kondolojy, Amanda (October 2, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'The Middle', 'The Goldbergs', 'Modern Family', 'Law and Order: SVU', & 'Red Band Society' First Estimate Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2014). "Revised Wednesday, October 8 Final Ratings: 'The Flash' Encore Adjusted Up; 'The Middle', 'The Goldbergs', 'Modern Family', 'black-ish' & 'Nashville' Adjusted Down". Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'The Mysteries of Laura', 'Modern Family' & 'Red Band Society' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Kondology, Amanda (November 6, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'Arrow', 'The Mysteries of Laura' & 'Chicago P.D.' Adjusted Up; 'The 100' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Bibel, Sara (November 13, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'Modern Family' Adjusted Up; 'The 100' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Kondolojy, Amanda (November 20, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'Stalker' Adjusted Down + No Adjustment for 'The 100', 'Red Band Society' or 'Nashville'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Kondolojy, Amanda (December 1, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' Rebroadcast Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Kondolojy, Amanda (December 4, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: No Adjustment for 'Arrow', 'Modern Family' or 'The 100'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Kondolojy, Amanda (February 2, 2015). "TV Ratings Saturday: 'NFL Honors' Up Year-to-Year + 'Red Band Society' Makes Weak Saturday Debut". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Bibel, Sara (February 8, 2015). "TV Ratings Saturday: 'Red Band Society' Finale Flat, '48 Hours' Rises & Ties 'Dateline Saturday Night Mystery'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  18. "Red Band Society: Season 1 Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster Inc. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  19. "Red Band Society: Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  20. Andreeva, Nellie (October 13, 2014). "Premiere Week Live+7 Ratings: NBC, CBS Win Network Race, 'Gotham', 'How To Get Away With Murder' Lead DVR Gains". Deadline. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  21. Kondolojy, Amanda (October 20, 2014). "'How to Get Away With Murder' Has Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'Parenthood' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week Ending October 5". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  22. Bibel, Sara (October 27, 2014). "'How to Get Away With Murder' & 'Modern Family' Have Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'Red Band Society' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week Ending October 12". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  23. Bibel, Sara (November 3, 2014). "'How to Get Away With Murder' & 'The Big Bang Theory' Have Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'New Girl' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week Ending October 19". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  24. Kondolojy, Amanda (November 24, 2014). "'The Big Bang Theory' Has Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'The Originals' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Leads Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week 7 Ending November 9". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  25. Bibel, Sara (December 8, 2014). "'Modern Family' Has Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'Reign' Tops Percentage Gains & 'The Big Bang Theory' Leads Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week 8 Ending November 16". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  26. Bibel, Sara (December 22, 2014). "'Modern Family' Has Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings & Viewership Increase; 'Constantine' & 'The Vampire Diaries' Top Percentage Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week 11 Ending December 7". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  27. "'Red Band Society' Dead After Attempts To Continue It On Fox & Elsewhere Fail"

External links