During PBS' portion of the TCA press tour, PBS head Paula Kerger announced a new Civil War hospital drama from Ridley Scott.
The drama is not named, will be added to PBS' 2016 slate of shows, and will air on Sunday nights. Based on true stories and set in Alexandria, Virginia, it follows two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the Civil War — one a New England abolitionist, one a willful young Confederate belle — in a family-owned hotel turned Union hospital. The show will have an initial six-episode order.
Kerger said, "We do really great history documentaries, but for a lot of people the best way to bring them into these stories is through drama. We're not going to do a drama for drama sake… our goal is not just to entertain, but to educate and inspire.
It kind of sounds like a mix of any sitcom where two opposites have to live/work together, and Downton Abbey.
Speaking of Downtown Abbey, Season 6 will debut in January of 2016, but Kerger declined to discuss the future of the show past that. I'm still not over the death of Matthew Crawley.
