INDIANAPOLIS — NBC is adding a new medical drama to its fall lineup.
"Brilliant Minds," which is based on world-renowned physician Oliver Sacks, follows a gifted neurologist (Zachary Quinto) and his team of interns as they tackle some of the world's most puzzling psychological cases.
"(Sacks) was considered by The New York Times to be the poet laureate of medicine because he wrote extensively about his patients' unique and, in some cases, unbelievable experiences," said Quinto ("Star Trek," "American Horror Story: Asylum").
The character played by Tamberla Perry ("They Cloned Tyrone," "The Good Fight") is also based one of Sacks' closest colleagues and friends.
"When she recruits Oliver to come work with her at the Bronx General to create this neuropsychology dream team, she understands his ways of practicing medicine can be seen as unorthodox, but she knows he's a genius in what he does and really cares for his patients," Perry said.
Many of the cases in the 13-episode first season are cases Sacks dealt with.
"It's this wonderful hybrid where I got to play a character who's based on someone real, but I'm not playing the person themselves, so I had the benefit of all the source material ... and I got to apply it all to this character who is a product of my imagination and my collaborations with showrunner Michael Grassi, staff of writers and cast," Quinto said.
Unlike other network medical dramas, "Brilliant Minds" isn't dealing with major surgical procedures for physical trauma — it's all about the complexity of the human brain.
"Mental health has been a hot topic for a while now. People are more transparent than ever about their relationships with their therapists, the counseling that they're seeking and where they are in their mental state," Perry said. "One of the things I hope people get out of this show is that they come here and they can feel seen. If you can see yourself in these characters and in these doctors and the patients that we have, then we've done our jobs."
Also setting it apart is the fact that the lead character is openly gay.
"To be the lead of a primetime network medical drama and to have the sexuality of the character be one aspect of many aspects that make him interesting and unique, that, to me, is the crux of the issue — it's not about his sexuality," Quinto said. "It doesn't necessarily define who we are, but it certainly enhances who we are."
Also cast in recurring and guest roles are Donna Murphy ("Tangled," "The Gilded Age"), Teddy Sears ("The Flash," "Masters of Sex") and Mandy Patinkin ("Homeland," "The Princess Bride").
"We have a really rich world and stories that I hope audiences will not only be entertained by, but ideally, potentially also see themselves in," Quinto said. "I've always said if audiences see themselves in the characters we're playing in the stories we're telling, then we're doing our job."
"Brilliant Minds" premieres Monday, Sept. 23 on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.