Another Heartland Review USA Today

[Guest guest]

The TNT network’s latest medical drama,

Heartland, premiered last night, with actor Treat playing his second

doctor role in television.

The organ-transplant drama centers on the emotional experience undergone

by the medical personnel, donors and recipients at a

hospital located in Pittsburgh.

, who plays surgeon iel Grant, explained that the life-and-death

situations in Heartland

are presented mainly to raise the stakes for the characters.

" It's never really been about hearts and bodies being flown around

the country,” the 55-year-old actor said. “It's

really a show about this group of people in this workplace (and) how this kind

of work affects them.” The Heartland star

also said that “if the audience finds those characters likable and

interesting,” then the series may have a better chance of surviving.

Series creator Hollander, who spent his formative years in Pittsburgh, believes that the randomness of

donor-recipient interaction is what places the series on fertile ground.

" I've always been interested in stories that cut across cultural,

socioeconomic and religious boundaries and still bring people together, "

Hollander said. " Transplantation does that. You don't know who the donor may be: man or woman, black

or white, Christian or Jewish. It's all just an

immediate connection. "

Hollander also said that one of the things he enjoys about ’

character is the way he develops professionally and personally given the fact

that he can see the deceased donors as he gives life back to the recipients.

Apart from dealing with patients, ’s iel Grant also

undergoes many emotional struggles outside of the operating room. His friend and mentor, Dr. Bart s, played by Dabney , is dying but still refuses to receive a

life-prolonging transplant. His ex-wife, Kate

Armstrong, played by Kari Matchett, is the

hospital’s organ-recovery coordinator, which means that she and iel

have to work closely together.

Matchett feels her character combines

psychology with compassion.

" She looks at people, checks them out and asks, 'How am I going to get

what I need to get here?'” Matchett

said. “Is that manipulative? Is

getting someone's organs to save other people's lives manipulative? It's a very interesting question.”

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