Parents' Guide to

Heartbeat

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Soapy, bloody medical drama lacks a pulse.

TV NBC Drama 2016
Heartbeat Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

BarbaraH 4
BarbaraH 4 Parent of 3, 4 and 9-year-old
April 21, 2016
age 18+

Worthless !!

This program should never be at 8:00 PM with its sexual activity and language. The story line and the acting are both horrible.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

HEARTBEAT is a television medical drama about the life of an unconventional cardiothoracic surgeon. Inspired by real-life surgeon Dr. Kathy Magliano, it stars Melissa George as Dr. Alex Panttiere, a brilliant, brazen, and boundary-breaking doctor who will do everything she can to help her patients. Working alongside her at St. Matthews hospital is fellow surgeon and boyfriend Pierce Harrison (Dave Annable), former mentor and lover Dr. Jesse Shane (Don Hany), and the politically incorrect Dr. Callahan (Jamie Kennedy). Also joining the team is Nurse Ji-Sung (Maya Erskine), psychiatrist Dr. Hackett (played by D.L. Hughley), and Forester (JLouis Mills), a rather eccentric orderly. But as Panttiere brings cutting-edge technology and surgical procedures to the research hospital, she must contend with the hospital's administrator, Millicent Silvano (Shelley Conn). When she's not dealing with the nonstop life-and-death conditions of her patients, she's at home raising her two kids with the help of her gay ex-husband and rock star Max (played by Joshua Leonard). It's a complicated life but one that brings her a lot of satisfaction along the way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

The mildly dramatic, soapy medical series combines narratives about treating illness, hospital politics, and complicated romantic entanglements. However, these stories quickly flatline, failing to create the intensity necessary to make them compelling. Meanwhile, some of the casts' stereotypical behaviors make them feel more like caricatures rather than professionals you’d want to see in an operating room.

As with any doctor-themed show, it offers lots of unique life-threatening conditions, novel techniques, and modern medical miracles. But attempts to highlight the actual doctoring feel halfhearted and are hard to take seriously thanks to the show's endless array of predictable moments. Some folks may find it entertaining enough to watch, but overall, it lacks a healthy pulse.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about medical dramas. What makes them appealing to audiences? Do you think what goes on on these shows resembles the real lives of medical professionals?

  • Is it ever appropriate to use stereotypes as a way of offering comic relief?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate