All those greens and blues--and I'm just talking about the trousers and jackets--make you almost forget how well-written and acted this show is; even the medical jargon seems (ummm) un-jargony and informative. The mini dramas are mostly, however, just a light summer breeze, as befitting unpretentious Pains.

It's no mystery why this has become one of the most popular shows on cable. It knows what it is, a summer show for summer fun, and it doesn't complicate matters by trying to be more.