What is it that draws us to medical dramas? Is it the sense of urgency whenever we’re hooked to watching doctors frantically try and save someone’s life? Are the smokey romances that spark up between co-workers? The trend of medical dramas continues to be strong among viewers. These shows offer a captivating blend of drama, suspense, and human emotion, making them a perennial favorite.
Moreover, shows like Grey’s Anatomy, New Amsterdam, and Transplant not only provide an exciting look into the world of healthcare but also explore personal and societal issues, adding depth to the genre. Whatever the case is, medical dramas have been a reliable staple on television for decades, and if you need to have your fix on hospital drama, here are some of the best medical dramas that will surely keep you talking for days to come.
30
‘Diagnosis: Murder’ (1993–2001)
Created by Joyce Burditt
The 1990s crime hit series, Diagnosis: Murder, is a one-of-a-kind medical drama blended with a murder mystery that gives it an edge against other shows. Set in sunny southern California, Dick Van Dyke stars as Dr. Mark Sloan, who occasionally works as a consultant with the Los Angeles police department where his son, Steve (Barry Van Dyke), works as a homicide detective.
Diagnosis: Murder was initially a spin-off of the popular show, Jake and the Fatman, where Van Dyke initially appeared as Sloan and, after a few television movies, the show became a series regular for CBS’ lineup. The episodes are a thrilling cross between a medical and murder case scenario that, despite the unusual formula, manages to keep audiences on their toes and refrains from delivering a long line of cookie-cutter episodes.
Diagnosis: Murder
- Release Date
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January 1, 1974
- Runtime
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95 minutes
Cast
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-
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Dilys Hamlett
Julia Hayward
29
‘Trapper John, M.D.’ (1979–1986)
Created by Richard Hooker
Trapper John, M.D. is a spin-off of the 1970 hit film, M*A*S*H, and follows former military surgeon, John Trapper (Pernell Roberts) who now works as the Chief of Surgery in San Francisco, California. The show picks up twenty-eight years after Trapper was discharged from the Army during the Korean War and is now head of surgery at the San Francisco Memorial Hospital.
The show ran for seven successful seasons and is noted for portraying Trapper as a matured man of medicine who, despite joining the system, still occasionally bends the rules and protocols for the sake of his patients. Trapper John, M.D. is often times overlooked since it aired at the same time as the other medical drama, M*A*S*H, but it is definitely one series that deserves more recognition than it usually receives.
- Release Date
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1979 – 1985
- Network
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CBS
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Pernell Roberts
George Alonzo ‘Gonzo’ Gates
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Gregory Harrison
“Trapper” John McIntyre
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Madge Sinclair
Ernestine Shoop, R. N.
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Charles Siebert
Clara ‘Starch’ Willoughby, R. N.
28
‘SkyMed’ (2022–)
Created by Julie Puckrin
The must-see Canadian series, SkyMed, is one of the latest medical dramas that takes to the skies with an air ambulance team that operates across Northern Canada. The show features high-stakes medical cases tailored with intriguing character journeys that add another layer of drama and suspense.
Compared to other medical dramas, SkyMed stands out from the bunch with its unique setting, which has rarely been seen in similar shows, giving television fans a refreshing, new take on the traditional medical drama. With two successful seasons under its belt, SkyMed is set to return with its third season and appears to be a promising medical drama that continues to gain traction with viewers.
27
‘Dr. Death’ (2021–2023)
Created by Patrick Macmanus (Season 1) and Ashley Michel Hoban (Season 2)
A medical anthology series was introduced in 2021, and two of its seasons follow doctors whose practices and motivations for curing people and being innovative meant trouble for everyone in their care. Dr. Death was based on season 1 creator Patrick Macmanus‘ podcast of the same name and on two chilling true stories. Season 2 was written by Ashley Michel Hoban and focuses on a different doctor.
Season 1 was based on Dr. Christopher Duntsch, played by Joshua Jackson, a former neurosurgeon whose seemingly impeccable credentials helped him rise in the ranks of Dallas’ medical community. After his charming facade crumbles, people learn Duntsch wasn’t always who he portrayed himself to be, leading him to be nicknamed Dr. Death. Season 2 follows another true story about Paolo Macchiarini, played by Edgar Ramirez, a biologist and researcher who worked with stem cells and did trachea transplants. Macchiarini, too, became notorious for malpractice, and the show does a nice job of portraying both his and Duntsch’s cases. —Anja Djuricic
26
‘Nip/Tuck’ (2003–2010)
Created by Ryan Murphy
Before dabbling in the realm of serial killers and high school glee clubs, Ryan Murphy delivered the campy medical drama, Nip/Tuck, which, at the time, was a groundbreaking series. The show follows longtime friends and plastic surgeons, Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) who, despite their partnership, both have differing views on practicing medicine and the lifestyles they lead.
The series is known for taking a raw, uncensored view into the world of plastic surgery, conveying the positives as well as the negatives that come with the procedures for both the surgeons and patients. It wouldn’t be a Murphy production without a backdrop of personal lives which are full of drama and scandal, often times putting both men in hot water. Nip/Tuck might not be up with the classic medical dramas, but it is an iconic series that explores the darker side of the medical field.
25
‘Chicago Med’ (2015–)
Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead
Chicago Med is a current medical drama co-created by Dick Wolf and follows a team of highly skilled medical professionals at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. The series takes the traditional medical drama a step further with its array of eccentric characters and their own interpersonal struggles, as well as the cases featured that sometimes require out-of-the-box treatments.
Aside from the core group of doctors and nurses, Chicago Med is one of few medical dramas that features a psychiatrist. Dr. Daniel Charles, played by Oliver Platt, who typically brings another layer to a case regarding a patient or a patient’s family member. This element gives Chicago Med an unpredictable edge and anticipation that almost always hooks viewers while also putting a spotlight on lesser-known conditions that make the show one of the best medical dramas currently on air.
- Release Date
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November 17, 2015
- Network
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NBC
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Marlyne Barrett
Maggie Lockwood
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S. Epatha Merkerson
Sharon Goodwin
24
‘Royal Pains’ (2009–2016)
Created by Andrew Lenchewski and John P. Rogers
Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein), a well-known and successful ER doctor, is suddenly fired from his job at a New York hospital when he is blamed for a benefactor’s death. However, while he is in the Hamptons, he is hired as a concierge doctor who cares for the rich and famous but also those who cannot afford medical care.
An absolutely underrated 2000s drama, Royal Pains is a binge-worthy series that viewers will be unable to stop themselves from watching. The cast of characters is lovable, and their chemistry with one another is entertaining and realistic, providing a laidback experience that viewers will enjoy watching. A charming show with an endearing lead, Royal Pains should be on every medical drama fan’s watchlist.
23
‘Temple’ (2019–2021)
Created by Mark O’Rowe
Temple is a British medical drama that puts Mark Strong at the forefront. Its dark and morally complex plot makes the drama heavier than most, despite medical dramas never being very easy to watch anyway. A man trying to do the right thing gets himself into a dangerous scheme that might cost him and his loved ones their lives, blurring the lines between right and wrong in the character. Strong does a great job as Dr. Daniel Milton, while Daniel Mays thrills as the show’s most interesting morally gray personality.
Temple depicts Dr. Daniel Milton, a respected surgeon whose wife, Anna (Catherine McCormack), is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Desperate to save her, Daniel meets Lee (Mays), a mysterious man who helps Milton open and run an illegal medical facility in the abandoned Temple Underground Station. The show doesn’t just dive into Milton becoming a doctor for criminals in order to save his wife, but it also examines the motivations of people who don’t wish to seek help from official doctors or can’t afford to. —Anja Djuricic
22
‘Call the Midwife’ (2012–2024)
Created by Jessica Raine
It’s the 1950s in the poor East End of London. Jenny Lee (Jessica Raine), a midwife, finds herself working at the Nonnatus House, where she works alongside other midwives and nuns who work in nursing. Call the Midwife features different stories of different characters at different periods of time, never remaining stagnant and always entertaining. Charming, beautifully-told, and vibrant all at once, Call the Midlife examines and follows the lives of various midwives, old and new, as they help out with certain medical cases.
A wonderfully-made and realistic medical drama, Call the Midwife explores various health factors back in the 1950s and onwards, with each season serving as a focus on a particular crisis, running from the Baby Boom of 1957 to polio to neonatal withdrawal and many other topics. For any viewer who is a fan of traditional medical care and a realistic depiction of early medicine, Call the Midwife is the best ongoing show for you.
21
‘Code Black’ (2015–2018)
Created by Michael Seitzman
In the fictional Angels Memorial Hospital, there is an emergency room where the residents lack sufficient resources. Despite this, the first-year residents and their colleagues have to deal with a busy emergency room that is also inadequately staffed.
Code Black is a medical drama based on an award-winning documentary of the same name. Though short, Code Black focuses more on medicine than on the drama (though drama still exists), and its cast of actors put on gritting realistic performances. A suspenseful emergency room drama, Code Black is the watch for those who don’t mind shedding a tear or two.
- Release Date
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2015 – 2018
- Network
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CBS
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Marcia Gay Harden
Dr. Leanne Rorish
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Luis Guzmán
Jesse Salander
