In Just 1 Day, HBO’s Easy-to-Binge Series Becomes One of the Most Watched Shows in the World

HBO has been a benchmark for good television for decades, and in 2025, it did it again with The Pitt. The medical drama was a critical hit and just returned for Season 2.

One day after its release on HBO Max, The Pitt officially became one of the biggest shows on streaming, per FlixPatrol. The show returned on Jan. 8 on HBO, a year after the show’s debut on Jan. 9, 2025. The new entry will also feature a 15-episode season.

The Pitt became an instant hit globally, defeating It: Welcome to Derry or the documentary The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story, which had previously topped the charts one day prior. Immediately after its return, The Pitt topped the charts in 59 territories, including the U.S.

Season 1 was a massive success, earning five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Best Drama, Best Leading Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. On Rotten Tomatoes, the spiritual successor to ER earned a 95% approval score from the critics and 87% from the audience.

Season 2 proved that quality and quantity are possible. In an era where critically acclaimed shows take several years to return with a handful of episodes, The Pitt will embark on a new 15-episode run.

The new season also scored very high, with a near-perfect 99% approval score out of 63 reviews. There is no audience score at the time of writing, but the early reviews from the audience are encouraging. However, the audience has a long way to go until it officially decides on a rating by the end of the season.

The Pitt Will Return for Season 3

Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby on The PittImage via HBO Max

One day before The Pitt premiered on Jan. 8, HBO officially confirmed the medical drama would return for Season 3. The announcement took place at Season 2’s premiere at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles. The show’s renewal isn’t a surprise, considering Season 1 has been a smash success. The series also returned to the charts ahead of the release of Season 2.

While Season 1 followed a shift in the emergency room around Labor Day, Season 2 takes place 10 months later on the Fourth of July. It brings back several key characters, including Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, and Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, and Shabana Azeez. Season 2 also welcomes Sepideh Moafi as Dr. Al-Hashimi.

Season 1 did so well that HBO Max developed a new TV strategy. Considering its appeal to critics and audiences, the studio revealed its plans for more shows with more than 15 episodes a season, and a smaller budget, that would return every year. Similar to The Pitt, HBO wanted to apply the same strategy for the upcoming cop drama American Blue and the family drama How to Survive Without Me.

New episodes of The Pitt premiere on HBO every Thursday at 9 pm ET.

Release Date

January 9, 2025

Network

Max

Showrunner

R. Scott Gemmill

Directors

Amanda Marsalis

Writers

Joe Sachs, Cynthia Adarkwa

• Noah Wyle

  Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch

• Tracy Ifeachor

  Dr. Heather Collins