TNT greenlights live medical crowdsourcing show from Lionsgate

Turner-owned pay-TV channel TNT has greenlit medical crowdsourcing series M.D. Live from Lionsgate Television.

The two-hour weekly show will feature patients dealing with a variety of medical conditions and receiving care from a panel of doctors, who will have in-studio discussions and ask viewers for their feedback.

During the show, audiences are encouraged to engage by submitting their own medical queries and interacting with various online extensions.

The show will also draw on live remotes from different parts of the world.

M.D. Live is produced by B17 Entertainment, Motiv8 Media and Lionsgate Television, and will air in 2019. It marks one of the few unscripted originals at TNT in recent years, as the channel has been focused intently on premium drama, such as Animal Kingdom and Claws.

It draws on the popularity of shows such as A&E’s hit format Live PD, which uses dash-cams and fixed-rig to follow police officers during their nighttime patrols.

Executive producers include Brien Meagher, Rhett Bachner, Kara Kurcz and Brian Lee.

Michael Bloom, senior VP of unscripted and live programming for TNT, said: “We want this show to inspire action and give hope to real people struggling with medical problems to get answers, proper treatment, and ultimately, improve their quality of life. Our professional team of studio and field crews will lead our charge crowdsourcing hope to help our patients solve the medical mysteries we present in this series.”

Jennifer O’Connell, executive VP and head of worldwide alternative programming at Lionsgate, added: “M.D. Live will tap into the cultural zeitgeist of crowdsourced care to create a relevant, current and provocative series. The interactive elements allowing viewers to engage with some of the world’s top medical professionals take this show beyond observation to inspire action.”