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overthinking entertainment
This Is Going to Hurt: Full season - Season 1, Episode 1
This Is Going to Hurt is a British medical comedy-drama television miniseries, created by Adam Kay and based on his memoir of the same name. The show was co-produced by the BBC and AMC. It focuses on the lives of a group of junior doctors working on an obstetrics and gynaecology ward in a National Health Service hospital. It profiles their professional and personal lives and explores the emotional effects of working in a stressful work environment. The series closely follows the stories of Adam Kay (Ben Whishaw) and Shruti Acharya (Ambika Mod) as they work through the ranks of hospital hierarchy.
posted by bunderful on Dec 01, 2025 at 3:30 PM
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Currently on Netflix
posted by bunderful at 3:30 PM
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I saw this ages ago when it first aired on BBC, and thought it was excellent. The NHS and its struggles are very central to the plot, though, and it may be hard to follow if that's something you're unfamiliar with.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:45 AM
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For the squeamish - how watchable is this?
posted by trig at 2:18 AM
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I'm not familiar with the struggles of the NHS but I haven't been finding that to be a barrier to watching/enjoying the show.
It does have some graphic surgery moments where I have to look away from the screen.
posted by bunderful at 6:07 AM
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There are some graphic moments (a traumatic emergency birth) which the central character has flashbacks to.
The show is somewhat fictionalised from the memoir but keeps a lot of its narrative. I saw Adam Kay live a few years ago and it felt plain that he is still traumatised by the events depicted.
posted by Major Clanger at 1:04 PM
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I blew through it and finished today.
It's funny and bitter and heartbreaking and a ringing indictment of the NHS. I loved Adam's character arc.
It gave me some feels I won't try to parse here, so I harvested some of the quotes from IMDb:
Mrs. Winnicka: Nobody cares if I die.
Adam Kay: Oh, I don't know. The lion and the wardrobe will probably miss you.
Tracy: It must be hard, maintaining a relationship, what with your job ... and your personality.
Tracy: You did really well in there, Adam.
Adam: I thought I was a menace to society and a danger to everyone I encounter.
Tracy: Can you just take a compliment?
Adam: I'm not great at it, no. Can we just go back to insulting each other?
Tracy: Get a haircut.
Adam: Gonna have to hit me harder than that.
Tracy: Okay. Get a boyfriend.
posted by bunderful at 6:44 PM
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The book upon which this was based is really worth reading (it's a memoir rather than this fictionalised version). And my son read and re-read Kay's Anatomy countless times and now wishes to be a doctor (though he may change his mind when he's old enough for Kay's memoir!).
posted by chill at 8:44 AM
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an obstetrics and gynaecology ward
Or "brats and twats" if I remember the show correctly.
posted by Molesome at 11:47 AM
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Are there any more seasons? I really liked itit.
posted by theora55 at 4:18 PM
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