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Remember MERCY STREET? It was a valiant attempt by PBS to showcase American drama in a brand well known for importing great British drama. Set during the American Civil War and based on Mary Phinney von Olnhausen’s memoir The Adventures of an Army Nurse, MERCY STREET ran for twelve episodes in 2016 and 2017. The ensemble cast featured, among others, Gary Cole, Josh Radnor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. It was exec produced by Ridley Scott and a few other critically acclaimed folks. Based on talent and bona fides alone, the series should still be running but it was cancelled after two seasons.

What you see below is a DVD collection of the first season. Based on the packaging, it’s not a commercially available DVD set but one made for PBS stations as either a pledge premium or series screener.

Wednesday Trivia Question

In what state was the series MERCY STREET set?

MERCY STREET may end up being a footnote in the history of PBS programming but the short-lived (two seasons, 12 total episodes) American-made program had promise – and some interesting names attached (Ridley Scott was an executive producer and the series starred Gary Cole, Josh Radner and Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Critics treated it favorably but it just couldn’t catch the excitement of an audience seemingly eager only for more DOWNTON ABBEY. 

The show was set during the American Civil War at a Union hospital and went above and beyond to be historically and medically accurate. And perhaps that was the problem as the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes pointed out the “intriguing setting and talented cast can’t compensate for the overall lack of excitement in a period drama that’s traditional to a fault.”

Wednesday Trivia Question

What was the name of the American period medical drama series set during the Civil War that ran for twelve episodes on PBS?

A few years ago, PBS decided to get on the episodic drama and not just let the Brits have all the fun. The resulting program was created by Lisa Wolfinger and David Zabel. Ridley Scott was an executive producer. The acting ensemble included the likes of Gary Cole, Donna Murphy, Josh Radnor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and AnnaSophia Robb. The drama took viewers “beyond the battlefield and into the lives of a distinctive cast of characters — doctors, nurses, contraband laborers and Southern loyalists — realizing the chaotic world of Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia and the Mansion House Hospital in the early years of the Civil War.” It received generally favorable reviews but was cancelled after two seasons in 2017.

Sounds Familiar

“A better world is coming.” – Mary Phinney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Mercy Street

Have Mercy

A while back, I mentioned that an upcoming PBS series was looking for extras. I’m not certain if they found what they were looking for in that area but they’ve sure found their stars!

Mercy Street, a new Civil War-based drama set to air on PBS next year, will feature Mary Elizabeth Winstead (The Returned), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Gary Cole (Veep, The Good Wife), among others, in leading roles. You may recognize the names but not from shows on PBS. That’s because the six-part series is the first American drama to air on PBS in more than a decade.

Mercy Street is being filmed on location in Virginia and follows two volunteer nurses on opposing sides of the Civil War. “It’s an honor to be able to tell the exciting stories of real experiences and struggles of the war,” said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS. “I know this talented and diverse cast and crew will be able to bring Mercy Street to life on screen.”

Look for Mercy Street in winter 2016 on UNC-TV.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Nurse Mary Phinney and Josh Radnor as Jedediah Foster in Mercy Street