Neil Diamond / Noah Wyle On ‘The Pitt’

This episode of Fresh Air features two interviews: one with Neil Diamond from 2005 and another with Noah Wyle from last year. Diamond discusses his early career, including writing songs for The Monkees and his breakthrough hit, "Solitary Man," reflecting on how it shifted his focus toward writing more personal songs. Wyle discusses his role as an executive producer, writer, director, and star of the HBO Max series "The Pitt," highlighting the show's realism, the intensity of the medical scenes, and the decision to exclude a soundtrack, using medical jargon as the emotional equivalent of a score. He also shares how the show addresses topical issues, such as mask efficacy and vaccine hesitancy, and the impact of COVID-related stress on healthcare workers.