I was shockingly surprised at how honest the writers were with not only the topic but the characters too. I hope all viewers will be open and receptive to this still very "taboo" topic. From those of us who struggle just to live our everyday lives while feeling the constant necessity to hide our serious medical conditions from both strangers and loved ones... we applaud the candid, honest, & realistic everyday scenarios performed by many characters. Until all people open their hearts & minds to LEARNING THE FACTS about mental illnesses, THOSE WHO SUFFER, will continue to do so NEEDLESSLY. Obviously there is a lot of literature out there for the few who search, but I believe this will help immensely in starting to reach an audience who would otherwise continue to live ignorantly in the dark. My heartfelt gratitude to all who made this show possible. I believe it will entertain, educate, and help a lot of people in all walks of life. :)
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Cana773 May 2014
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Being a mother of a child with ADHD, another with ODD, and dealing my entire life with epilepsy and seizure activities, the workings of the brain intrigue me. I watched as a woman, as a mother, as a patient. I understand that tendency to go off the medications because I've done it, my son has done it. It's normal. It is what normal people do who do not want to take medication for the rest of their lives, who want to rebel at a diagnosis they do not want or agree with. I loved the show and I will be tuning in to watch every week.
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oxid_194 May 2014(review based on the pilot)
I do not understand the complains and the negative critics. You have to rate the title based on the subject and the genre. I think it has some potential, if the writers divert the story to the right direction. It all depends how good they can develop the characters, what kind of new story-lines can they bring in. Obviously the best parts are when the main character goes crazy, so this element will be the main driver force. The whole visual atmosphere is kinda dark, it's like a film noir, and the music emphasize this. I think this is one of the strongest feature of the movie. You should give it a try. Overall very enjoyable pilot. -
camilla30129127 August 2014I really do not understand why this show was canceled. I mean, I absolutely loved it! I have watched 'House', 'treys Anatomy', 'Scrubs' and those kinds of hospital shows for a long time, but honestly I must say that this one is my favorite of them all! The show contains great characters and I love the relationship in the family and the dynamic at 'The Cube' Hospital. It has an exiting storyline and I find to really interesting that Catherine must struggle with her own decease while helping other patients. I have actually been really into neurology since I watched this show for the first time. I couldn't stop watching, so I saw season one from the beginning and though out on two days.. I would recommend making a season two off this show and do more to make people aware off the show. Who agrees? Save some money on making another season off House.
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pcnichols381717 June 2014The "Black Box" is a show that truly breaks new ground, about a subject that is universal, but not discussed. The show is an accurate depiction of mental illness that is unique, as all mental illness is, to one individual. Bipolar illness is a category, for instance, that covers a wide spectrum, with each individual having a different shade in that spectrum, along with all the different variations each individual possesses. Much of mental illness can be just a difference in amount and degree, of what is mentally healthy. For example, we all have something that is a routine we cannot break, a problem we come back to numerous times a day or something we obsess about which distracts us all day long. OCD is similar, but on a short loop that repeats continuously, and you're unable to get off that loop. Again, it happens in varying degrees. "The Black Box " shows a smart, creative neurologist who functions as an amazing doctor, with and w/o medication. In her personal life, the boundaries are gone w/o medication, and the extremes become almost infinite. It's an accurate and educational depiction of mental illness in a caring, compassionate,vital, observant, and beautiful woman. It's a character you come to care about, who wants to love and be loved, as we all do. Her patients are complex, with interesting case histories that she cares deeply about, and she uses science, knowledge of the brain and her ability to think outside the box, to treat the patients. Medicine is a science, but also an art; both are well depicted. Love it or hate it, you won't feel ambivalent. You will be enlightened either way. It can be a disturbing show to watch, you may disapprove or judge her actions when she is off her meds. You may envy the enlightenment, insight and freedom she has while off her meds, or abhor the torture and recriminations that are the consequences of no boundaries- probably both. The acting, settings, story lines, and other characters are easily HBO worthy. Above all, it is riveting entertainment and it will make you think- and that's rare! It's risky, especially for an ABC show-but no guts, no glory!!!
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percymoe7 May 2014The plot focuses upon mental illness in the best of ways: by having a physician herself expressing Bi-Polar Disorder behaviors. This strongly suggests that mental illness can impact anyone.
With Vanessa Redgrave acting as the psychiatrist of main character, Dr, Black, we can't top her performances! Redgrave's great in this role and should keep the series very interesting and informative.
I like the fact that we're getting a variety of perspectives of how family, co-workers, lovers and friends treat people who they know have serious-enough bouts with manias, most especially.
If I were to change one aspect, it would be to have more of Vanessa Redgrave providing "the talking cure" (psychoanalysis) to Dr. Black, especially while she's on a mania high. -
mickdansforth26 April 2014I really don't understand how this ended up on ABC.
This feels like nothing that has even been on network TV.
The subject matter is fairly dour for the TGIF network. But mental health is easily something our nation needs to have a discussion on. It is always a cheaper burden on the tax payer to pay for everyone's meds, than to pay for the aftermath of people not getting their meds. (Sandy Hook to name one.)
After just one episode, a quick search on Tumblr shows us the show already has a following. There are people who are going to champion positive representation on TV, as everyone who isn't a straight, sane, white male wants to see positive (possibly complex) portrayals of people like them on TV. But statistically I would guess the people with mental disorders who watch TV are a fairly small demographic. It doesn't seem like they could carry a television show.
And this show has made decisions specifically designed to not aim for a wide audience. Monk had very annoying mannerisms, but was portrayed in a comedic and enjoyable way. House was a psychopath/sociopath (not looking up the difference at this moment) who did horrible things to the people in his life. But this was done kind of on a slow reveal, so that over time we were shocked over and over again at his bad behavior.
Black Box starts off pretty much at 11 on the crazy/self-destructive scale. And the frenetic way in which the sequences are dropped one on top of the next never allows the audience to relax, to feel safe, or secure. And where that is probably a deliberate choice, it may not be the best choice for network television.
The last 2 or 3 seasons of House went to some crazy places, but they were able to break out of their mold after many seasons of establishing a very comfortable formula for each episode to follow. And where this episodes did have a couple of feel-good moments, but took us to some very dark places to get there.
After watching most of the titles from Amazon's recent pilot season, this feels like something that would be more at home there than on ABC. It is like someone at ABC had a Jordan McDeere and stole this show from Amazon to the consternation of her bosses. (The only thing people love more than the UN is subtitles.)
Stylistically, the opening bit seems to be heavily influenced by episodes of Showtime's Red Shoe Diaries. Which I guess has been 20 years so is fair game to be listed as an influence, it just doesn't seem like the best possible influence. I understand jazz as a metaphor for the mental illness, but it feels a little obvious. Like Al Capone if you were doing gangsters or Billy The Kid if you were doing westerns.
IMDb specifically list credits for 13 episodes, so I am assuming they were all in the can before the first episode aired. And where I don't want to hazard a guess how many will see air, I feel confident that ABC will not be order any more episodes beyond the 13. And where, for the good of the nation, I do hope ABC does take this show to at least season 2, I doubt I will make it to episode 3. This show may just be more challenging than I am comfortable with. I do wish everyone involved the best of luck. -
finro-bro24 April 2014This show was plugged to be smart, intriguing, with a main character harboring a shocking secret.
Reality: IT IS AWFUL.
*spoilers below this point*
The 'secret' is something that tons of people deal with every day: bipolar disorder. Catherine (or is it Caitlyn?) Black is a brilliant doctor, but turns into a stupid, wild caricature of anyone battling mental illness when she goes off her medication. The show doesn't mention that phases of mania and depression usually take weeks to cycle through. Black turned from pouting and staring vapidly through her horribly cut bangs (why do all of the other characters call her beautiful? Sorry, but no.) to screaming at strangers on street and seemingly-drunk dialing her niece - who, through a series of flashbacks - is revealed to be her biological daughter.
The writing is atrocious, and the ACTING IS HORRID. There were instances with the sexually aggressive surgeon and Dr. Black where it almost seemed like the actors were being fed their lines via an earpiece. There is the token kooky friend, who apparently lives at the research facility and appears to be the stereotypical Gothic/odd girl. Yawn. The handsome boyfriend/fiancé is isn't a terrible actor, but he and the main character HAVE NO CHEMISTRY WHATSOEVER.
As a daughter of someone with bipolar disorder, Black Box's treatment of mental illness is just plain insulting. It makes it out to seem that a sizable portion of the population is insane, sexually perverse and vicious - I'm no doctor, but those things seem to be more in line with someone high on meth, rather than someone tackling manic depression.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHOW. It's not worth your time :( -
yes it is very glamorous that when she gets off her meds she almost kills herself, ruins every single one of her relationships, and wakes up to a mess that she has no idea how to clean up. Let me just say as a man suffering from several different mental illnesses: This show is as realistic as it gets, whether you want to believe it or not. It's the cold, harsh, and bleak, truth about the life of people like me who suffer from this disease. It is also a TV show and cannot possibly bear to be medically logical in a 45 minute time slot but it gets the job done in such a magical, entertaining, and VERY personal way. I loved every second of it. I think if others with mental disorders watched it it could really help them not feel completely alone. Understand that there are others like them that suffer from the same things that society wants to label as "too much" or "just too damn sad to deal with". On Catherine's behavior, one should realize there is not just 1 type of bipolar disorder. Mental Illnesses greatly fluctuate from person to person. This is why it is such a long process to treat; to find that one specific combination of medicine and scheduling that suits that individual. So to say that Catherine's behavior is so "illogical & unrealistic" and that it is further stigmatizing mental illness is actually more offensive and down right stupid than you think. If anyone is further stigmatizing mental illnesses it's people who say and think things like that. "Illogical and unrealistic" can translate publicly into "he's/she's just doing it for attention & it's all in their head". If you truly do suffer from a mental illness and didn't feel connected to the show, then you didn't feel connected to the show. But I highly advise watching a few more episodes on a clear and objective mind and then see if your opinion changes. The show was and is an A++. I hope those who liked it and personalized themselves with it can repel it's possible cancellation by spreading the word. Those who do not suffer from mental illness, which is a vast majority of ABC'S TV audience, probably won't get it. It was very risky for ABC to put this out there on their network and I applaud them for that. But if us fans band together we can give this show the chance it deserves to reach more homes and let those suffering from mental illness know that they are NOT alone. This show is real. It is entertaining. And it is one of my personal favorites that I hope sticks around for a VERY long time.
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"The Black Box" perpetuates stereotypes of people with mental illness. In the first episode, the main character states to her boyfriend , "I am Bipolar." This should be changed to, "I am a person with Bipolar." The original statement in the script does not express the preference of how one describes their mental illness. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and people with mental illness prefer that one say, "I am a person first, not my mental illness." After all, we do not say, "There goes Cancer when referring to a person who has been told by his/her doctor that he/she has cancer, do we? Please change the script to reflect this and stop perpetuating stereotypes and the stigma of mental illness.
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elaineapthome25 April 2014A human being with even an ounce of self-awareness and other-concern would NOT foist herself onto others as a physician if he or she were as messed-up as this Catherine in Black's Box, and ABC shows its determined recklessness in airing this pilot. Catherine cannot even manage herself, her own care, her own life, so to place others in harms way by making any patient placements with her would be to risk malpractice! Catherine MD is an unappealing ripoff of Dr. House, lacking his brilliance or his offbeat brand of soulful coolness, and the way she dangles herself between two men is pathetic, not hotness, so who wants to watch that? The break-neck speed at which Catherine goes zigging from supposed illness to zagging just hours later to effective patient care is simply absurd. Who writes this drivel? It's as though the House writing team held a "bad-parody-of-House" competition and it veered off into this Black hole. ABC, heal thyself; CANCEL Black's Box. It's just bad TV. Five of five thumbs DOWN. A stinker.
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sajeffe3 May 2014After the first episode, I thought it was a keeper. Having watched the 2nd episode, I have high hopes that the show will succeed. I like intelligent shows. This is an intelligent show. It's very intense though, so I'm afraid it might go the way of Mind Games. Which is too bad. We need more shows focused on smart issues like neuroscience/psychology instead of more shoot 'em up cop shows.
The "Black Box" is the brain. Coincidentally, Black is also the last name of our heroin, a neurologist with bipolar disorder that she hides from her workplace. Already, the first two episodes are packed with drama - workplace, familial, and therapeutic.
Oh, and one more thing. The music is fantastic and done fantastically.
Congratulations to Amy Holden Jones (creator and writer) and her cast and crew. Good luck! -
SnoopyStyle8 August 2014Dr. Catherine Black (Kelly Reilly) is the top neuroscientist working at the Center for Neurological Research and Treatment. She has bipolar disorder with sexually aggressive manic episodes. Her therapist Dr. Hartramph (Vanessa Redgrave) battles to keep her on her meds. Her chef boyfriend Will Van Renseller (David Ajala) doesn't know at first. Her brother Joshua Black (David Chisum) and wife Reagan (Laura Fraser) are hiding the fact that she's actually the mother to their daughter Esme (Siobhan Williams). At work, she has a complicated attraction to her destructive co-worker Dr. Ian Bickman (Ditch Davey).
This is a crazy series about mentally ill character. It's fascinating to see some people praise it for its accuracy while others deride it as fantasy. I have no personal experience with mental illness. Some of the show is obviously overstated but I found most of the weekly procedural interesting. The personal melodrama is also very interesting especially the part with her daughter. The jazz music and her manic dancing is a bit distracting and not my taste. This is generally a well made show about a character that is slightly different from the usual fare. It had few viewers and canceled after one summer season. -
djjoshuad25 April 2014The subject matter is something that has been attempted many times in much better ways. The concept of a doctor (or other high-profile professional) plagued by an illness or issue that ironically makes them both exceptional and dangerous has also been done many times. This version is not good enough to be revising either.
The biggest problem is the acting, but we also must wag a finger at the director, editor, and producer for allowing such a sub-par performance to ruin what could have been a decent pilot. Not that the script was perfect, but it was decent at times. Other times it was pretty bad, bordering on terrible dialog... Some of the supporting cast was also decent. But, if you want to create a whole new series around a lead character, that actor needs to be brilliant. It's really difficult to relate to the character and get involved in the story when lines are delivered with less skill and believability than your average schoolkid in his first on-stage appearance. This show fails on almost every single front.
The good news for the people invested in this show is that since almost anyone with half a brain seems to hate it, it will probably get renewed for a full run very soon. And likely go for at least 5 seasons. -
harly_mark29 April 2014I cut start and finish off of episode so I could show everyone what I live with mentally all day every day.
Listen to how Doctor Black describes bi polar illness and it really is just how she explains it.
I also believe with my bi polar are other underlying issues but it does not seem as though the medical community is too interested in finding out just how many issues a person with bi polar has to live with.
I have edited a small portion of the show on my you tube for you
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wleQQZTSuNk
Thank you to the producers for such an amazing piece of work ! -
Zen-2-Zen13 October 2018Seriously, to cancel a thing like this requires progressively degrading IQ over decades and spread all over the "organization" - if there's any left by this time :-))
What a loss, what a stupidity of proverbial "brass".
Yes it is intense and challenging for the "Dancing with the Stars" crowd - that's what art does.
Soooo ABC is not so stupid and boring because they had a bad luck - it's because they chose to be that way. No use saying anything more, but this does explain the whole history that gave them so bad name that these days it's the ultimate embarrassment if someone's show can't get anyone but ABC to air it. -
Carmen-kriebel1112 June 2014I'm not a TV watcher, but When I find a show I like, I make sure to watch every episode. I saw a commercial for Black Box, and new I had to watch it. I not only have watched every episode, but also watched reruns on demand. I love Dr. Black, and I love that she addresses that not every person that does not qualify as 'normal' needs 'fixed'. Personally, I think that the people who say that this show is unrealistic are ignorant. I'm a pre-med student minoring in psychology, and I have read the book An Unquiet Mind that was mentioned by Dr. Black. These behaviors are extreme for the 'normal' people, but for people struggling with this illness this is their reality. Even on days when they don't act any different, their thoughts may be raging inside. I the producers can't make every small detail apparent in 45 minutes. This is a great show to raise awareness for mental illness and give the 'average Joe' a glimpse into a world they have no relation to.
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orange-girl25 April 2014Unlike one of the other reviewers who believes the Dr. Box character is a rip-off of Dr. House, I actually think it's more like "The United States of Tara" or "Mind Games." (I didn't think anything could get as bad as "Mind Games," but this blows it out of the water.)
At any rate, I know very little about bi-polar, but I was deeply offended throughout the show by the flippant treatment of such a serious illness. The main character is portrayed as having a sense of control over something we all know just doesn't happen in real life. To make matters worse, the lead character comes off as a harebrained lunatic.
The ending was problematic to say the least. I think the issue of "patients' rights" in terms of when/whether to medicate is a legitimate debate; however, someone who is supposed to be a neuroscientist who dumps her meds when she feels like it (and is shown flushing them down the toilet, which is the worst thing to do) and just happens to find a guy who "likes her manic" is fraught with problems. -
christianhh1 May 2014Yes, I watched it because Kelly Rielly has impressed me ever since I saw her portray Caroline Bingly in Pride and Prejudice. I expected it would be an interesting piece because, like any good character actress, she tends to select interesting projects with interesting characters, and this is no exception...
What is better was the script. Dr. Black's character is well fleshed out in a single episode with an intense amount of drama that ran as fast as it could to pack two hours worth of material into 40 odd minutes of airtime. Not a single second of film was wasted. The two patients she treats, in the short minutes we spend with them, are also fleshed out to the point that we are given reason to love them and understand fast what it is they face.
If the follow up episodes live up to the pilot, we have a series deserving of being a big hit. -
powerbookdawson26 April 2014This TV show is unlike any TV idea I have ever even thought about. The idea of this show is very creative and original. Description Dr. Catherine Black is a neurologist who is secretly hiding that she has a bipolar disease. At different points in the first episode Dr. Black decides not to take her medicine and transitions randomly between mood swings of elation and being turned on sexually to sudden depression and anger. Dr. Black's fiancée however is pushing her to marry him which is what causes her to skip her medicine. The episode may not be a super action packed episode but overall is great and adds a bit of a twist at the end (you will need to watch the episode to see what I mean). Also Kelly Reilly is a fantastic actress and can pull off bipolar disease very well and show true emotions.
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jsaus6330427 April 2014Usually I give the good and bad points of film or show. Sadly, I do not think there were any good points in this show. The acting was quite mediocre at best. There was really no plot and it was a sad effort at character development. To make things even worse, it contained one of the worst sound tracks imaginable. Most of the time there was a saxophone playing in a style reminiscent of an 80's B-grade movie. I kept watching thinking it had to get better--SPOILER--It doesn't. There are just too many much better shows on TV to waste your time on this piece of garbage. Do not bother getting interested in it as much better shows have been canceled in short order. I will be surprised if this one lasts another 2-3 episodes.
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tmdrm426 April 2014I think it helps considerably if you have your own experiences in life to bring to this shows theme else its possible it will appear chaotic..it is well done in its portrayal of bipolar from the inside..Catherine approaches the Doctor-Patient setting much like you or I might..assuming we are all alike as human beings and different in our manifestations...it is marvelous to see someone who isn't restricted to a purely clinical relationship..her approach is definitely more dangerously empathetic..and as I see it..its not just a diagnosis- its a person with a dimensional difference..is it a gift, is it a burden...is it both? Nothing in this show is black and white and this scares people. The science of Neurology she brings is supremely her own integration which is sadly lacking in the real world. I would be quite surprised if this series were popular enough to sustain ratings, so far the comments I have read indicate a lack of inner courage.
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taylorthreat00-8-67855723 May 2014I do not know why a lot of people don't like this show. I think it is brilliant actually. It shows hardships that a lot of people never will face in their lives. It shows you harsh reality. Im extremely in love with it and the acting is phenomenal. If it gets cancelled I will be devastated. I don't get how anyone could not like this show honestly it's amazing. This show is basic everyday life for some people. I really hope this show will continue and people will come to their senses. Props to the director, actors, and everyone involved you have an amazing show worth fighting for. If it does get cancelled start a kickstarter or something because it is brilliant and I know I can't be the only one to think that. Great job.
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Seems like a picture-perfect plot for a medical series that focuses so closely upon well-researched neurological pathologies. So it must also consider MENTAL ILLNESSES . . . and what is so outraging to those 1 rating, dare I call them 'reviewers'(?). Seems like lots of writers on IMDb are having knee-jerk reactions to only one aspect of a very broadly-focused series; in particular, its one aspect that looks through the lens of Dr. Black's mental status. Too bad to view a whole series through such a narrowed lens.
Bring back Vanessa Redgrave as Dr. Hartramph, please. The exchanges between Dr. Hartramph and Dr. Black were oh so brilliant and way too well researched to omit from the series. In fact, their exchanges are crucial elements of educating viewers.
Here's hoping this cutting-edge series will intrigue many new viewers who loved "ER" for so many years, since this is very similar with one distinction: instead of just dealing with physical infirmities, "Black Box" deals with BOTH physical and psychological ones.
Thanks for reading. -
jsewell7826 April 2014First, I've never seen a show quite like this and, frankly, I hope to never again. I thought it was a show about saving people with mental illnesses but it's just about one who decides to quit taking her meds every other day to get a natural high. Some of the dialog is absolutely awful (aka the scene in the medicine closet having sex with ego brain doctor) and adds absolutely nothing to the plot. I give this show 3 episodes before they pull the plug. It's a shame. The actual idea to the show could be stunning. Being a manic depressive myself I was hoping for a show to learn from. All I learned was to turn the channel and remove the show from my DVR. I'll stick to Vampire Diaries on Thursday nights.