TV’s White Coat Renaissance — Which Medical Series Do You Prescribe?

We're living in a medical series renaissance! From the gritty and real to melodramatic and soapy, we wonder: which do you prescribe? Our poll!

The post TV’s White Coat Renaissance — Which Medical Series Do You Prescribe? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Medical Shows seem to be all the rage!

We’re living in a White Coat Renaissance as doctors of all calibers scrub in to entertain us during this television season.

It’s the genre that keeps on delivering.

At least, that seems to be the consensus, as many of the new series to emerge from the 2024-2025 season have taken place at a hospital (well, or cruise ship) and opted to explore a wide array of colorful characters ranging from the quirky and fun to the sexy, flawed, and genuinely real.

We have some truly great ones, some average ones, and others in a league of their own.

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And we’re curious: which medical show boosts your serotonin and makes your heart beat faster?

It’s time to let us know which new medical series reigns supreme?! We build up to our top choice, but we want to know yours!

Watson – CBS

The Morris Chestnut-led medical drama opts to put a fresh and unique spin on a familiar character. The series focuses on the late Sherlock Holmes’ colleague, John Watson, taking center stage in his own story. Instead of solving crime, he cracks medical mysteries with an elite group of quirky characters under the watchful eye of his ex-wife.

Watson also has a beef with the elusive Moriarty, and he’s suffering from his own mental and physical issues resulting from his last quest with Sherlock before he died.

People enjoy the interesting spin on IP, the series’ ambitious genre-bending, and, of course, Morris Chestnut is great.

However, the series also struggles with being tonally all over the place because of the genre-bending; none of the other ensemble members stand out or have strong enough presence and charisma, and the pacing is a bit off.

Watch Watson Online

Pulse – Netflix

Pulse is a soapy offering to the medical drama and definitely the soapiest on this list. It’s less about the medical practices and more about the characters and their relationships.

The series comprises a refreshingly diverse cast of mostly young, pretty people and is set in Miami, which the show often reminds us of, given how frequently it utilizes Spanish and Spanglish. Also, Justina Machado, Néstor Carbonell, and J. R. Ramirez star or have supporting roles.

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On the flip side, very few characters in the series are likable, and many are poorly developed.

Also, the series aims to tackle an important topic like sexual harassment but fumbles in exploring and executing it as it intertwines with the series’ most prominent … love story? And the leads of said love story lack in the chemistry department.

Watch Pulse Online

Doctor Odyssey – ABC

Chances are, if you’re a fan of Doctor Odyssey, they had you at Joshua Jackson. He stars in the series, and we all know that star power can do a lot of heavy lifting.

The series is a classic Ryan Murphy production; it’s racy and pure camp.

It’s also a genre-bending show that somehow combines Grey’s Anatomy melodrama with The Love Boat surrealism. And it has a surprisingly stacked and impressive guest-star list.

Doctor Odyssey is a wild ride of orca attacks, threesomes, COVID-19 fever dream flashbacks and escapist fun. But it also gives you tonal whiplash, has some truly absurd plot points and terrible graphics, and is an acquired taste.

Watch Doctor Odyssey Online

St. Denis Medical – NBC

St. Denis Medical differs from the other offerings here because it isn’t a medical drama.

Instead, it’s a workplace comedy set in a mockumentary style reminiscent of hit series like Superstore and The Office.

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It’s heartwarming and funny while sneakily incorporating social commentary. As they say, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.

Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, and Allison Tolman are comedic heavy-hitters, and the rest of the ensemble rises to the occasion. However, the series also invites many comparisons to similar shows that came before.

Watch St. Denis Medical Online

Brilliant Minds – NBC

If you’ve been following along with our coverage, you know how much we’ve enjoyed this Zachary Quinto-led medical drama and why we’re keeping our fingers crossed for its renewal.

Brilliant Minds has a unique premise and does something different from the average medical drama. It focuses exclusively on neurological cases and that set field rather than attempting to cover everything. In doing so, we get some incredibly fascinating cases made better by patients we actually invest in.

Wolf is an unorthodox doctor but one who cares, and we also have the extra layer of learning more about his experience with neurodivergence as someone who battles face blindness as well as his history with a father who battled mental illness.

The series leans into the quirks with his gaggle of interns who each learn to treat their respective conditions and idiosyncrasies like superpowers. The series has some strong direction and cinematography utilized as tools to put viewers in the heads of those the doctors are treating.

Watch Brilliant Minds Online

Doc – FOX

Doc is certainly a unique spin on the traditional medical drama, which is likely why it resonates so well with audiences and has resulted in record-breaking success with FOX.

The series is more character-driven than medical, with an authenticity of humans and their complex emotions that you don’t see in other series.

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Molly Parker is phenomenal as Amy Larsen, a woman who both battles severe grief that alters how she interacts with those around her and a TBI after a terrible accident that results in her losing nearly a decade of her memories.

Doc’s unique premise allows the series to explore fascinating and engaging dynamics and situations as we watch Amy try to figure her life out, put it back together, and get second chances. If you’ve followed along with our Doc coverage, you’d know how compelling it’s been the entire time.

Watch Doc Online

The Pitt – Max

The Pitt is sensational, and no other series is doing it like them.

It’s taken television and streaming by storm, becoming the most buzzworthy series of the year and certainly one of the best. There isn’t a soul out there not rooting for Emmy recognition.

The series has the backing of some of the greats, reuniting John Wells and the incomparable Noah Wyle along with Scott Gimmel and renaissance actor Shawn Hatosy for an incredible, immersive, and authentic medical drama experience that’s fast-paced, adrenaline-inducing, and pays homage to frontline workers like never before.

With an incredible cast of mostly unknowns or lesser-knowns, captivating characters, and the most true-to-form medical practice execution, The Pitt is appointment TV, secured its prestigious placement, and keeps the watercooler experience alive.

Watch The Pitt Online

Final Diagnosis

Whether you’re in it for soapy drama, workplace laughs, or mind-bending medical mysteries, the 2024-2025 season has proven one thing: medical shows are thriving.

They’re still delivering pulse-pounding entertainment, watercooler-worthy twists, and compelling characters we can’t stop watching.

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While there have been some hits and misses, there certainly has been variety and plenty of things to choose from, but which series is just what the doctor ordered for you?

Take the poll and elaborate below!

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The post TV’s White Coat Renaissance — Which Medical Series Do You Prescribe? appeared first on TV Fanatic.