User reviews

Why are summer shows frequently better than the regular season? Furthermore, why are many of the British and Canadian shows better? Is it the actors' training, the scripts, all of the above?

In any case, I think that Combat Hospital has excellent scripts and great acting. Anyone who thinks this is a M*A*S*H knock-off is very mistaken.

I understand the concern expressed by the Canadian veteran, but I respectfully disagree. I think that more people need to be reminded of the sacrifice our Coalition forces are making. I think that it is more likely that people will watch a drama vs another documentary. I believe that it shows a caring and concerned medical staff.

I hope it gets picked up for the fall season.

During the time this drama is set, I was deployed to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center as a member of the USAF medical corps. While a number of the depicted situations weren't perfectly accurate, they did portray the essence of combat medicine and captured many of the emotional dynamics as well.

I liked very much how the many conditions and dynamics of deployment were at least broached: insurgents, local terps, illicit recreational sex, lesbian (bisexual?)soldiers, military politics, reaching out to locals and some of the inherent trust issues that exist on both sides, and the heartbreaking violence requisite of life during wartime.

Not all kudos here, for the writing and character development could have been better, and had the tendency to lapse into stereotypical characterizations, i.e., arrogant surgeon (Dr. Hill), idealistic internist (Dr. Trang), over-achiever female surgeon (Dr. Gordon), and no-nonsense commander (Dr. Marks). Also a number of plot twists disappointed for their already-done expectedness in other media.

I appreciated this show and its complex elements; of course the medicine wasn't perfect nor were the uniforms/military protocol, but all in all, it was a rather insightful look into military medicine at its finest--saving lives under the incredible pressures of war. Additionally, I do make the note which must be bared in mind: Hollywood (or Toronto), rarely depicts occupations and their intricacies accurately simply for lack of dramatic effect. It is the provenance of the creative arts to take license with 'the truth.'

All said, I enjoyed this show and was able to comfortably relive some events from my own life, which was an engaging experience. For a fairly comprehensive look into combat hospital life, check out the 2008 documentary by Terry Sanders, "Fighting For Life" filmed at stateside and in-theater military hospitals.

Finally, in reading the varied reviews here, I find the disinterest/criticism of certain comments to be less about the content of the show and more reflective a commentary on the American (and Canadian)public's apathy toward these wars and its less than one percent of Americans engaged in them. I hope some entity will find the wherewithal to reincarnate this show and bring this much-needed perspective back on air in the future.

I've tried a lot of new shows over the years, and have found one thing... as I re-watch early episodes of my favorite shows, rarely is a hit born overnight, and rarely would I have stuck with even my most favorite show (LOST) after the first few episodes alone.

There's a lot of ground work to be laid with Combat Hospital, but I like the casting,and am anxious to see some potential story lines evolve further. It has enough to engage me - I was looking forward to the second episode this week and sought it out deliberately.

Haven't said that about many shows this last year.

We'll see how it evolves but so far, it has my vote!

I also did a tour in Kandahar and I have to say the other solider who posted on here is a little dramatic. A little too Army I say. It's a TV show and they're doing they're best to tell life like stories of what goes on at Role 3. I was in KAF and Forward Op bases and all over the province of Kandahar. and spent some time in Role 3, they do a pretty darn good job of showing what it's really like there. I think the acting is good, stories are good and I really quite enjoy watching the show and hope they come back for a second season. And to my soldier friend below relax and don't watch it. Overall great show, keep it going.

i found this to be a brilliant drama portraying life and drama around a combat hospital. it is nothing like m.a.s.h and how anyone can compare it to it is ridiculous . but i was very disappointed to hear that there wasn't a second series and personally feel this should be reconsidered. i found it helps to portray the stress and the life that our forces have to deal with every day and how their lives live on the edge every minute of every hour of every day yes it has some not so factual element's but don't most dramas at least this one has more elements of truth than most dramas. I'm proud of our men and women that are deployed over seas and i think that it was a great idea for this series to of been made just a shame there isn't going to be another series

This show is reminiscent of *M*A*S*H insofar as the effect of being a hospital in an active war zone, but has very little of the comedy associated with it.

It's very hard to judge an entire show based on just a few episodes, but I liked both of them a lot, enough to look forward to the 3rd episode.

For those of you that might be intimately familiar with such surroundings, it might not seem worthwhile to watch this show, but for those of us that only know 2nd hand, it might help us to understand them better.

The first episode follows a medical staff composed of people from various English speaking countries in a military hospital near Kandahar in 2006. A show that at first glance might remind you of M*A*S*H yet probably resembles something along the lines of the short-lived Off the Map which premiered also not too long ago on ABC.

The Canadian show depicts a war that the US is still currently waging. However this aspect is used more simply as a backdrop while the show concentrates on the more typical medical drama aspects. The cast is all around likable and talented enough and Borth is charming enough to get by.

The pilot was pretty basic and lacked substance although I do see potential in certain story lines. Overall it felt old fashioned brought nothing new to the table. With a little more imagination i'm sure this show could do just fine, however there is so far not much incentive to return to the show.

This is a Canadian production. It's best described as MASH in Afghanistan. It looks at life of a medical team in a base in Afghanistan. The bigger stars in the cast include Elias Koteas, Michelle Borth, and Deborah Kara Unger. They are pretty good group of professional actors. Most of them are TV veterans.

The production value is above par for a Canadian production but less than their US compatriots. Considering that they're trying to replicate Afghanistan in Canada, it's probably as good as it could get. It lasted only 13 episodes. Certainly they could stretch it out longer but I can see why they canceled it.

I just found this drama series and completed the first season to find out that there was only 1 season and I am really shocked. This is a great drama about the pain, loss and hardships that are suffered during present day war times. There was also love and happiness during such difficult times. I am not saying that every thing is accurate but we don't need it to be. This is a great drama series and would love to see 10 seasons of it. Really disappointed they didn't continue it. One of the best drama series I have seen in a very long time. Break them back and continue where you left off. Army Veteran - Hoo'ah

The first few episodes kept my interest but lately it seems to be the same story lines. And the characters don't seem to be developing as the episodes progress. I don't like Simon's character at all and if his character is suppose to add some comic relief to the series, all I can say is "epic fail". Also, it would have made more sense to run this series while the war was active but now that we're pulling out, it just doesn't seem to fit with current events.

And what's with all the commercials?! 5 minutes of show followed by 5 minutes of commercials for a whole hour. If I stop watching this show, it will be b/c of the commercials. Even with my PVR, I am getting sick of FF every 5 minutes....

My wife and I both served with the US Air Force medical services. This show is written with a very real understanding and sympathy for what all soldiers of any nation go through. It accurately presents every single emotion and emotional state the very real people who perform these jobs go through on a daily basis! It is presented with respect, compassion, honor and forgiveness. It reminds that courage is action in the presence of fear, and that faith is a choice in the midst of doubt. That in the end, it's all about people... and how we choose to treat them.

In Combat Hospital, it's not just the broken bodies that get healed.

I watched the first 4 episodes of Combat Hospital and was underwhelmed with this new show. There appears to be very little character development done and only one storyline per episode. The writing is poor at best. Thanks to Canadian content laws we will see lots of this show as there does not appear to be other Canadian made shows to replace it....yet. There are some interesting characters in the show but the lead actress Michelle Borth is not lead material. She does not have what it takes to carry this show. Elias Koteas is a fine actor and does a great job of portraying Col Xavier Marks. Writer Gub Neal has done some fine writing in the past but the episodes he wrote for this show are lacking.

I would have a hard time recommending this show to anyone.

Well....I am up for new shows and thought this was worth watching. Sad to say, it is just too hard to get through. The acting is fine and all.....but for some one who has been to Afghanistan multiple times, I was hoping for something more realistic. The story lines have no depth and the scenes are unrealistic. Example....episode 2 starts with a tarantula walking across the shower wall and the Canadian Doctor shoots it. Later it is referred to as a camel spider. Anyone who has seen a camel spider knows what they look like and they are very aggressive. That was no camel spider. The show is not gritty and not powerful enough to get veterans to watch it and be impressed. Maybe that isn't the focus group intended....but that is the group really passing judgment. Suggestion for the producers/writers and directors.....go for something along the line of The Unit if you can't muster up HBO quality (The Wire/Rome for example). The Unit was exciting to watch, good story line and fine acting....even close to something that is realistic. Too bad it got cut as the story line was just developing. Just hope this show gets better....still watching and jury is still out.

Combat Hospital is where M*A*SH left off, in a way. I am expecting a HORSE-M*A*S*H episode with the old school cavalry (how Potter rode away to come back someday). In 1999, after eight years my being an EMT-P and starting Civilian /Military rescue training near Great Lakes ,Illinois. I had to go good-Samaritan leave(before 9-11)to take full time out from rescue and, cull the field(horse stock) of my horseshoeing business and care for my then 90 year old parents day-in-day-out. I always followed M*A*S*H re-runs. Then alone I moved back to New Mexico desert four years and found your show very, very understandable at my age 55+. I want to be on this shows' set someday. Though I do not yet see the charm form the Hollywood movie that led to M*A*S*H; COMBAT HOSPITAL is (and can be) more graphic as reality sets in for the brave, mobile and tactical army.

Are viewers ready for another 'doctor show'? Are they ready for a show that deals with a situation that dominates the nightly news? Regardless of recent activities abroad, it's obvious that the producers are only interested in recouping their investment.

While some may 'try' to compare the show to a past military themed comedy, the show smacks of a road map to 'China Beach'. It's hardly a comedy and it doesn't take a writing wizard to figure out that the most successful shows that have a theme that encompasses a particular military conflict are usually written and produced several years after the fact so as not to inflame relatively fresh wounds. Completely bad timing! But who can expect writers and producers to figure that out? I do – if they're Canadian. Only US producers make mistakes like this.

Anyone that's been to Afghanistan, (three years here), knows that the show is quite unrealistic in many respects. No need to go into details, because there are so many.

I watched the first 4 episodes of Combat Hospital and was underwhelmed with this new show. There appears to be very little character development done and only one storyline per episode. The writing is poor at best. Thanks to Canadian content laws we will see lots of this show as there does not appear to be other Canadian made shows to replace it....yet. There are some interesting characters in the show but the lead actress Michelle Borth is not lead material. She does not have what it takes to carry this show. Elias Koteas is a fine actor and does a great job of portraying Col Xavier Marks. Writer Gub Neal has done some fine writing in the past but the episodes he wrote for this show are lacking.

I would have a hard time recommending this show to anyone.

As a medic in the Army, I served in Iraq for 12 months. While in Iraq, I worked in the Emergency Room of a Combat Support Hospital (CSH). I believe this qualifies me to express that this show is a complete joke. There are too many flaws to even comment about. It as if they sacrificed all reality just to create some drama. I think if this show accurately depicted what really goes on in a combat hospital, it would be twice as entertaining and would receive more viewers. Or just make the damn show a comedy, since i spent most of my time laughing at how ridiculous it is. I do appreciate the fact that the show is based around the military and their sacrifices. I just feel that if somebody is going to put the effort into making a television series, why wouldn't they put more research into it. The only thing that they seemed to get right was the color of the dirt. I find it a little offensive that one of the most critical years in my life is portrayed so poorly.