With Pulse, Netflix is set to release the streamer’s first procedural medical drama. But when will the TV show be shown on Netflix?
Procedural dramas are classic comfort watches we can tune in every week without worrying about remembering complicated lore details. While there is an overarching story and characters do evolve over time, the “case of the week” structure of procedural TV shows doesn’t punish you for missing an episode or two. That’s quite different from Netflix’s usual binge-oriented original programming and a risky decision for the streamer.
If Netflix releases Pulse as a whole season, the series might get buried by all the other movies and TV shows Netflix is constantly adding to its library. On the other hand, if Netflix follows procedural tradition and releases a new episode every week, the streamer will ask its subscribers to change their way of consuming the streamer’s productions. Still, other streaming services, such as Max and Disney+, have succeeded with weekly releases, and Netflix needs to diversify its strategies if it wants to remain relevant. With all that in mind, we are all extremely curious to watch Pulse. Sadly, we’ll have to wait longer before a release date.
Pulse doesn’t have a release date, but we can make an educated guess
Pulse was unveiled on Feb. 29, 2024. Following the footsteps of fan-favorite procedural medical dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy and ER, Pulse will follow a medical team whose daily job is racing against the clock to save lives. Set in Miami’s busiest hospital, Pulse will explore the challenging cases doctors and nurses face when on the clock while also exploring the drama of the staff’s personal lives.
Netflix is betting high on the series’ success, as it brought several heavy hitters into the fold. The cast includes Willa Fitzgerald, Justina Machado, Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Chelsea Muirhead, Daniela Nieves, and Jessy Yates. The series is showrunned by veteran writer and producer Carlton Cuse, whose previous credits include Lost, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Netflix’s Locke & Key. However, as the show began filming in March 2024, we shouldn’t expect a release date this year.
If everything goes according to Netflix’s plan, Pulse should wrap filming by Aug. 2024. After that, Pulse’s crew must take a few months of post-production to edit all the episodes properly – it’s worth underlining that we don’t know if Pulse will follow the average of 10 episodes of other Netflix productions or if it will stick closer to 20 as other procedural medical dramas. Amidst editing, Pulse is bound to get some reshooting, an essential step in every TV production. Add marketing to the mix, and we are looking at a mid-2025 release.
Things could be rushed for an early 2025 release, but it’s more likely that Netflix will take the time to get Pulse right. Whatever the case might be, don’t expect to watch Netflix’s procedural drama in 2024.