I just screened the pilot for "This Might Hurt" and was shocked to later find that some or most of the dialog is improvised. The show is set in a doctor's office staffed by two doctors (Sandy & Ethan), along with their supporting characters. The peace & quite of the office is disrupted when Ethan's father, Mitch, returns from what appears to have been an extended stay overseas. Seems Mitch had some previous problems with prescription drugs, which might explain his departure from the USA. Plot lines bounce between Ethan's relationship with his super popular and knowledgeable father, the father's steamy relationship with Doctor Sandy (played by the lovely Missy Pyle), a rivalry between the old receptionist and her new assistant (who was hired by Ethan's father)as well as the occasional patient who passes through the office. The pace of the pilot was a bit slow at first while we got to know the characters and their relationships, but picked up nicely in the final fifteen minutes. The cast seemed pretty solid with new faces that I was not very familiar with, with the exception of Missy Pyle. The production company stated that the cast is given a premise and plot line and are allowed to improvise many of their lines. I was shocked by this because the show seemed to flow very well and whatever improv was going on came across flawlessly. The show was originally scheduled to air on FOX, but has since been picked up by ABC. It may be going through some re-tooling of characters in the coming months (Nurse Reid didn't add a great deal to the entertainment value). Given time, the show could become a solid entry into ABC's line-up for next year. It's well acted, funny, and probably worth checking out if it ever makes it to being broadcast.
