Some of the best medical television shows that brought viewers inside the public and private lives of doctors!
House
Hugh Laurie, who had an eight-season run playing cranky, imperfect Gregory House, told NPR he had “great reverence for medical science” because his own father was a physician.
“He probably would have been somewhat horrified at House’s behavior,” he admits.
Grey’s Anatomy
Ellen Pompeo has played surgeon Meredith Grey since 2005. While confident in her work, the doctor struggles in her personal life.
“Somehow, Meredith can’t figure out how to make a relationship work still after all this time,” Ellen told Variety.
Doogie Howser, M.D.
In 1989, 16-year-old Neil Patrick Harris arrived on TV playing a young medical prodigy.
“It wasn’t a sitcom with a bunch of laughing audience members,” he told GMA. “I learned a lot of [medical] dialogue and [even] how to suture.”
ER
The show, which bowed in 1994, brought viewers into the hospital in a realistic way.
“We weren’t gonna do anything that wouldn’t actually really happen,” producer John Wells told The Ringer. “It made for really good, exciting television that people hadn’t seen before.”
Dr. Kildare
Richard Chamberlain starred as TV’s first heartthrob physician from 1961 to 1966.
“Kildare looks pure. He is waiting to be taught sin,” he told The Saturday Evening Post. “To women, this is encouraging.”
The Good Doctor
Another twist on doctoring came from Freddie Highmore’s seven seasons as autistic savant surgeon Shaun Murphy.
“It’s especially important in today’s world to portray different versions of masculinity, not only the stereotypical ones,” he told Variety.
St. Elsewhere
Set in Boston, the series — starring Denzel Washington as Dr. Phillip Chandler — was known for its gritty portrayal of hospital life.
“More people died there than at any hospital, I think, in the history of television,” joked costar Ed Begley Jr.
The Pitt
Noah Wyle, a former ER star, returned to a frenetic emergency room for The Pitt.
“We recognized that there was another story to tell,” he said on The Late Show. “We believe firmly that the strength of our healthcare system is proportional to the mental health of our practitioners.”
Scrubs
The comedy followed a group of young doctors with humor and heart for nine seasons.
“I definitely think Scrubs still holds up,” said Zach Braff, who played J.D. Dorian, to the BBC. “There are still people in the medical profession who are going through the same things.”
Chicago Med
Since premiering in 2015, the series has shared the complicated lives of its hospital staff.
“[Caitlin Lenox] just tells you the truth and isn’t trying to take care of your feelings,” says Sarah Ramos, who joined the cast in 2024 as the first woman to run the emergency department.
