In a new interview, Red Band Society actors Octavia Spencer and Dave Annable discuss what brought them to the recently premiered series.
Fox’s new drama series Red Band Society premiered last night, introducing viewers to the inhabitants of Ocean Park Hospital. There we meet a group of teenagers, joined by their illnesses, and the nurses and doctors who take care of them.
Related: Red Band Society season 1, episode 1 recap
Speaking to E! Online, Octavia Spencer (Nurse Jackson) and Dave Annable (Dr. McAndrew) define what makes Red Band Society so special.
“What differentiates us from the masses is if you compare us to all the other hospital shows, we’re not a procedural. If you compare us to all the dramas, we’re not a drama. If you compare us to comedies, we’re not a comedy,” Spencer explains. “It’s like a blending of all of these worlds and it happens to center around these kids who have illnesses, very serious illnesses. It’s not about them being sick, it’s about the bonds they’ve created as they navigate the sickness through their adolescents.”
Annable adds that the show is, “About life, not death. It’s about appreciating your relationships you have and that are forming. I just really think it’s something special and I think that people will really relate to the message behind it.”
In the pilot episode, we saw the main child characters band together to form the “red band society,” as Leo (Charlie Rowe) named it. But of course, it’s not all about the kids.
“You can’t have a hospital show with just a bunch of kids running amok,” Spencer says. “The wonderful thing is while it centers around these kids, it’s a pediatrics hospital, and you still have to have a stabilizing force in the adults.”
Related: Octavia Spencer talks Red Band Society, diversity with Hypable
Spencer goes on to explain that because the parents of the sick children are often absent, the hospital staff kind of take over that role for them.
Speaking to Hollywood Life, Spencer also previews what we can expect to see from Nurse Jackson.
“I think that there’s a mystery there,” she teases. “You want to know why this woman is the way she is and why she chose to be a caregiver. […] I think what you’ll learn about her as the season progresses is why she chose this line of work. You will determine whether or not she has a heart of gold or if she has a cold, cold heart.”
Have you watched the pilot episode of Red Band Society yet? And if so, what did you think? The show returns next Wednesday with season 1, episode 2, “Sole Searching.”