By Avery Mangahas, News Correspondent
Last Wednesday ABC premiered its new show “Off the Map,” a doctor drama with a twist: Instead of a hospital, “Off the Map” is set at a tiny clinic in the middle of the South American jungle. Despite the premise, the pilot was … well, generic. Creator Jenna Bans produced both “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice,” and her resume is easy to guess by watching her new show. “Off the Map” is, in its basic elements, “Grey’s Anatomy.” There are hot doctors, there are tense medical emergencies, and there are melodramatic patients. Even the characters are drawn from “Grey’s.” It’s a shame, because the actors are obviously trying, but the writing is uninspired.
“Off the Map” opens with some impressive shots of the jungle and the helpful caption “Somewhere in South America.” Three experienced doctors working at an underfunded village clinic are introduced. The leader is “one of the greatest humanitarians of our time,” blue-eyed hottie Ben Keeton. Supporting him are Otis Cole, a muscled African-American guy with a temper, and Zita Alvarez, the stereotypically spicy Latina woman with no patience.
Three younger volunteers from the US arrive to help out. There’s Tommy Fuller, the hot, horny plastics specialist, obviously inspired by Grey’s character Alex Karev; Lily Brenner, the hot idealist with a tragic past, much like Izzy Stevens; and Mina Minard, the hothead cynic, a less-likable version of Cristina Yang.
The characters, though blatant rip-offs, are still somewhat compelling. If nothing else, it’s interesting to watch Meryl Streep’s daughter, Mamie Gummer as Mina Minard. The plot, on the other hand, is almost sickeningly predictable. There are several implausible medical emergencies involving too much gore. Future couplings are easy to spot based on banal interactions like, “Even if we were the last two people on Earth?”
The hardest thing about working at the clinic seems to be the language barrier. There’s a lot of miming and raised voices as the native South Americans watch with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
The audience is left wondering why the interns didn’t bother to bring an English-to-Spanish pocket dictionary. But the title of the episode provides clarification: “Saved by the Great White Hope.”
The spicy Latina Zita explains the term “great white hope” when she rants about white, American doctors who don’t even speak the language coming to “save” the poor non-white people. Her speech would imply that the show wants to provide some critique on the concept of privileged white Americans imagining themselves as saviors of uneducated non-white, non-American people, an issue widely discussed in the wake of the disaster in Haiti.
Instead, this pseudo-imperialism is apparently endorsed by the show when the language barrier is exploited as a plot device to shed light on the interns’ backgrounds. Tommy Fuller, the plastics guy, makes a long speech about his failed past in an effort to force a patient to accept treatment. There is a moment afterward when, of course, the man will have no idea what Tommy is talking about, because he doesn’t speak English. But then, miraculously, he accepts treatment. Obviously something in Tommy’s eyes convinced him.
The episode apparently starts out to show us something challenging, to make some sort of commentary on the practice of Americans’ conceited self-importance, but it falls short and ends up being offensive.
Beyond being racially insensitive, “Off the Map” can’t seem to strike the right tone with its drama.
Grey’s Anatomy somehow has the ability to produce buckets of tears with a single scene. “Off the Map” produces eye rolls. “Grey’s Anatomy” works because it has interesting main characters, great guest stars and witty banter. “Off the Map” doesn’t, because its only innovation consists of pretty jungle panoramas.
If you find yourself with an hour to kill and a craving for hot doctors, do yourself a favor and just watch a repeat of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
