HBO’s therapy drama show may soon get a revival, Deadline has reported. In Treatment, based on the Israeli drama series BeTipul, is being pursued by HBO for a reboot due to the nature of its socially distant production.
In Treatment is a psychological drama that follows a persistent therapist named Paul Weston (played by Gabriel Byrne, The Usual Suspects) as he deals with his patients while struggling with his own inner demons. His mental state and commitment to his work begins to unravel as he seeks therapy from Gina Toll (Dianne Wiest, Bullets Over Broadway), a former mentor. The cast varies as Weston deals with an entirely new set of patients each season, but notable actors such as Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi), and Amy Ryan (Birdman) have appeared (Wasikowska in season 1 and both Khan and Ryan in season 3).
In Treatment ran for 106 episodes over three seasons (besting its source material BeTipul by one season), amassing critical acclaim and a Peabody Award in the process. The series’ high episode count is due to its unique airing structure. Five episodes of In Treatment aired a week across nine weeks in season 1 and seven weeks in season 2. The cast would rotate, with a limited amount of characters appearing in a given episode: Weston, Toll, and whichever of Weston’s patients had an appointment that day.
It is this style of production that makes the series so appealing to HBO’s parent company WarnerMedia. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, production of all television shows will need to reorient itself around social distancing practices. In Treatment would make for an easy transition into these practices, given its limited cast and the physically distant setting of a therapy session.
The revival is still in the early phases of discussions and not guaranteed.