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New Amsterdam boss responds to character return in season 3 premiere

Photo credit: NBC Universal
Photo credit: NBC Universal

From Digital Spy

New Amsterdam spoilers follow.

New Amsterdam, the NBC medical drama starring Doctor Who's Freema Agyeman, returned for its third season on Tuesday (March 2) in the US with a familiar face fans probably didn't expect to see.

Similarly to shows likes Grey's Anatomy, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a major factor of the narrative, as well as why filming was delayed for so long — not only did they have to wait until it was okay to film again, they had to build new sets since the hospitals they used to use were now COVID wards.

As the season 3 opener revealed, Neurological Department head Vijay Kapoor has contracted the virus, which lead Medical Director Max Goodwin to call in an old friend: cardiovascular surgeon Dr Floyd Reynolds.

Photo credit: Channel 4
Photo credit: Channel 4

Reynolds left at the end of season 2 to pursue a new job in San Francisco, but here he is, back already, which may have come as a surprise to some. Though it sounds like he may not be sticking around for too long.

Speaking about the decision to bring him back, showrunner David Schulner told TVLine: "Well, he’s only returning to do Vijay’s surgery, and it gave us a great opportunity to bring Reynolds back for at least one episode to do this surgery.

"He was going to be living in San Francisco, practicing at another hospital as of last year, and again, none of this was planned. Season 2 didn’t end with any of this or set up any of this, because we didn’t know it was going to happen."

Photo credit: Channel 4
Photo credit: Channel 4

Schulner continued: "Like everyone else’s lives [which] got interrupted and went down a road no one anticipated, it’s true for the characters on our show. All their stories from last year are interrupted and put on hold or diverted or completely upended, and we’re following through on that."

Last year's second season had a flu pandemic episode removed, while edits to the finale had to be made to reflect the decision.

New Amsterdam airs on NBC in America, while Amazon Prime Video and NOW TV carry the show in the UK. It's also available on All4.


The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.


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