| Genre: | Period medical drama |
| Composer: | David Buckley |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 12 |
| Producer: | David A. Rosemont |
| Editor: | Sue Blainey Ted Feuerman |
| Location: | Petersburg, Virginia Richmond, Virginia |
| Cinematography: | Stephen St. John Feliks Parnell |
| Runtime: | 54 minutes |
| Network: | PBS |
Mercy Street is an American period medical drama television series created by Lisa Wolfinger and David Zabel. The series is based on the memoir, Adventures of an Army Nurse in Two Wars, by Mary Phinney von Olnhausen. It is set during the Civil War and follows two volunteer nurses from opposing sides who work at the Mansion House Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. The first season of six episodes premiered on-demand on January 14, 2016 and made its broadcast debut on January 17, 2016 on PBS with 3.3 million viewers.
PBS announced in early March 2016 that Mercy Street had been renewed for a second season which premiered on January 22, 2017.
On March 9, 2017, PBS cancelled the series after two seasons.[1]
The series was created by Lisa Wolfinger and David Zabel and inspired by memoirs and letters of actual doctors and female nurse volunteers at Mansion House Hospital.[2] The production consulted a number of experts, including James M. McPherson and Dr. Stanley Burns, for historical and medical accuracy.[3] Dr. Burns' The Burns Archive has a collection of photographs of wounded soldiers and operations, which helped inspire the show.[4]
The show was filmed in Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, largely in the Petersburg Old Town Historic District.[5] Between 250–300 extras were employed for each episode, pulled in equal parts from local theater around the Richmond region, and first timers alike.[6]
The series has received generally positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Metacritic, it has a score of 61/100, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on 19 critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 75% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10, stating "Mercy Street's intriguing setting and talented cast can't compensate for the overall lack of excitement in a period drama that's traditional to a fault".
Mekeisha Madden Toby of TheWrap wrote, "Riveting drama...masterfully made."[7]