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View details15 medical dramas you won’t get sick of
Life or death situations typically make for compelling television.
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In this world, nothing is certain, except for death, taxes and the fact that medical dramas will never go out of style. It's easy to figure out why, as the medical profession lends itself to drama due to the high stakes involved. Not to mention the fact that the medical stuff is usually a placeholder or metaphor for more interesting and emotional arcs concerning the doctors, which creates engaging storylines. As much as we would like to avoid ever visiting a physical hospital, we're okay with spending time inside a fictional one.
According to the Internet, the oldest medical drama is considered to be City Hospital, which started airing on CBS in the US back in 1951. We've come a long way since then, with the genre developing a wide range of clichés that one can count on when tuning in, including steamy hook-ups on hospital grounds, one of the doctors getting sick, an old yet charming patient dying, treating someone without insurance, a genius doctor who also happens to be a jerk and so on.
The weird thing is that, despite being predictable, these tropes will pull in any fan of the genre every time. You just can't help getting another dose of your irresistible drama with a side of blood and guts and crying relatives. So we're going to prescribe you some more. Side effects include never leaving your house again. You've been warned.
1. New Amsterdam
- Year: 2018
- Cast: Ryan Eggold, Freema Agyeman, Janet Montgomery, Anupam Kher
This charming medical drama revolves around Dr Max Goodwin, the skilled new medical director at America's oldest public hospital, New Amsterdam. While he's set on tearing down the bureaucracy to provide exceptional care, the doctors and staff are not so sure. Max is also dealing with some health issues of his own, complicating matters further.
Fans of the genre will revel in the show's familiar beats, while also appreciating the timeliness of the storylines. Besides, New Amsterdam benefits from a tremendous cast that works well together. As far as medical dramas go, that's always a plus.
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1 seasons
2 seasons
5 seasons
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4 seasons
4 seasons
4 seasons
2. Grey's Anatomy
- Year: 2005
- Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Justin Chambers
At this point, Grey's Anatomy is a veteran as far as medical dramas are concerned. The series revolves around a bunch of doctors (as you might imagine) and has tackled everything from affairs to ghost sex to love triangles to catastrophes, yet still somehow manages to feel fresh all these seasons in.
If you need a recap, it centres on Meredith Grey, who starts as an intern at a Seattle hospital and slowly works her way up to becoming an overall amazing professional/human, while surrounded by an ever-changing cast of diverse and engaging colleagues each carrying around their own emotional baggage.
It's a fascinating series, especially when the creators manage to tell important stories about domestic violence, transgender rights and health care for women of colour. If you're looking for a serious binge, you better start with this one. The entire series is now available to stream on Disney Plus.
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18 seasons
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16 seasons
3. The Good Doctor
- Year: 2017
- Cast: Freddie Highmore, Antonia Thomas, Hill Harper, Christina Chang, Richard Schiff
The Good Doctor follows Shaun Murphy, a brilliant young surgeon who is also autistic. His mentor arranges for him to get a job at a prestigious hospital, which comes with all sorts of new challenges for Shaun. However, despite the fact that he finds it hard to connect with other humans, his abilities help him save lives and he quickly becomes part of the team.
The series is a hit thanks to intelligent storylines, enough emotion to keep viewers engaged and a top-notch performance from Freddie Highmore in the lead role. Not to mention the fact that the show does a great job of explaining how autistic people may not process the world the same way as neurotypical individuals.
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2 seasons
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4 seasons
4 seasons
4. ER
- Year: 1994
- Cast: Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Sherry Stringfield
Before we had Grey's Anatomy, there was ER, a show with a similar premise but a different setting. This time, all the action takes place in the emergency room, as doctors deal with crisis after crisis and have to make difficult decisions on a regular basis. A landmark medical drama, ER is timeless. When it became available to stream on Hulu in the US it caused a lot of excitement, further solidifying its enduring appeal.
It's easy to figure out why. Besides intriguing storylines and captivating characters, the series also broke new ground in production design and direction. It felt more like you were watching a movie than a TV show. That's expected for television nowadays, but back in the 90s, it was a huge deal. Oh, it also has George Clooney in it.
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15 seasons
10 seasons
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16 seasons
15 seasons
15 seasons
5. Chicago Med
- Year: 2015
- Cast: Nick Gehlfuss, Yaya DaCosta, Torrey DeVitto, Rachel DiPillo
There's no shortage of shows in Dick Wolfe's Chicago franchise. Chicago Med is the third instalment in the series, after Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. It follows the doctors and nurses working at the emergency department of a Chicago hospital (this is the last time we're going to write the word "Chicago", honest).
Despite not bringing anything particularly new to the table for the medical genre, the series is compulsively watchable, perfectly balancing human drama with interesting medical cases. Also, you don't need to watch the other shows in the franchise to understand what's going on. There are crossover episodes, but you'll get the gist without being caught up on what the firemen and policemen are up to.
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4 seasons
4 seasons
4 seasons
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5 seasons
5 seasons
6. House M.D.
- Year: 2004
- Cast: Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Robert Sean Leonard
Dr House is the type of TV character you either love or hate. Portrayed by Hugh Laurie, he is brutally honest, ridiculously smart and incredibly antisocial, which makes the show so compulsive to watch.
The show revolves around the highly intelligent doctor as he solves medical puzzles with the help of his usually baffled team. House has no bedside manner, but he gets away with it because he's able to diagnose patients that others can't. As a result, his supervisors and underlings tolerate his wild ways.
House M.D. was a successful and highly influential medical drama during its original run, proving that doctors don't have to be these saint-like figures to be appreciated by viewers. All they need is a whole lot of depth.
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4 seasons
6 seasons
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4 seasons
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8 seasons
8 seasons
8 seasons
7. Private Practice
- Year: 2007
- Cast: Kate Walsh, Paul Adelstein, KaDee Strickland, Taye Diggs
A Grey's Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice follows Dr Addison Montgomery as she relocates to LA and joins a trendy clinic run by some of her friends. Here, she works alongside a fertility doctor, a paediatrician and a psychologist, as well as alternative-medicine specialists.
While the series is more about the drama surrounding the doctors than the medicine itself, it provides some fun insights into alternative treatments and gives Addison room to grow as a character after escaping a toxic love triangle.
Plus, the appealing cast often compensates for the overly wacky storylines and the show tackles important subjects such as rape, mental health and motherhood.
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6 seasons
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6 seasons
6 seasons
8. The Resident
- Year: 2018
- Cast: Matt Czuchry, Emily VanCamp, Manish Dayal
A quality medical drama, The Resident centres on an idealistic young doctor who starts working at a hospital under the tutelage of a more pragmatic mentor who believes that it's important to shatter the romantic illusions of the first-year residents to help them survive on the job.
It's a fun series for viewers disenchanted with medical care, as it focuses on the behind-the-scenes politics going on at a major hospital. There's plenty of witty dialogue to keep you entertained, and the fact that it raises questions about the code of ethics that doctors are expected to follow provides a refreshing approach to the medical genre.
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3 seasons
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4 seasons
4 seasons
9. Lenox Hill
- Year: 2020
- Cast: John Boockvar, David Langer, Amanda Little-Richardson, Mirtha Macri
Lenox Hill isn't a medical drama per se, since the doctors who appear in the series are very real. That doesn't mean it's not dramatic. It takes viewers inside the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
A riveting and eye-opening docu-series, Lenox Hill follows 4 medical professionals specialising in neurosurgery, emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. We get to experience their highs and lows and learn more about the cases they deal with on a day-to-day basis. There's a good chance you'll also feel for their patients, each going through struggles of their own.
Lenox Hill doesn't shy away from showcasing the flaws in the US healthcare system, but the focus is on remarkable individuals who are dedicated to the job. That's exceptional TV as far as we're concerned.
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1 seasons
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10. The Knick
- Year: 2014
- Cast: Clive Owen, André Holland, Jeremy Bobb, Juliet Rylance
Interested in the history of healthcare? You're in luck. The Knick takes place in the early 1900s, following a doctor who pushes the boundaries of medicine and pioneers important procedures despite battling a painful past and severe cocaine addiction.
The doctors in The Knick struggle to provide quality care for their patients in a hospital where keeping the doors open for new cases is difficult, which adds another level of drama to the proceedings. Thanks to stunning visuals and great performances, this period medical drama is both addictive and historically interesting.
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2 seasons
2 seasons
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1 seasons
2 seasons
11. Dr. Death
- Year: 2021
- Cast: Joshua Jackson, Christian Slater, Alec Baldwin, Dominic Burgess
While some doctors go the extra mile to save lives, others aren't quite as committed to upholding the Hippocratic Oath. Case in point: Dr Christopher Duntsch, who used to be a rising star in the Texas medical community before his patients started to leave his care maimed for life.
Based on terrifying real events, Dr. Death stars Joshua Jackson as Duntsch, who gained notoriety for mutilating and even killing his patients. The series dramatises the efforts of his fellow surgeons, who team up with a young assistant district attorney to stop him.
Horrifying and unsettling, Dr. Death is scarier than any horror film. Consider yourself warned.
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1 seasons
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1 seasons
1 seasons
1 seasons
12. 9-1-1
- Year: 2018
- Cast: Angela Bassett, Connie Britton, Peter Krause, Jennifer Love Hewitt
Ever wondered what it's like to be thrust into shocking and heart-stopping situations on a regular basis? Buckle up as you're about to find out.
9-1-1 is an addictive series about the lives of Los Angeles first responders. Besides paramedics, it also follows police officers, firefighters and dispatchers. It's the perfect binge for when you want your medical cases spread out with other intriguing emergencies.
The show isn't set in a hospital, but due to its premise the stakes are always high. Add an outstanding cast into the mix and you'll be unable to look away. The emergencies featured on the show are often wild too, making 9-1-1 as exciting as it is emotional.
If you're into it, spin-off drama 9-1-1: Lone Star starring Rob Lowe is also available to stream.
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3 seasons
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5 seasons
5 seasons
13. Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.
- Year: 2021
- Cast: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Jason Scott Lee
Looking for a medical show you can watch with the kids? Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. is an excellent choice.
Inspired by the hit 90s series Doogie Howser, M.D., the 2021 version follows a teenage girl who also happens to be a medical prodigy. However, juggling high school life with family and an early medical career doesn't come without challenges, especially when your boss is also your mum.
Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. is a delightful dramedy that expertly balances medical drama scenarios with teen shenanigans. Peyton Elizabeth Lee is endlessly likeable, plus the Hawaii setting is an inspired choice and the storylines entertaining. All in all, this is the perfect pick for family night.
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1 seasons
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14. Nurse Jackie
- Year: 2009
- Cast: Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Paul Schulze
For some reason, Nurse Jackie is classified as a comedy despite the serious issues it tackles, often with a lot of tact and grace. The show centres on an emergency room nurse who cares for her patients deeply, but also struggles with pill addiction on the side, a problem that affects all the areas of her life.
While the series does boast some comedic undertones, it's more dramatic than one might expect, with Jackie's slow descent into addiction as compelling as it is horrifying. Edie Falco gives a stellar performance in the lead role, with a talented supporting cast backing her up along the way.
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7 seasons
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7 seasons
7 seasons
15. The Night Shift
- Year: 2014
- Cast: Eoin Macken, Jill Flint, Ken Leung, Brendan Fehr
The Night Shift follows a group of emergency room doctors as they struggle to get things done during the odd night hours at a financially struggling hospital. The hospital is surrounded by military bases, so several of its employees are veterans, led by bad boy TC Callahan, a doctor who doesn't much care for rules.
At its core, this is a pretty formulaic medical drama that wins bonus points for its fast pace and engaging characters. We wouldn't recommend the series if you're new to the genre, but if you've already binged the giants, it's a fun show to relax with.
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4 seasons
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4 seasons
4 seasons
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View detailsWhat changed on our list?
New additions
- Lenox Hill
- Dr. Death
- 9-1-1
- Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.
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