5 doctor shows to watch this holiday season: Ranked best to worst
Key Takeaways
Industry Insights
“Scrubs holds a place for enjoyable reflection due to its balance of humor and portrayals of genuine emotional experiences faced by medical residents, akin to my time as Chief Resident, dealing with both medical challenges and personal growth.” - Ralph Waldo, MD
“I find ER to be one of the more realistic medical dramas." - Robert McLaughlin II, MD
Medical dramas have reigned as one of the most popular TV genres since their inception in the 1960s. Over the last decade or so, the rise of subscription-based streaming services has made these shows more accessible to audiences worldwide.[]
In a 2021 study of medical, nursing, and human biology students, 96.6% watched medical dramas for entertainment, and 89.2% sought medical information from them.[]
As the holiday season approaches, we asked physicians to share their top picks for medical dramas—from the most accurate portrayals to the most over-the-top—to help you decide what to watch.
1. Scrubs
It’s rare for a comedy to land on a “most realistic” list, but Scrubs is the unicorn of medical TV. “Scrubs captures the genuine emotional complexity of residency, accurately portrays the hierarchy and teaching dynamics, and demonstrates realistic patient outcomes, including deaths,” says Dr. Pedram Kordrostami.
What sets Scrubs apart is its right balance of humor and heartbreak. The show leans on absurdist comedy (who can forget “The Todd”?), but at its core, it’s an honest depiction of how medicine can break you and build you back up. From the pressure of residency to the pain of losing a patient, it resonates deeply with healthcare workers.
Dr. Ralph Waldo, a psychiatrist with a focus on integrative medicine, agrees: “Scrubs holds a place for enjoyable reflection due to its balance of humor and portrayals of genuine emotional experiences faced by medical residents, akin to my time as Chief Resident, dealing with both medical challenges and personal growth.”
Scrubs nails ethical dilemmas in ways most shows don’t. A very strongly titled commentary on the subject of medical and nursing students’ TV watching, “Why Watching Scrubs Does a Better Job Than Most Bioethics Classes,” points to episodes like "My Fifteen Seconds," where JD learns the consequences of interrupting patients too quickly, a habit many physicians share. The episode uses a stopwatch to show how little time doctors give patients to speak.[]
2. The Knick
This one’s for history buffs and anyone who wants to see just how far medicine has come. Set in a 1900s New York hospital, The Knick follows Dr. John Thackery, a brilliant but flawed surgeon struggling with addiction, and depicts racism in medicine and the challenges of early surgical innovation at the time.
The show accurately focuses on the infancy of modern medicine, when medical practice was handicapped by crude surgical tools, limited anesthesia, and early technologies like X-rays.
Dr. Kordrostami calls it a “masterful depiction of historical medical advancements,” adding that it authentically portrays “surgical innovation challenges, medical prejudices, and systemic barriers.”
3. ER
ER is a classic! It defined the medical drama genre and is still considered a benchmark for realism.
“I find ER to be one of the more realistic medical dramas,” says orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert McLaughlin II. “It realistically captures the high-pressure situations and the team dynamics in a hospital setting, which aligns with what I’ve seen over my career.”
ER’s strength lies in its pacing. The chaotic energy of the emergency department feels authentic, from the non-stop trauma cases to the tension between staff. The show also dives into the personal lives of its characters, but unlike other dramas (cough, Grey’s Anatomy), it doesn’t let romance overshadow medicine.
The series also deserves credit for its educational value, from trauma management to ethical dilemmas in an emergency department.
4. Lenox Hill
This docuseries, set in Lenox Hill Hospital, follows four physicians— two neurosurgeons, an OB/GYN resident, and one emergency doctor—navigating daily medical life.[]
Dr. Kordrostami praises it as an “authentic representation of daily medical decision-making, work-life balance challenges, and healthcare team dynamics.”
OB/GYN Dr. Little-Richardson, who is featured in this reality series, adds, "This series humanizes physicians and allows people to see the hard work, dedication, passion, and sacrifice we give to our jobs—not for money, but because we genuinely want to help people."
The series avoids dramatization, focusing on the real-life challenges faced by physicians, making it as close to a true day-in-the-life as you can get (minus the pager interruptions).
5. House M.D.
Love it or hate it, House M.D. is a cult favorite—but not a guide to diagnostics.
“Dangerous glorification of physician arrogance,” Dr. Kordrostami states bluntly. “Unrealistic diagnostic processes and timelines, misrepresentation of rare disease frequency, and ethically questionable medical procedures.”
Dr. McLaughlin admits: “Despite inaccuracies, I enjoy House for its strong character development and intriguing medical puzzles.”
Gregory House, with his brilliant diagnostician abilities but terrible bedside manner, is not someone you’d want to work with! Still, the show is entertaining, and Hugh Laurie’s performance is magnetic.
The show’s medical detective work scratches an itch for doctors who are fascinated by diagnostics. Dr. McLaughlin admits, “The diagnoses are far-fetched, but the analytical process portrayed is entertaining and sometimes reflective of real diagnostic challenges, albeit less dramatic in day-to-day practice.”
A 2024 report [] on public health in primetime medical dramas like House M.D. and Grey’s Anatomy found some wins but plenty of gaps. Organ donation and substance abuse got plenty of screen time. In contrast, concepts of health prevention and promotion, like immunizations, screening programs, healthy diet, sleep hygiene, and sexually transmitted diseases, barely made the cut.
Nevertheless, the mass appeal of shows like these is undeniable. So, if you’re looking for theatrics, steamy romances, life-or-death surgeries, and enough plot twists to make your head spin, these shows are perfect for holiday binge-watching—just don’t expect a lesson in medicine!