[6] In September 2008, The Press of Atlantic City reported that Jada Pinkett Smith signed on as both the star of the television pilot, and to serve as executive producer of the program.

[4] Pinkett Smith had previously promised never to work in television again,[7][8] but changed her mind after reading the script of the pilot.

Amy Amatangelo of the Boston Herald gave the program a grade of "D+", commenting: "'HawthoRNe' can't make a diagnosis.

It's a mess, fronted by Jada Pinkett Smith, making a return to series television as Christina Hawthorne, the chief nursing officer for Richmond Trinity Hospital and about the closest thing to a heavenly figure on the small screen since Roma Downey took flight on Touched by an Angel.

"[17] Greg Braxton of the Los Angeles Times noted, "Tom Shales in The Washington Post suggested 'HawthoRNe' is 'a show in need of emergency care.

'"[18] In an assessment of the program for Bangor Daily News, Dale McGarrigle wrote that "It also pales in comparison to other original dramas on its own channel.

"[20] Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote: "HawthoRNe would be terrible if it were the only series on TV and the only medical drama you'd ever seen.

"[21] Of the lead actress's performance in the show, Bianco commented: "Pinkett Smith's Hawthorne is tired in every sense of the word, and she's not the only one.

"[22] The first episode of Hawthorne received 3.8 million viewers, with a debut at the 17th spot in the list of the "Top 20 cable network television shows for the week ending June 21, 2009".

[23] It placed directly below the Nickelodeon episode of iCarly, "iDate A Bad Boy", and above the USA Network program, In Plain Sight.