Medical drama

A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.

In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the characters' jobs and portray some aspects of their personal lives. For example, a typical medical drama might have a storyline in which two doctors fall in love.

Communications theorist Marshall McLuhan, in his 1964 work on the nature of media, predicted a big success of this particular genre on TV, because such medium "creates an obsession with bodily welfare".^[1]

History

Dr. Kildare, which first aired in 1961, is generally considered to be the first medical drama. The show was a success, and soon medical dramas were a common phenomenon. The BBC series Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962–1971) is an early example of another common variant of the genre in which a medical practice is used as a focus for stories detailing the life of a (usually small) community. The long running Australian series A Country Practice (1981–1993) is a later example of this sub-genre. From 1969 to 1976, the series Marcus Welby, M.D. and Medical Center were extremely popular for their both orthodox and unorthodox way of presenting medical cases. In 1972, the first episode of M*A*S*H aired; the show's tone was generally comedic, but dark, poignant moments emanating from the death caused by war were not uncommon. This trend of comedy with undercurrents of darkness in medical TV shows can also be seen in Doogie Howser, M.D. and Scrubs, a current-day medical sitcom on NBC/ABC.

List of TV medical dramas

United States/Canada

City Hospital (1951–1953)
The Doctor (1952 TV series) (1952–1953)
Medic (1954–1956)
Dr. Kildare (1961–1966)
Ben Casey (1961–1966)
The Doctors (1963–1982)
General Hospital (1963–present)
The Nurses (1965–1967)
Medical Center (1969–1976)
Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–1976)
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969–1973)
Temperatures Rising (1972–1974)
Emergency! (1972–1979)
M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
Doctors' Hospital (1975–1976)
Quincy, M.E. (1976–1983)
Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986)
St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)
Chicago Story (1982)
China Beach (1988–1991)
HeartBeat (1988—1989)
Island Son (1989—1990)
Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993)
Northern Exposure (1990–1995)
The Human Factor (1992)
Going to Extremes (1992–1993)
Diagnosis: Murder (1993–1996)
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–1998)
Side Effects (1994–1996)
Chicago Hope (1994–2000)
ER (1994–2009)
Becker (1998–2004)
L.A. Doctors (1998–1999)
Providence (1999–2002)
Third Watch (1999–2005)
City of Angels (2000)
Wonderland (2000)
Gideon's Crossing (2000–2001)
Strong Medicine (2000–2006)
Crossing Jordan(2001–2007)
Scrubs (2001–2010)
Doc (2001–2004)
Presidio Med (2002–2003)
Nip/Tuck (2003–2010)
Dr. Vegas (2004)
Medical Investigation (2004–2005)
House, M.D. (2004–present)
Grey's Anatomy (2005–present)
Inconceivable (2005)
3 lbs (2006)
Saved (2006)
Heartland (2007)
General Hospital: Night Shift (2007–2008)
Private Practice (2007–present)
Childrens Hospital (2008)
In Treatment (2008-present)
The Listener (2009–present)
Three Rivers (2009)
Mental (2009)
Royal Pains (2009–present)
HawthoRNe (2009–2011)
Nurse Jackie (2009–present)
Trauma (2009–2010)
Mercy (2009–2010)
Miami Medical (2010)
Body of Proof (2011)
Off The Map (2011)
Combat Hospital (2011-present)
Hart of Dixie (2011-present)
A Gifted Man (2011-present)

Mexico

Rafaela (2011)

United Kingdom

Emergency - Ward 10 (1957–1967)
Police Surgeon (1960)
Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962–1971)
Doctor in the House (1969–1970)
The Doctors (1969–1971)
General Hospital (1972–1979)
Angels (1975–1983)
The District Nurse (1984–1987)
Casualty (1986–present)
Children's Ward (1989–2000)
Medics (1990–1995)
Doctor Finlay (1993–1996)
Peak Practice (1993–2002)
Cardiac Arrest (1994–1996)
Bramwell (1995)
Holby City (1999–present)
Doctors (2000–present)
The Royal (2003–present)
Casualty@Holby City(2004)
Bodies (2004–2006)
Doc Martin (2004–present)
Green Wing (2004–2007)
No Angels (2004–2006)
The Royal Today (2008–present)
Crash (2009–present)
Getting On (2009 TV series) (2009–present)
Monroe (TBD 2011)

Republic of Ireland

The Clinic (2003–2009)
Whistleblower (2008)

Australia/New Zealand

Emergency (1959)
The Young Doctors (Nine Network 1976–1983)
A Country Practice (1981–1994)
The Flying Doctors (1985–1991)
G.P. (ABC 1989–1996)
Children's Hospital (TV series)
Shortland Street (1992–present)
Medivac (1996–1998)
All Saints (1998–2009)
MDA (2002–2003, 2005)
The Surgeon" (2005)
Offspring (TV series)" (2010–present)

Germany

Die Schwarzwaldklinik (1985–1989)
Doctor's Diary - Männer sind die beste Medizin (2007-present)
Doktor Martin

France

Médecins de nuit (1978-1986)
Janique Aimée'
Petit docteur'
Les pédiatres'

The Netherlands/Belgium

Memorandum van een dokter (1963–1965)
Medisch Centrum West (1988–1994)
Spoed (2000–present)
Trauma 24/7 (2002–2003)
IC (2002–2006)
De co-assistent (2007–present)

Czech Republic/Slovakia

Nemocnice na kraji města (1977–1981)
Ordinace v růžové zahradě (2005–present)
Zázraky života (2010)
Dr. Ludsky (2011)

Malaysia

Ampang Medikal

Singapore

Philippines

Habang May Buhay (2010)

Japan

Black Jackブラック・ジャック(1973–2006)
Kyumei Byoutou 24-ji (1999, 2001, 05, 09)
Shiroi Kyotō (2003)
Iryu: Team Medical Dragon (2006–07, 2010)
Code Blue (2008, 2010)
Team Batista no Eikō (2008)
GodHand Teru (2009)
General Rouge no Gaisen (2010)
Saijou-no-Meii (2011)

Hong Kong

Heartstrings (1994)
Healing Hands I II III IV (1997–2005)
Placebo Cure (2003)
Asia Hero (2004)

Russia

Interny (2010–present)

India

Lifeline (1989)
Sanjeevani (2002)
Dill Mill Gaye (2007)
Dhadkan (2004)
Kuch Toh Log Kahenge (2011-present)

Israel

BeTipul (2005–present)

Italy

La dottoressa Giò (1997–1998)
Un medico in famiglia (1998–present)
Medicina generale (2006–present)
Terapia d'urgenza (2009)
Boris (2007–2010)

Poland

Doktor Ewa (1971)
Układ krążenia (1977–1978)
Na dobre i na złe (1999–present)

Taiwan

Tian Ya Gong Chi Shi
The Hospital

South Korea

General Hospital (1995)
Medical Brothers (1997)
Happy Together (1999)
Hur Jun (1999)
Medical Center (2000)
White Tower (2007)
New Heart (2007)
Surgeon Bong Dal Hee (2007)
Before and After: Plastic Surgery Clinic (2008)
General Hospital 2 (2008)
Obstetrics and Gynecology Doctors (2009)
Jejoongwon (2010)
Brain (2011)

Spain

Doctor Mateo (2009)
Hospital Central (2000–present)
Médico de familia (1995)

Turkey

Doktorlar
Kahramanlar

Pakistan

Dhoop Kinarey(PTV) (around 1980s)
Emergency Ward(PTV) (around 1980s)
Ambulance(Indus TV) ( 2005)
Teray Pehlu May(Geo Ent) (2009–present)

Denmark

Riget (1994–1997)

Brazil

A Cura (2010–present)

Colombia

A Corazón Abierto (Grey's Anatomy adaptation) (2010–present)

Peru

Clave Uno: Médicos en alerta (2009–2010)

Argentina

Locas de Amor (2004)

Greece

Iatriko Aporrito (2009–2010)

Egypt

Lahazat Harega (2007-present)

References

^ Marshall McLuhan (1964) Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, chap. 31: "One of the most vivid examples of the tactile quality of the TV image occurs in medical experience. In closed-circuit instruction in surgery, medical students from the first reported a strange effect-that they seemed not to be watching an operation, but performing it. They felt that they were holding the scalpel. Thus the TV image, in fostering a passion for depth involvement in every aspect of experience, creates an obsession with bodily welfare. The sudden emergence of the TV medico and the hospital ward as a program to rival the western is perfectly natural. It would be possible to list a dozen untried kinds of programs that would prove immediately popular for the same reasons. Tom Dooley and his epic of Medicare for the backward society was a natural outgrowth of the first TV decade."

External links

A brief history of the medical drama