For seven seasons, audiences tuned in to ABC medical dramaThe Good Doctorto watch Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), an autistic surgeon with savant syndrome, who uses his skills to solve complicated medical cases while balancing his work with his personal life, from his eventual marriage and new role as father to his clashes with colleagues who question his abilities. The series was based on the 2013 South Korean dramaGood Doctor.The Good Doctorlasted for over 100 episodes and came to an end in May 2024.
But despiteThe Good Doctor’s end,there’s no shortage of medical dramas to turn to for medical mysteries mixed with interpersonal drama, and even skilled but difficult doctorsand the difficulties of running a hospital beyond medical cases. The best medical dramas prove that with compelling characters and unique storylines, they can stand out and present a new take on a very familiar genre and primetime staple.
18'9-1-1' (2018-)
9-1-1focuses on the chaotic, high-stakes work and personal lives of first responders, from the dispatchers answering panicked calls to the firefighters, paramedics, and police officers sent to respond and save lives – and sometimes, the lives in danger are their own. The series premiered in 2018 and first aired on Fox, then moved to ABC starting with Season 7. It was created byRyan Murphy,Brad Falchuk, andTim Minear.
9-1-1’s focus on all first responders and dispatch helps it to stand out from other procedural dramas, plus it has become known for its over-the-top storylines based on actual emergency calls – and that’s what makes it such a thrill to watch. There’s no shortage of excitement and drama to keep viewers hooked.9-1-1has been a ratings hit, and its success while still on Fox led to the spinoff9-1-1: Lone Star.
17’Private Practice' (2007-2013)
Created by Shonda Rhimes
As the first spin-off ofGrey’s Anatomy–and part of Shondaland –Private Practicefollowed neonatal surgeon Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) as she left Seattle for a fresh start at a private practice in Los Angeles. LikeGrey’s, the series focused onAddison’s professional and personal lives. It aired on ABC and lasted six seasons, from 2007 until 2013, with over 100 episodes and often crossed over withGrey’s. CreatorShonda Rhimeshas expressed a desire to revive the series.
LikeGrey’s Anatomy,Private Practicepresented compelling medical cases but in an environment that wasn’t as chaoticand fast-paced – and although it wasn’t as well-received as the flagship show, it was successful in its own right, and a reboot could offer plenty more great storylines. One of the best things about it was the way it presented Addison as a well-rounded character, as opposed to the way she was defined by Derek (Patrick Dempsey) onGrey’s.
Private Practice
Watch on Hulu
16’This Is Going to Hurt' (2022)
Created by Adam Kay
2022 British miniseriesThis Is Going to Hurtfollowed a young doctor, Adam (Ben Whishaw), working in the OB/GYN ward of a hospital, with all of its ups and downs, from straightforward deliveries to life-threatening complications – and the toll it took, both physical and mental, on hospital staff. The series also often addressed the issues caused by a lack of funding for the NHS. It was based on the best-selling memoir of the same name.
In a genre that can be somewhat predictable and crowded, with new shows every year using familiar storytelling devices and plot points,This Is Going to Hurtwas sometimes a breath of fresh air. Adam was a flawed character, sometimes behaving in ways he shouldn’t have, both personally and professionally. It has been praised as one of the best recent medical dramas, in part because of the way it examined how funding affected care and doctors’ decisions.
This Is Going To Hurt
Watch on Amazon Prime
15’Scrubs' (2001-2010)
Created by Bill Lawrence
Scrubswas a comedic take on the medical genre centered on John “J.D.” Dorian (Zach Braff) and his fellow interns as they worked at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital and eventually became doctors and mentors to a new class of interns. The series premiered in 2001 on NBC and lasted nine seasons – it moved to ABC in its later seasons.CreatorBill Lawrencehas saida reboot is in the works.
Scrubswas critically acclaimed at the time, and it is still a beloved show, considered one ofthe most accurate medical shows. Its quality has stood the test of time, and a reboot would be great to watch, especially all these years later. And although it was a sitcom, Scrubs was still full of heart, plus heartbreak – some of its best episodes had a more serious tone and dealt with the same heavy subjects as its dramatic counterparts.
14’Code Black' (2015-2018)
Created by Michael Seitzman
In the CBS dramaCode Black, the staff of the L.A. County Hospital worked to save lives in their overcrowded but understaffed emergency room, a situation called a Code Black, something a typical hospital experiences just a few times per year compared to about 300 for L.A. County. The ensemble cast includedMarcia Gay HardenandRob Lowe, who joined the show in Season 2.Code Blacklasted three seasons and was based on the documentary of the same name.
Code Blackexplored another aspect of medicine,what happens when so many people need care that a hospital doesn’t have the resources to do so. Although the series wasn’t well-received by critics, audiences enjoyed it, even though it was never a huge ratings hit. The cast impressed as dedicated but overwhelmed doctors, and the series was a grittier take on the medical drama in line with its predecessorER, with a touch of personal drama.
Code Black
13’Chicago Med' (2015-)
Created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead
The third show intheOne Chicagoseriescreated byDick Wolf,Chicago Medfollows the staff of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center as they juggle their personal and professional lives, sometimes using surprising, unconventional methods to save lives and help patients, with stories based on real medical cases.Chicago Medhas been on the air for nine seasons and nearly 200 episodes, with Season 10 set to air in the fall of 2024.
Wolf knows good television and knows what he’s doing,he’s behind a number of massively successful TV series. TheOne Chicagoshows are among his more recent hits, and because they’re connected to each other and have characters with ties to each other, the shows sometimes cross over, allowing for more interesting and complex plots. And while characters have come and gone over the years, they’ve also helped make the show a success.
Chicago Med
Watch on Peacock
12’Black Box' (2014)
Created by Amy Holden Jones
Dr. Catherine Black (Kelly Reilly) was a famed neurologist dealing with bipolar, auditory hallucinations, and a tendency to go off her meds on ABC’sBlack Box.She worked in a state-of-the-art facility called The Cube, which treated patients with rare conditions that often caused hallucinations while trying to hide her own hallucinations from those around her in order to keep her job. The series only lasted one season and also featuredVanessa Redgrave.
Black Boxwas sadly short-lived, meaning it never reached its potential, but it had an interesting premise. Similar to shows likeThe Good DoctorandHouse,Black Box’s Catherine was a doctor struggling to balance her career with her own personal struggles, and although it wasn’t as strong as those other shows,Catherine was still an interesting character handling compelling cases and was uniquely positionedto understand what her patients were experiencing.
Black Box is currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.
11’Good Sam' (2022)
Created by Katle Wech
InGood Sam, Dr. Sam Griffith (Sophia Bush) was forced to step into the role of chief of surgery after her boss fell into a coma, then, after he awoke months later, wanted to return to his job, and the situation was even more complicated by the fact that her boss also happened to be her father, played byJason Isaacs.Good Samaired on CBS and lastedjust one season.
The underratedGood Samaddressed hospital bureaucracy, medicine, and even ethical dilemmas with an added layer of family dynamics. Bush and Isaacs were both fantastic in their roles and had a great dynamic together as the strained father and daughter, especially as their roles reversed, and she worked as his supervisor.The premise and the show’s approach to it were refreshing, making it all the more disappointing that the show was short-lived.
Buy on Apple TV
10’The Knick' (2014-2015)
Created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler
Knickerbocker Hospital was in a transitional period inThe Knick, set in the early 1900s, as its wealthy patients left and an influx of poor patients sought care instead.Clive Owenstarred as Dr. John Thackery, a brilliant doctor introducing new methods in an era before antibiotics – while also struggling with an addiction to cocaine.The Knickaired for two seasons and also addressed issues of morality, race relations, and more.
Period medical dramas can make for some compelling television, even the simplest injuries and illnesses which are commonplace and easy to treat now can become life-threatening and present high-stakes stories when set in another time –The Knickwas no exception. While the show’s medical stories may be very different, some issues, from hospital bureaucracy to Thackery’s addiction, are familiar to modern audiences and are often explored in medical dramas set in the modern day.
9’Transplant' (2020-2024)
Created by Joseph Key
After Syrian Dr. Bashir Hamed (Hamza Haq) and his sister fled their war-torn country for Toronto in theCanadian seriesTransplant,they became refugees, forced to build a new life for themselves. Bashir sought to return to working in medicine but had to rebuild his career to do so. The show lasted for four seasons, and although its final season has already aired in Canada, it will air on NBC in the US.
Transplantdidn’t just present interesting medical stories – Bashir was a great character with an equally great backstory and plenty of challenges as he adjusted to a new home and had a fresh start to his career. His background in emergency medicine in Syria meant he was able to think quickly and proved his abilities with some creative techniques,making the medical procedures more interesting than the routine procedures often seen in similar shows.
