The Knick is the latest TV series to continue the current trend of melding the worlds of cinema and television. Shows like Boardwalk Empire, House of Cards and True Detective have all featured Hollywood royalty making the transition from the big to the small screen in recent years. Television - in particular cable television in the United States - is increasingly seen as the place to be for creative types – be they actors, writers or directors. And now we have The Knick, which is created by relative unknowns Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, but has lured Steven Soderbergh – who had recently taken a sabbatical from film-making – back behind the camera to direct all ten episodes. It also features Clive Owen in the lead role. That’s a fine wealth of talent, and The Knick is a show that certainly benefits from it.
