There have been a variety of short teasers online for Steven Soderbergh’s new stab at TV, period medical drama The Knick, but here comes a slightly longer, more satisfying look. Prepare for blood, guts and Clive Owen being American in the new trailer.
The Knick is set at the turn of the century, following the staff and patients of New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital. Owen plays Dr. John W. Thackery, a man who believes in giving the boundaries of medical science a hearty shove whenever he can. Of course, it was an uphill struggle to evolve the practices of the time, some of which were still rooted in the more barbaric days of yore. But the waiting lists were occasionally shorter, so that’s something.
Cinemax lured Soderbergh to work on the small screen with the promise of creative freedom, and he’s clearly used it to the full with stylish cinematography and a script by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. He’s also eschewed the usual TV conventions – as Cary Fukunaga did with True Detective – and directed every episode.
US audiences will be able to watch this on Cinemax from August 8. UK audiences will have to wait and see when Sky Atlantic decides to bring it across the pond this autumn.