Medical dramas continue to captivate many TV viewers. With high stakes and characters who are easy to invest in, many medical dramas find devoted audiences. Medical dramas can have particular longevity, since, regardless of the setting, doctors, nurses, and other professionals can come and go as needed. For those who love the genre, there are several series that are necessary to watch. These stories have made a lasting impact on the TV landscape.
There are some medical dramas, likeNurse Jackie, that highlight the stories of medical professionals who aren’t doctors. Other medical dramas, likeGrey’s Anatomy, have introduced characters and stories that are notable for their longevity alone. The most essential medical dramas have captured what has made this genre so compelling for so long.There are series that have set the standard for medical dramas, and have changed how people see the medical profession.
10’This is Going to Hurt' (2022)
Directed by Lucy Forbes and Tom Kingsley
This is Going to Hurtis a British medical drama that follows the staff of an obstetrics and gynecology floor in an NHS hospital. The series is based on the memoir of the same name byAdam Kay.This is Going to Hurtfollows the struggles the medical staff faced, being chronically underfunded and understaffed.Ben Whishawplays a fictionalized version of Kay, who often breaks the fourth wall to address viewers directly.
This is Going to Hurtis a necessary medical drama to watch because it gives a unique perspective on specialized healthcare in a British setting. The fact that the series uses the fourth wall to connect with viewers more deeply makes it a unique medical show that viewers can connect with more directly. The characters featured onThis is Going to Hurtobviously try their best to work within a flawed system to help as many patients as they can.
This Is Going To Hurt
9’The Pitt' (2025- )
Created by R. Scott Gemmill
The Pittis a recent medical drama from HBO. The series follows the staff of a fictional Pittsburgh hospital.The Pittis uniquebecause it takes place over the course of a single shift. Dr. Robbie (Noah Wyle) deals with his own trauma while leading a team of doctors through a nightmarish shift. The team faces a mass shooting, a measles' exposure, overdoses, and tragic deaths. The series also handles important topics like the assault of healthcare workers in the workplace.
The Pittis an essential medical drama because it highlights how far the genre has come since the COVID-19 pandemic.The Pittis an example of a recent medical series that highlights the stark reality that healthcare systems around the world face. The series' realism is what makes it such an important watch for fans of the genre. The gritty realism makes it both difficult to watch at times, but impossible to turn away from.
8’Chicago Hope' (1994-2000)
Created by David E. Kelley
Chicago Hopefollows Dr. Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin), a surgeon working at a charity hospital in Chicago. The series follows the personal and professional dramas the staff of this hospital face.Chicago Hopeshowcased complex and nuanced characters who offer glimpses into their personal lives when they aren’t saving lives in the hospital. The series created characters who highlighted the fact that medical professionals have to navigate challenges in their personal and professional lives.
Chicago Hopeis a necessary medical dramafor fans of the genre because it paved the way for more series that focused on the psychological impact of the medical profession.Chicago Hopealso set the stage for other series to focus on the human drama behind the white coats. While the series focused on the patient care these fictional doctors provided, it was unique in that it explored just how complicated work relationships can be when working under such high pressure.
Chicago Hope
7’Private Practice' (2007-2013)
Created by Shonda Rhimes
Private Practiceis a spin-off ofGrey’s Anatomyand follows Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh)’s career in Los Angeles. She runs her own clinic and experiences the challenges and rewards of being in private practice rather than being in a hospital alone. The series introduced many new characters, some of whom reappeared inGrey’s Anatomy.Private Practiceexplores ethical questionsand challenging patient situations that healthcare practitioners face.
Private Practiceis an essential medical drama to watch because it shows how successful spin-off series can be. The series introduced characters and stories that continued to be explored inGrey’s Anatomy.Private Practiceprovided a unique perspective on the American medical system by spotlighting what reproductive healthcare looks like, and how medical professionals working in this setting often face specific challenges when providing patient care.
Private Practice
6’Nurse Jackie' (2009-2015)
Created by Liz Brixius, Evan Dunsky, and Linda Wallem
Nurse Jackiefollows RN Jackie Peyton(Edie Falco), an emergency room nurse who diverts medication from her hospital as part of her addiction. The series follows Jackie’s struggles in managing her illness while trying to continue her career.Nurse Jackiehighlights the reality that many healthcare workers face, and how healthcare workers with addiction issues are often uniquely vulnerable when it comes to their illness.
Nurse Jackieis an important medical drama because it highlights a nurse as its protagonist. Since many medical dramas focus on doctors, this is a necessary point of view.Nurse Jackieis also a realistic look at how substance use disorders can show up in those who work in healthcare settings. Even when Jackie is at her least sympathetic, the series always emphasizes the fact that addiction is an illness and that healthcare workers who face this condition need support.
Nurse Jackie
5’House' (2004-2012)
Created by David Shore
Housefollows titular character, Dr. Gregory House(Hugh Laurie), an expert diagnostician who is often tasked with diagnosing patients with baffling symptoms that stump other doctors. House’s lack of bedside manner and unflinching honesty make him a strangely endearing protagonist to follow. The series primarily focuses on House making spectacular and often improbable saves by using his talents as a diagnostician.
WhatHouselacks in authenticity, it makes up for in important social commentary. The fact that House leads a team of doctors who will stop at nothing to find diagnoses for their patients sounds utopian to anyone who has had their symptoms outright dismissed by medical professionals.Houseis an essential medical drama because the series' protagonist is an outwardly unlikable man who stops at nothing to fight for his patients.
4’Scrubs' (2001-2010)
Created by Bill Lawrence
Scrubsfollows the medical staff at a fictional teaching hospital. The series follows J.D. (Zach Braff), who often zones out and daydreams while he works in the hospital’s emergency department.Scrubsmainly focuses on J.D.’s relationshipswith his colleagues and how he sees his role as a doctor. The series is remarkably authentic in that it highlights the sometimes ridiculous situations medical professionals often find themselves facing.
WhileScrubswas always comedic in nature, it also had a dramatic undertone that added an extra layer of authenticity.Scrubsis an important medical series because it focuses on the often ridiculous situations people working in healthcare face on a daily basis. Additionally, the series showed characters using humor as a way to cope with the devastating situations that healthcare professionals inevitably face throughout their careers.
3’MAS*H' (1972-1983)
Created by Larry Gelbart
MASHis based on the movie of the same name, which itself was based on the Korean War memoir byRichard Hooker. The series follows the medical personnel in a fictional MASH unit during the Korean War. Specifically,MAS*Hfollows Dr. Hawkeye Pierce(Alan Alda) as he does his best to process the horrors he witnesses as an army surgeon while he also tries to stave off the boredom by causing chaos.
What makesMASHone of the most iconic medical series of all time is the fact that it highlighted such compelling characters, and provided pointed social commentary that was ahead of its time. The series remains an example of one that expertly balances humor and heart, and highlights how repeated exposure to trauma can impact anyone.MASHremains a thought-provoking period piece that uses the medical genre to ask viewers to consider the true cost of war. It’s generally called one of the best sitcoms ever, but it’s really important to note it’s in fact a dramedy.
2’Grey’s Anatomy' (2005- )
Grey’s Anatomyfollows Meredith Grey(Ellen Pompeo) who is introduced to viewers as a surgical intern. While the series began by focusing on Meredith’s career and personal life,Grey’s Anatomyhas evolved far beyond its original protagonist.Grey’s Anatomycontinues to chronicle the lives and dramas of the surgical team at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The series is known for highlighting the interpersonal dramas of its characters against the backdrops of truly spectacular patient saves.
It’s difficult to overstate the enormous impactGrey’s Anatomyhas had on the genre. The fact that the series has become the longest-running medical series to date alone makes it noteworthy.Grey’s Anatomyhas forever changed what makes viewers connect with medical dramas. The series has perfected introducing characters who are in compelling relationships worth investing in. The actual medical drama is simply a nice bonus.
Grey’s Anatomy
1’ER' (1994-2009)
Created by Michael Crichton
ERfollows the staff of Cook County General Hospital, which is a fictionalized version of a real Chicago hospital. The series highlights the unique challenges of emergency medicine, and how many medical professionals from different backgrounds have to work together to save lives. Throughout its 15-season run,ERintroduced a large ensemble castthat grew and changed over time. The series highlighted the critical decisions required to work in an emergency room.
ERis arguably the most essential medical drama to watch for fans of the genre because it showed just how compelling medicine can be in an emergency setting, especially with characters who are worth investing in.ERoften entwined the staff’s personal lives with the lives of patients they had to care for every day. This added a personal touch that has been featured in many medical dramas afterER. This series set the stage for other dramas to explore the humanity of those who save lives for a living.
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