The Pitt's Noah Wyle addresses night shift spin-off as fans threaten to 'riot'

The Pitt star Noah Wyle has shared his thoughts on viewers' demands for a spin-off from HBO's enormously popular medical drama.

Wyle, perhaps best known for his role as Dr. John Carter in NBC's hospital series ER, has returned to our screens as senior attending physician Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch, who leads a team of doctors, nurses and medical students at a high-pressure emergency room in Pittsburgh.

Across the first two seasons, each episode follows the staff through one hour of a single 15-hour shift as they confront life-threatening injuries, illnesses and other medical emergencies.

Millions of viewers have already grown deeply fond of the show's ensemble of characters, amongst them night shift workers Dr Jack Abbot (played by Shawn Hatosy) and Dr Parker Ellis (Ayesha Harris), reports the Mirror.

Harris is set to take on a considerably larger role in season three, which has fuelled calls from fans to spend more time with the night-time staff, potentially in their own dedicated spin-off series.

One X user declared: "If HBO was smart, they'd fast track a Pitt: Night Shift spinoff with Abbott as the lead. Biggest no brainer in television IMO."

Another enthusiastic viewer went even further: "The Pitt is a masterclass, but if they don't make a Night Shift spinoff we riot at dawn!"

Regrettably, Wyle's most recent comments indicate that a night shift spin-off is unlikely to materialise any time soon, if indeed at all. Speaking to Deadline, he said: "Anything is possible, but it's not probable."

This mirrors remarks he made to The Wrap just days earlier, in which he admitted: "You're getting just enough night shift. You don't want any more. You think you do, but you don't."

Creator R. Scott Gemmill also confirmed that Harris' Dr Ellis will be working day shifts upon being elevated to series regular for season three, rather than the show placing greater emphasis on the night shift.

"I like touching base with the night shift when we can because it's a whole different dynamic," he revealed, also hinting at a greater role for Dr Abbot going forward.

"It's great, I love working with Shawn. He's fantastic," he said. "He directed one episode this season, and he's gonna direct this year, I think.

"And I love writing for him; it's a great character. He adds gravitas to the scenes he's in. The more we can use him, the better."

The remainder of the night shift ensemble features Mateo Diaz (Jalen Thomas Brooks), Dr. John Shen (Ken Kirby), Dr. Cyrus Henderson (Luke Tennie), and Dr. Nazely Toomarian (Sofia Hasmik).

Tune in to new episodes of The Pitt each week to discover whether the night team make more appearances, and keep an eye out for further updates on season three.

The Pitt continues Thursdays on HBO Max.