PITTSBURGH — Get ready for the next 15-hour shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.

The Emmy-winning HBO Max medical drama "The Pitt" returns for Season 2 on Jan. 8 at 9 p.m. EST with new episodes every Thursday, according to an announcement on Instagram from HBO Max.

Fan-favorite characters will enter the Pittsburgh-based emergency room for another shift 10 months after Season 1 on a Fourth of July weekend.

“And, so it begins,” says Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, portrayed by the Emmy-winning Noah Wyle, in the trailer.

Just like the last season, "The Pitt" Season 2 consists of 15 episodes and the same format, with each episode equaling one-hour of real time at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center — a hospital based on North Side's Allegheny General Hospital.

The show has been praised for its realistic depiction of the struggles health care providers experience. After winning three major accolades at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards and being nominated for two Golden Globes, "The Pitt's" creators (which includes Carnegie Mellon University graduate John Wells and Braddock native Michael Hissrich) want to continue to accurately portray those difficulties.

"If we continue to tell that story, I think that's the best thing we can do," Hissrich said in September during filming for "The Pitt" in North Side.

Most of the main characters are set to return, including Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball), who was told to check into rehab at the end of Season 1, and nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), who was thinking of quitting after being socked by an angry patient. Five other actors, including Lawrence Robinson as a patient named Brian Hancock, will join as recurring cast members.

Tracy Ifeachor, who played Dr. Collins in Season 1, will not be returning.

If you need to catch up, Season 1 of "The Pitt" is streaming on HBO Max and other services including Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

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