Alfred Molina to Star in New David E. Kelly Medical Drama ‘Chelsea General’

Alfred Molina has signed on to star in David E. Kelley’s new medical drama pilot Chelsea General. The drama is set to air on the TNT network. The story is based on an upcoming novel from CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta.

The story follows the lives of five surgeon who face the difficulties of balancing the professional life of a doctor while trying to not fail at maintaining their personal lives.  The show is based around their hospital’s weekly morbidity and mortality conference, when doctors gather with their peers for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care. It will provides a unique look at how surgeons come to terms with mistakes and try to learn from them.

“Chelsea General promises to be a smart, witty and extremely powerful medical drama, the kind of series David E. Kelley is renowned for making,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “We look forward to working with David and Sanjay in bringing the doctors’ fascinating stories and characters to television.”

Molina will play Dr. Harding Hooten, the steely-eyed Chief of Surgery at Chelsea General, known for his punishing and outwardly-uncaring ways. He heads up a weekly meeting in which doctors are lauded for their good work, or criticized (even fired) for their mistakes.

Also joining the cast in the pilot is Bill Irwin (CSI) as Dr. Buck Tierney, a smug doctor who takes himself very seriously and rubs his colleagues the wrong way. Molina and Irwin will join previously cast Jamie Bamber and Jennifer Finnigan.

Kelley and Gupta, who is a practicing neurosurgeon, are executive producing Chelsea General; Kelley’s frequent collaborator Bill D’Elia is set to direct the pilot.