Grey’s Anatomy is set to return on October 6 for its nineteenth season, making it one of the longest-running dramas in the history of television, and its continuing success demonstrates the enduring power of the hospital drama. It’s easy to see why the medical drama would continue to enjoy such popularity.
After all, it immerses the viewer in the adrenaline-driven and personally overwrought atmosphere of the hospital, where the lives of the staff often intersect with their professional duties. What’s more, the users of Reddit have been very open about sharing which examples of the genre they view as the best.
Grey’s Anatomy (2005-Present)
Stream On Hulu
For many years now, Grey’s Anatomy has been seen as one of the best medical dramas. In large part, this stems from its ability to interweave the personal and the professional, and it allows the viewer to get invested in both its main characters and the variety of patients that they see.
EmbarrassedSwitch1 has this to say about their enduring love of the series: “I don’t care , Grey’s will always have my heart.” While it may not always be the most realistic when it comes to its depiction of medicine, the series still deserves credit for both its longevity and its ability to entrance its audiences.
ER (1994-2009)
Stream On Hulu
Along with Grey’s Anatomy, ER is notable for its longevity, having spawned most of the 1990s and 2000s. Like other medical dramas, it does quite a good job of showing the connection between the personal and the medical.
And, given that it was created by Michael Crichton, it also tended to be more accurate than some other notable medical dramas. As mindvarious2 says: “ER is pretty accurate and my favorite, really.” It’s not surprising, then, that the series also earned quite a lot of critical praise, managing to accrue almost two dozen Emmys during the course of its run.
House (2004-2012)
Stream On The Roku Channel
There is much to enjoy about the series House, which is arguably one of the best dramas of the 2000s. Much of the series’ appeal stems from Hugh Laurie’s bitingly sarcastic performance as the title character, but it also does a good job of drawing out the complexity of its supporting cast.
MCATNerd543 has this to say: “I LOVE House lmao. It’s really inaccurate most of the time, but I just love House no matter how screwed up he is.” Indeed, the series is in many ways a compelling, and at times disturbing, character study of a deeply flawed genius.
The Resident (2018-Present)
Stream On Hulu
One of the things that sets The Resident apart from other dramas is its ability to flesh out the many problems that arise as a result of hospital bureaucracy. As a result, it manages to explore some of the fraught medical issues that are always attendant upon the practice of medicine.
Smmrnwntr11 argues that the show is “unmatched.” Though there are times when the show can be a bit too forceful in the articulation of its central arguments, it still deserves a great deal of credit for being willing to take on the difficult issues involved with running a hospital.
M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
Stream On Hulu
Widely seen as one of the best television dramas of all time, M*A*S*H is for many the template for what makes a successful hospital drama. It not only manages to address the many decisions that doctors have to make in the high-stress atmosphere of the battlefield; it also dives deep into their psychologies and their motivations as individuals.
Wellimeaniguess says it has “humor, realism, and some historical insight into medical development.” The series enjoyed an extraordinary longevity, allowing viewers to get to know and care about these characters and their various struggles.
Nurse Jackie (2009-2015)
Stream On Showtime
The antihero is one of the most popular figures in popular culture, appearing in a number of genres, including the hospital genre. This occurred most notably with the series Nurse Jackie, which starred Edie Falco in one of her best roles as a nurse struggling with an addiction to prescription drugs.
Salty_Wealthy refers to it as their “comfort show.” Indeed, as the series goes on, it becomes a profound meditation not just on the nursing profession but on one woman’s efforts to keep her life together, even when it all threatens to come apart in almost every episode.
The Knick (2014-2015)
Stream On HBO Max
The Knick is widely regarded as not just a great hospital drama, but also one of the best period dramas of recent vintage. Smackythefrog says: “If you care at all about medical history, especially treatments and procedures, this show is full of it.”
The show succeeds in large part because it is unsparing in its depiction of just what the practice of medicine was like in the early days of the 20th century. It didn’t always make for easy viewing on the part of audiences, but this is precisely what set it apart from more cautious examples of the genre.
Chicago Med (2015-Present)
Stream On Hulu
Dick Wolf is one of the most successful producers in Hollywood. One of his more compelling creations is Chicago Med, which shares the same universe as Chicago P.D., Chicago Justice, and Chicago Fire.
Parachuti092 has particular praise for the show, writing: “In terms of realism, I feel like Chicago Med is def the most "realistic" in terms of what actually happens in the ER and other things.” Furthermore, Chicago Med knows the beats that it needs to hit in order to appeal to its audience, and its brilliance lies precisely in its predictability.
New Amsterdam (2018-Present)
Stream On Peacock
Part of what makes a great hospital drama is the interplay between character and drama. This is very much in evidence in New Amsterdam, which follows Max Goodwin after he is put in charge of an aging hospital and has to do away with its existing bureaucracy.
It manages to combine just the right amount of predictability with the soap opera plots very familiar on dramatic television series. Brokelley identifies the first two seasons of the series as particularly strong ones, though the rest of the series is also worthy of viewing.
Critical (2015)
Stream On Prime Video
Critical is one of those British series which excels because of its exquisite command of pacing. Focusing as it does on the first hour after critically ill patients arrive, it is the type of medical drama that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats for the duration of the episode.
Quickgetdantrolene writes that it “seems one of the most medically accurate for medical education and procedures.” Though it only lasted one season, it is still a testament to what a medical drama can achieve when it thinks outside the box.