# Pulse (Australian TV series)

Pulse is an Australian television drama series that was first screened on ABC TV on 20 July 2017 and ended after eight episodes on 7 September 2017.
The series was written by Kris Wyld, Michael Miller, Kristen Dunphy and Mandy McCarthy; directed by Peter Andrikidis, Jennifer Leacey and Ana Kokkinos; and produced by ClandestineTV and Beyond Productions in conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

## Plot summary

The series follows the story of Frankie, a high-flying financial analyst who had it all before a failing kidney landed her at death's door until a transplant offered her a second chance. Inspired by the man who saved her life, Frankie alters course to become a doctor herself, working and learning in the high stakes, high pressure world of the cardio-thoracic and renal wards of a major teaching hospital.

## Cast

* Claire van der Boom as Frankie Bell
* Andrea Demetriades as Lou Tannis
* Owen Teale as Chad Berger
* Liam McIntyre as Eli Nader
* Pallavi Sharda as Tanya Kalchuri
* Penny Cook as Carol Little
* Susie Porter as Maggie Cutter
* Renee Lim as Monica Lee
* Arka Das as Tabb Patel
* Blessing Mokgohloa as Rowan Mitri
* Dalip Sondhi as Rupert Steele
* Arianthe Galani as Arianna Koutoufides (1 episode)
* Carmen Duncan as Nora Johns (1 episode)
* Catherine Mack-Hancock as Alicia Knox (1 episode)
* Daniel Amalm as Shawn (1 episode)
* Geraldine Hakewill as Connie (1 episode)
* Helen Thomson as Lorraine Walsh (2 episodes)
* Rahel Romahn as Adam Aswany (1 episode)

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Director | Writer | Original air date | Australian Viewers |
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Peter Andrikidis | Kris Wyld & Mel Hill | 20 July 2017 (2017-07-20) | 512,000 |
| Transplant patient and now doctor, Frankie starts her first day in Renal rotation; best friend Lou battles surgery's boys' club; and flatmate Tabb starts as an intern. ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Peter Andrikidis | Michael Miller | 27 July 2017 (2017-07-27) | 478,000 |
| Frankie takes on the system to save a patient, and lands in trouble. Lou finds out it's not always wise to have an affair with a boss; and Tabb questions his ability as a doctor. ||||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Jennifer Leacey | Michael Miller | 3 August 2017 (2017-08-03) | 404,000 |
| When a heart transplant patient dies, Frankie fears the surgeons will close ranks to cover up a medical error. Lou realises she and best friend Frankie may be on different sides. ||||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Jennifer Leacey | Michael Miller | 10 August 2017 (2017-08-10) | 437,000 |
| When a patient wants to turn off the device keeping her alive Steele tries to dissuade her. Lou feels betrayed when Frankie takes on a Root Cause Analysis into a patient's death, threatening her job. ||||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Ana Kokkinos | Kris Wyld | 17 August 2017 (2017-08-17) | 413,000 |
| When Berger learns Frankie has a fever in the middle of a hospital outbreak, he forces her into a bed for treatment, putting her secret at risk of exposure. ||||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Anna Kokkinos | Mandy McCarthy | 24 August 2017 (2017-08-24) | 392,000 |
| Tanya is forced to tell Frankie she read her medical files - a breach of professional ethics; while Berger works with Eli Nadar to save a patient from deportation. ||||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Peter Andrikidis | Kristen Dunphy | 31 August 2017 (2017-08-31) | 350,000 |
| On the eve of an investigation into a patient's death, Frankie realises that all doctors are fallible when faced with the reality of a health system that isn't always able to cater for all. ||||||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Peter Andrikidis | Michael Miller | 7 September 2017 (2017-09-07) | 384,000 |
| Chad Berger's days as a doctor are coming to an end, but he is determined to see through a complex set of paired kidney exchange transplants. ||||||

## Reception
### Ratings

| No. | Title | Air date | Overnight ratings | Overnight ratings | Consolidated ratings | Consolidated ratings | Total viewers | Ref(s) |
| No. | Title | Air date | Viewers | Rank | Viewers | Rank | Total viewers | Ref(s) |
| 1 | Episode 1 | 20 July 2017 | 512,000 | 13 | 86,000 | 11 | 598,000 | |
| 2 | Episode 2 | 27 July 2017 | 478,000 | 15 | 63,000 | 12 | 541,000 | |
| 3 | Episode 3 | 3 August 2017 | 404,000 | 16 | 43,000 | 15 | 447,000 | |
| 4 | Episode 4 | 10 August 2017 | 437,000 | 15 | 70,000 | 14 | 507,000 | |
| 5 | Episode 5 | 17 August 2017 | 413,000 | 16 | 57,000 | 15 | 470,000 | |
| 6 | Episode 6 | 24 August 2017 | 392,000 | 18 | 64,000 | 16 | 456,000 | |
| 7 | Episode 7 | 31 August 2017 | 350,000 | 19 | 76,000 | 16 | 426,000 | |
| 8 | Episode 8 | 7 September 2017 | 384,000 | 18 | 71,000 | 13 | 455,000 | |

### Critical reception

This series has received mixed reviews.
Luke Buckmaster, writer for The Guardian, rated the series two out of five stars saying "medical dramas will probably never fall out of fashion. The genre is crowded, emphasising the need for programs with interesting and distinctive visions. Unfortunately, Pulse isn’t one of them".
David Knox, writer for TV Tonight, rated the series four out of five stars praising the casting of the series and that it's "the strongest medical drama in years" saying that it holds strong against an overcrowded genre.