The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy

Last updated
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
Genre Science fiction comedy
Medical drama
Adult animation
Created byCirocco Dunlap
ShowrunnerCirocco Dunlap
Voices of
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
ProducerAsha Michelle Wilson
Production companies
Original release
Network Amazon Prime Video
ReleaseFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy is an American adult animated sci-fi comedy series created by Cirocco Dunlap for the streaming service Amazon Prime Video. The series centers on two intergalactic surgeons and best friends as they treat illnesses throughout the galaxy, and was produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Animal Pictures, and Titmouse, Inc., with Dunlap as showrunner.

Contents

The series stars the voices of Kieran Culkin, Stephanie Hsu, Natasha Lyonne, Keke Palmer, Maya Rudolph, Andrew Dismukes, Gary Anthony Williams, Lennon Parham, and Sam Smith. Dunlap first conceived the series after wondering how it would be if there were people who could treat the ailments of characters in science-fiction movies. The series was announced in 2022, with Rudolph and Lyonne also set to executive produce. The series draws heavy inspiration from Dunlap's personal life, particularly in its depiction of anxiety. Animation services were provided by Titmouse, Inc.

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiered on Amazon Prime Video in February 23, 2024, to a generally positive reception. A second season is in production.

Premise

The series is a science-fiction medical comedy set in the Ergulon Galaxy in the year 14002. [1] It centers on two female alien surgeons, Drs. Sleech and Klak, as they treat patients with illnesses evocative of common science fiction tropes, such as an alien parasite that feeds off its host's cortisol and a patient trapped in a time loop, [2] while trying to balance their personal and professional lives. [3]

Cast and characters

Main cast

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Sometimes Heads Break"Joey AddamsCirocco DunlapFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
Doctors Klak and Sleech are assigned to take care of Glurk, a patient with a history of anxiety who has been showing extreme relaxation after developing a lump. The duo discover via a nanobot examination that the lump is caused by a parasitic lifeform attached to Glurk's brain that feeds itself by eradicating anxiety but risks causing her head to explode. After Glurk says she has been previously taken care of by Klurk's ex-partner, Dr. Azel, Klurk decides to call them to consult. Azel warns them studying the parasite could be dangerous, but the duo decide to treat her and study the parasite to win a grant. The duo intially tries to starve the parasite by reducing Glurk's anxiety, but the parasite fights off the treatment. Klurk, who has been dealing with anxiety herself, realizes she can use it attract the parasite to her. The parasite attempts to attach itself to Klurk, who enjoys the pleasure it brings, but Sleech cuts it off before it could attach itself fully to her. The duo secretly keep the parasite and decide to study its effects on mental health, even througth it risks ending their careers. Meanwhile, intern doctor Vlam helps a patient in a comatose state, with whom she falls in love, but the patient forgets everything upon waking up.
22"The Land of Sex and Death"Becks WallaceShauna McGarryFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
33"Tomorrow's Death is Yesterday's Problem"Kacie HermasonAnne LaneFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
44"The Curse of Orlosh"Joey AdamsKirsten KingFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
55"Beef Sturgeon Sleech"Joey AdamsAsha Michelle WilsonFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
66"That's Science, Baby!"Kacie HermasonJoanna BradleyFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
77"Just One More Adjustment"Joey AdamsAnne LaneFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)
88"Apocalypse Got You Down?"Becks WallaceCirocco DunlapFebruary 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)

Production

Development

Cirocco Dunlap first conceived the concept for the series while watching the film Groundhog Day . As she watched the film, she pondered how it would be if there were doctors that could help people deal with incidents like the one depicted in the film. [4] This inspired her to create a show about a hospital where characters such as The Thing from John Carpenter's 1982 film served as patients. [5] She wanted Natasha Lyonne to work with her on the show due to their previous collaboration in the series Russian Doll. [4] Having liked the idea, Lyonne agreed to work on the project in addition to hiring Maya Rudolph as an executive producer; [6] Rudolph wanted to work on the series due to its optimistic depiction of the future. [7]

In May 23, 2022, it was announced that Amazon Studios has given a two-season order to The Hospital, an animated series created by Dunlap and executive produced by Rudolph and Lyonne via their Animal Pictures production banner, with Titmouse, Inc. also producing. [8] Dunlap was set to serve as showrunner for the series, which has been in development since 2020. [8] The series had been renamed as The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy by December 2023; [9] the name originated as a tagline for the show, before being turned into its title at Amazon's request, something Dunlap agreed to. [10] Production on the series took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. [11]

Writing for season 2 took place during production for season 1, with Dunlap treating it as developing a single 16-episode series. [12] Dunlap has also expressed interest in a third season that could further explore certain characters. [13]

Writing

The writer's room for the series was composed entirely of female and LGBTQ+ writers. [7] Dunlap based part of the show on her personal life, [4] with the series' focus on anxiety being inspired by Dunlap's own struggles with anxiety over the years. Her initial pitch for the series originally had anxiety as an episodic theme and a bigger focus on time travel, before anxiety transitioned into a season-long theme at Lyonne's suggestion as the writers developed the first season and struggled to find a thematic resonance for time travel. [5] [14] She also used her experiences struggling with anxiety as an inspiration for individual episode plots, such as an episode where Dr. Klak deals with "magical thoughts". [5] She also drew inspiration from her personal experience dating for Klak and Sleech's relationships. [5] The series' depiction of LGBTQ+ representation and its lack of focus on the characters' sexual orientation and gender identity were inspired by Dunlap growing up in a LGBTQ+-friendly environment. [4] This was also inspired by Star Trek , and how the show was inclusive for its time without being overt. [4] Additional inspirations for the show include Aliens and Grey's Anatomy , with Dunlap seeking to combine science fiction with medical dramas. [15] Dunlap's personal love for gallows humor also inspired the show's sense of humor. [5]

Additionally, Dunlap wanted the show to have an emotional honesty that would ground the series, with the leads generally talking to each other through "conversations we all have with a good friend that we might work with". [15] While the writers wanted to "to find the sci-fi ideas that matter, or that hurt, or feel exciting, or there's something in them that feels human or relatable", so they wrote illnesses that were "wacky and crazy" but at the same time "[had] some real emotional heart". The production team also consulted with real-life scientists and doctors in order to give them "a logic that kind of could make them make sense". [4] Each season focuses on a different character, with season 1 being described by Dunlap as "Klak's journey" while season 2 is "a little bit more about Sleech". [16]

Animation

In addition to producing, Titmouse, Inc. also provided animation services for the series; Dunlap hired the studio due to both having worked on the series Big Mouth . [4] Copa Studio and Mighty Animation also provided animation for the series. [15] Robin Eisenberg serves as production designer on the show, Dunlap having hired her due to being a fan of her work. [4] Dunlap and Eisenberg worked together on developing the art style for the show, with Dunlap pitching Eisenberg ideas on the show's world. [4] For the aliens, Eisenberg drew inspiration from sealife, watching images of different sea creatures and combining them to conceive their designs, before giving them to the art team, who would come up with their own ideas. [15] Eisenberg also wanted the color palette to "have this sense of fun" without being too "soft" in order to reflect the series' comedic tone. [15] The artists added details such as "tiny bits of tape on things" in order to give the series a sense of realism. [15]

Music

The score for the series was composed by Wendy & Lisa, who created a score that was reminiscent of science fiction and medical dramas. [15]

Release

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy was released on February 23, 2023, on Amazon Prime Video. [9]

Reception

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 94% based on 16 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. [17]

The Escapist gave the series' first season a mixed review, describing it as " Scrubs animated and in outer space/the future" and while they found the humor to be cliche and unfunny, said that the series improves later on once it starts focusing on characters over comedy. [18] The Michigan Daily considered it a "wacky, heartfelt adventure". [3]

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References

  1. ↑ Spry, Jeff (February 3, 2024). "Watch Amazon's new trailer for cosmic comedy 'The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy' (video)". Space.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  2. ↑ Brunner, Raven (February 23, 2024). "'The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy' Amazon Prime Video Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". Decider. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Sieradski, Morgan (March 8, 2024). "Stephanie Hsu stars in "The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy"". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Davis, Victoria (February 22, 2024). "'The Second Best Hospital In the Galaxy': Tentacle Hair, Beak Kisses and Chronic Anxiety". Animation World Network. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Morris, Ben (February 23, 2024). "'Second Best Hospital' Showrunner Cirocco Dunlap On Finding the Idea, Tone For Amazon's Unique Animated Series". Awardsdaily. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Maya Rudolph & Natasha Lyonne on The Second Best Hospital". 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  7. 1 2 "'The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy' is a queer utopia dripping in laughter, friendship & fluids". Yahoo News. 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  8. 1 2 Petski, Denise (May 23, 2022). "Amazon Orders Animated Comedy 'The Hospital' EP'ed & Starring Maya Rudolph & Natasha Lyonne With Kieran Culkin, Keke Palmer, Greta Lee, Sam Smith". Deadline. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Petski, Denise (December 18, 2023). "'The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy' Animated Comedy Starring & EP'ed By Maya Rudolph & Natasha Lyonne Gets Premiere Date At Prime Video". Deadline. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  10. ↑ Horcher, Kim; Watts, Benny (February 22, 2024). "How Groundhog Day Inspired Prime Video's The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy". IGN. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  11. ↑ Chuba, Kirsten (February 21, 2024). "How "Culkin Whisperer" Natasha Lyonne Got All Five Culkin Brothers to Appear in 'The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  12. ↑ Zachary, Brandon (March 1, 2024). "INTERVIEW: The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy Showrunner Cirocco Dunlap on Diversity & Dark Comedy". CBR. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy Showrunner Talks Anxiety, Season 2 & More (Interview) . Retrieved 2024-05-06– via www.youtube.com.
  14. ↑ Sharpe, Josh (February 20, 2024). "Cirocco Dunlap and Natasha Lyonne on Tackling Alien Anxiety in Prime Video's The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy". Pasté Magazine. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Cirocco Dunlap's 'The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy' Scrubs in with Alien Humor and Humanoid Feeling". www.animationmagazine.net. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  16. ↑ Fecou, Louie (2024-02-24). "The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy Season 2 is Not Confirmed But There Are Plans". Ready Steady Cut. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  17. ↑ "The Second Best Hospital in The Galaxy: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. n.d. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  18. ↑ Razak, Matthew (February 25, 2024). "Prime Video's The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy Won't Claim First Any Time Soon". The Escapist. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
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