Move over, Seattle Grace and Princeton-Plainsboro doctors (that's where Grey's Anatomy and House are set if you don't catch the reference). Nurse Jackie is set to join the throng of medical-set series on television. The dark comedy starring Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Edie Falco is set to premiere tonight on Showtime.
On Nurse Jackie, Falco plays "flawed" and "strong-willed, iconoclastic" emergency room nurse in a New York City hospital who has to juggle "patients, doctors, fellow nurses and her own indiscretions" in a series that Showtime described as "at turns wicket, heartbreaking, and funny." Nurse Jackie also apparently has a weakness for Vicodin and Adderall to get through her rough days.
The series also stars Peter Facinelli of Twilight fame as likeable "golden boy" Dr. Cooper whose calm disposition hides something hideous, Paul Schulze as Jackie's pharmacy tech lover Eddie, and Haaz Slieman as her gay coworker Mo-Mo.
On the series premiere, veteran ER nurse Jackie Peyton bends the rules to create something good from a patient's senseless death, while concealing her addition to a painkiller she gets from her secret boyfriend.
The highly touted half-hour medical comedy will follow the heavily anticipated return of Weeds'
fifth season.
Forty-five-year-old Falco, of course, is best known for her role as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series
The Sopranos. Her
Nurse Falco boyfriend Edie, meanwhile, is played by Schulze, who was also on
The Sopranos and played Father Phil Intintola, who was very fond of Carmela. Falco received the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for Drama three times, 1999, 2001, and 2003; and the Golden Globe counterpart twice, in 2000 and 2003. She was nominated for the Emmy three more times.
"Guys' stories tend to be about conquests -- getting the job, winning the Olympics, whatever," said Nurse Jackie creator Liz Brixius. "Women stories aren't as immediately climactic so they need to play out over the course of three months ... And every medical show out there has been about doctors. Doctors are absolutely unable to do what they have to do without nurses. We want to tell those stories."
- Glenn Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Showtime
(Image courtesy of Showtime)