'The Pitt' is riding high following its breakout first season that averaged 10 million viewers per episode...and received 13 Emmy nominations. Given its success, it's no surprise that executive producer John Wells is The Hollywood Reporter's 2025 TV producer of the year. But this is hardly Wells' first time scrubbing in for TV. Let's take a look at John Wells' top TV hits over the years.
00:00As you can see, we have some new faces with us this morning. Good morning, good morning.
00:04The pit is riding high following its breakout first season that averaged 10 million viewers per episode and received 13 Emmy nominations.
00:13Given its success, it's no surprise that executive producer John Wells is the Hollywood Reporter's 2025 TV producer of the year.
00:21So much of it is research and making certain that you're actually telling the stories based on what you've learned and the research that you do.
00:28So that you're being honest to the people who've been through these experiences.
00:33But this is hardly Wells' first time scrubbing in for TV. Let's take a look at John Wells' top TV hits over the years.
00:39Since he got his start in Hollywood nearly 40 years ago, the prolific writer, director and producer has averaged more successes per decade than most creatives accumulate over their entire career.
00:50I'd like to have a call that started with, we have no notes.
00:54You got notes? You got a lot of notes?
00:57What do you think happens? Yeah, of course I get a lot of notes.
01:00Oh, that makes me feel great.
01:01Oh, pages of notes.
01:03Because I'm always on a notes club and I'm like, and John Wells doesn't get it.
01:07Wells cut his teeth writing on China Beach, a war drama series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War.
01:14The show ran for four seasons on ABC from 1988 to 1991.
01:19Wells met as the pit star Noah Wiley while working on ER, a show he developed and executive produced.
01:25ER ran from 1994 to 2009.
01:28It followed the inner life of the emergency room of a fictional hospital in Chicago, including the various critical issues faced by the ER's physicians and staff.
01:37That's the first tailored white coat I've ever seen.
01:40ER won Wells' first Emmy when the show took home a trophy for Outstanding Drama Series in 1996.
01:46In 1999, Wells created the crime drama series Third Watch.
01:50The show aired on NBC for six seasons from 1999 to 2005.
01:54It's centered on NYPD officers and FDNY firefighters and paramedics who were all working during the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift, a.k.a. the third watch.
02:04Wells is also known for his work on The West Wing.
02:06He was among the show's executive producers for the first four seasons and took over as showrunner starting with season five.
02:13He stayed in the position until the show's conclusion with season seven in 2006.
02:17There are times when we're 50 states and there are times when we're one country and have national needs.
02:24And the way I know this is that Florida didn't fight Germany in World War II or establish civil rights.
02:30He won four Emmys for his work on the show.
02:32He also won an Emmy for The West Wing documentary special.
02:35Not long after the conclusion of The West Wing, Wells developed the crime drama Southland.
02:40It aired on NBC for one season in 2009 and for four additional seasons on TNT until 2013.
02:46Wells also developed the American version of the British series, Shameless.
02:50Shameless debuted on Showtime in 2011 and ran for 11 seasons until 2021.
02:56You're a bad drunk.
03:02Oh, well, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black.
03:06The show, which is the longest running scripted original in Showtime history, was set on the south side of Chicago and starred William H. Macy as an alcoholic single father of six.
03:16Most recently, Wells took television by storm with The Pit, a medical procedural drama which he executive produces.
03:23Season one is currently streaming on HBO Max.
03:26It's good to see you, Louis.
03:27It's always a pleasure, Doc.
03:28In addition to his work on numerous other television shows, Wells has also directed several films, including The Company Men and August, Osage County.
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