10 binge-worthy medical dramas available to stream
Key Takeaways
If you are a '90s child and are now a physician, you've likely credited part of your medical training to watching the medical drama, ER. Although a television drama, ER took medicine seriously and was meant to educate the public on the intricacies of medicine. In fact, the public took the show so seriously that in a 2001 survey, one in five physicians said they were asked about medical treatments that were performed on the show.
Since ER debuted in 1994, television fans have been infected (no pun intended) by the love of medical dramas despite the ridiculous plot lines, twists, and incomprehensible medical jargon that sometimes makes no medical sense. In honor of ER and all the TV doctors out there, let's take a look at 10 medical dramas worth binging.
The Good Doctor
ABC
Series run: 2017 to present
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 60%
Available to stream: Hulu
This oftentimes heart-wrenching (not requiring medical attention) medical drama follows the daily life of a young surgeon during his years as a surgical resident at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Nothing out of the ordinary. But, the twist is: Dr. Shaun Murphy has autism and savant syndrome, making him both vulnerable to the pressures and intensity of being a physician, but also giving him a tremendous advantage over his peers. Shaun sees the world differently; he can recall facts and minute details in seconds, he can see images of the body in his own mind, and he can retain information that spans the size of a medical library. His disease is both a gift and a curse as he maneuvers his way through patient interactions. You can't help but click 'Watch Next Episode.'
House
FOX
Series run: 2004-2012
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 88%
Available to stream: Amazon Prime
Dr. Gregory House (played by British actor Hugh Laurie) is a curmudgeon-genius who specializes in diagnosing zebras (not the kind you might find at a zoo). Despite being dependent on pain drugs for a chronic leg injury, which requires him to use a cane, House still manages to spearhead a team of brilliant diagnosticians at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, a fictional facility in New Jersey.
If you are into the ins and outs of diagnosing rare diseases, and of watching the interplay between the ever-difficult and unpredictable Dr. House and his put-upon staff, this is your binge.
Grey's Anatomy
ABC
Series run: 2009 to present
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 75%
Available to stream: Netflix
In this medical drama that made an appearance in Cigna insurance's "Fake Doctors of America" 2018 health campaign, Ellen Pompeo stars as Dr. Meredith Grey who works with fellow physicians at Grey Sloan Memorial to manage life-and-death situations. But there is more to the show than just the patients, there is life outside of the hospital (for these doctors, not you)! There is romance, friendship, long lost relatives, and medical breakthroughs at least on a daily basis—not to mention an on-call room where no one ever actually slept. The show will leave you feeling every emotion on the spectrum, you'd never have to leave your bed on a lazy Sunday.
The Resident
FOX
Series run: 2018 to present
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 60%
Available to stream: Hulu
The Resident focuses on a wet-behind-the-ears physician (played by Matt Czuchry) who is directed by a tough—yet smart—senior resident (play by veteran actor Bruce Greenwood) who unveils both the good and bad of present-day medicine. The under-handed political spin highlights the oftentimes forgotten but very real bureaucracy that exists in health care. Compared to over-exaggerated medical dramas, this connection makes it all the more believable and realistic.
Code Black
CBS
Series run: 2015 to present
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 90%
Available to stream: Amazon Prime
This drama, based on an award-winning documentary, follows the dealings of medical staff members in a public, understaffed, and underfunded Los Angeles hospital. Code black—as the name implies—refers to the point when a hospital's resources are depleted by the needs of an overwhelming patient population. Dr. Leanne Rorish, the residency doctor at the hospital, struggles to keep her ship afloat amidst the chaos, and teachers her staff a thing or two about resourcefulness.
Scrubs
NBC
Series run: 2001-2010
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 84%
Available to stream: Hulu
Scrubs is classified as a medical-comedy/drama, and it certainly delivers a note of humor and light-heartedness amidst the crazy happenings at Sacred Heart Hospital, where three fresh-out-of-med school best friends end up working together. They must overcome the hurdles thrown at them by their strict mentors, Dr. Bob Kelso and Dr. Perry Cox. It's a story about more than just medicine, it's about friendship and personal growth over the course of their nine-year journey. Be prepared to have plenty of laugh attacks, and for once, you can put away the tissue box when watching this medical drama.
Private Practice
ABC
Series run: 2007-2013
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 52%
Available to stream: Hulu
If you're missing neonatal surgeon Dr. Addison Montgomery, who played Dr. Derek Shepard's unfaithful ex-wife in Grey's Anatomy, you'll be glad to reunite with her in this spin-off. The show focuses on Dr. Montgomery's new life in Los Angeles as she joins other physicians in a laid-back California private practice. Along with a psychiatrist, pediatrician, fertility expert, cardiothoracic surgeon, and alternative medicine physician, the team of mixed-specialty physicians care for their patients in a unique and never-before-done representation of medicine in private practice.
Nip/Tuck
FX
Series run: 2003-2009
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 75%
Available to stream: Amazon Prime
This medical drama focuses on the McNamara/Troy physician duo, longtime friends and full-time plastic surgeons. Their role at work is practically the only thing they have in common. Dr. McNamara is a wise, straightforward, family man, whereas Dr. Troy is a typical playboy that keeps the show interesting with his countless romances. While some feel that the surgical depictions in the show are a bit graphic, if plastic surgery is up your alley, you'll be thankful for these added details.
Nurse Jackie
Showtime
Series run: 2009-2015
Average Rotten Tomato Score: 84%
Available to stream: Netflix
A change in perspective from most medical shows, which offer insight into the lives of doctors, Nurse Jackie tells the story of Jackie Peyton—played by Edie Falco of Sopranos fame—an emergency department nurse in New York City who works to juggle patients, physicians, colleagues, and her own substance dependence. In the first episode of its final season, Jackie gets busted with a lot of prescription pills in her car (not for medical use) and scurries to keep her job and grip on life. Nurse Jackie has been lauded as America's most honest depiction of substance dependence on television.
Casualty
BBC
Series run: 1986 to present
Average Rotten Tomato Score: Unavailable
Available to stream: Amazon Prime
This British drama claims the title as the longest running medical television drama in the world. With over 1,000 episodes released to date, binging in one day is not advised—or physically possible! The show is set in Holby City Hospital in the hustling and bustling emergency room department. Each episode presents new cases and the change in physicians and hospital staff over the span of the show keeps it interesting and lively.
Whether you're stuck at home on a snow day, or just don't feel like leaving your bed to make human contact, we're sure you'll enjoy any one of these medical dramas (or all—we're not judging). Just don't forget to grab a box of tissues and some popcorn.