With TV now rivalling, and in many cases bettering, the current output from Hollywood, the hunt for the next big series to invest in is on.

With heavyweight talent like Steven Soderbergh and Clive Owen involved, The Knick has all the ingredients to be one of those shows you just can’t stop watching.

As well as Owen, the HBO show also stars Andre Holland in a breakout role.

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Set in a New York hospital at the turn of the last century, Holland plays Dr. Algernon Edwards who has to face up to the brutal medical practises of the time as well as no small measure of racism.

We spoke to Andre when he recently visited the UK and found out what it was like making such a series.

We discussed working with Steven Soderbergh, the challenges of bringing the era to the screen and the issue of race across America through the ages. Holland, who grew up in the South, also starred in the powerful drama Selma last year and so had plenty to say on the subject.

To tie-in with the release of the first season, and with Andre in town, we went along to the Old Operating Theatre Museum to get  sense of what it was like to be in the thick of it.

Old Operating TheatreThe theatre is open to the public and gives you a genuine sense of stepping back in time. As well as the operating room, there is a room full of instruments from the Victorian era that could easily be mistaken for torture devices.

Remember, this is a time when the term ‘Bonesaw’ was seen as being complimentary towards a medical professional!

If you want to see more, and a great turn from Andre, make sure you tune into The Knick.

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The Knick Season 1 is released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download on Monday 17 August. The second series of The Knick premieres exclusively on Sky Atlantic on Sky and NOW TV this autumn.