Black Box (TV series)

Cast and characters

Kelly Reilly stars as Dr. Catherine Black, a top neurologist hiding her bipolar disorder. Ditch Davey plays Chief of Neurosurgery Dr. Ian Bickman, and David Ajala is Catherine’s boyfriend, chef Will Van Renseller. Ali Wong portrays radiologist Dr. Lina Lark.

Laura Fraser and David Chisum appear as Regan and Josh Black, with Siobhan Williams as Esme Black, Catherine’s niece who is secretly her daughter. Terry Kinney plays Dr. Owen Morley, chief of staff and Catherine’s former mentor, while Vanessa Redgrave is her psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hartramph. Additional cast includes Tasso Feldman, Alex Hernandez, David Rasche, Rachel Brosnahan, Olivia Birkelund, Audrey Esparza, Aja Naomi King, Edward Herrmann, and Sepideh Moafi.

Production

Writer Michael Madden joined the series after winning the 1st Annual Happy Writers Working Writers Contest from Stage 32, also serving as a medical consultant. Madden had previously worked as Clinical Director of the New York Hospital-Cornell Burn Center and Director of Trauma at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Outdoor scenes were filmed on the Columbia University campus on December 3, 2013, and at Wave Hill in Riverdale, New York on March 31, 2014.

Critical reception

Brian Lowry of Variety criticized the show's familiar premise, comparing it to House, but praised Kelly Reilly's performance and the music. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter called the series overly silly, criticizing its acting, writing, and visual presentation. Jessica Johnson of Time Out found the blend of psychological drama and medical procedural ineffective, describing it as a dull, preachy PSA on bipolar disorder. Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times termed the series a well-intended mess with preposterous medical emergencies and flickers of ingenuity.

Did You Know?

• The series was co-produced by Ilene Chaiken, Bryan Singer, Oliver Obst, and Anne Thomopoulos.
• Dr. Catherine Black's mother, who also had bipolar disorder, committed suicide.