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Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures on HBO

On January 10, HBO will air the first of an eight-part television miniseries entitled Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures based on the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning novel by Toronto emergency-room physician Vincent Lam.

This adaptation of the story collection promises to be a mix of E.R. and Grey's Anatomy, with its sexy cast, love triangle storyline and hospital setting. Lam's collection of short stories, inspired by his own experiences as an ER doctor at a Toronto hospital, outlines a messy tangle of relationships that provide the jumping off point for this romantic drama. X-Men's Shawn Ashmore stars as Fitz, a cocky former air evacuation paramedic battling alcoholism and his emotions for ex-girlfriend Ming. ReGenesis's Mayko Nguyen plays the conflicted Ming, who is married to fellow med-school student Chen, played by Byron Mann. Lam makes a cameo midway through the series as a patient with an interesting backstory of his own.

This mini-series is a great relaunch pad for the BTC Audio adaptation of Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. Featuring the voices of William Johnston and Michael Scholar Jr., this 2 1/2 hr audio recording follows the lives of four young medical students and physicians - Ming, Fitz, Sri, and Chen — transforming the way we think about doctors.

For more news on the mini-series, see the Chronicle Herald and Globe and Mail news stories.