Club Benefits
If there’s one thing audiences never seem to tire of, it’s medical dramas on television. Whether it’s the high-stakes intensity of "The Pitt" or the never-ending romantic entanglements of "Grey’s Anatomy," people tune in week after week. There is something endlessly comforting about the sterile halls of a hospital, provided we’re watching from the safety of our couches.
"Best Medicine" is just the latest of these shows to capture our attention, this time taking a slightly more comedic angle than most other procedurals on the air. Based on the beloved British series "Doc Martin," it stars Josh Charles as a hotshot Boston doctor who relocates to rural Maine — a move that, naturally, requires a bit of adjusting for a man used to the fast lane.
The series premiered in January to generally positive reviews and has already been renewed for a second season, proving that the "fish out of water" trope still has plenty of life in it. But while you’re waiting for the rest of season 1 to drop, here are a few other shows you can check out in the meantime to get your diagnostic fix.
'Doc Martin'
A classic English medical comedy, "Doc Martin" follows the original "fish out of water" blueprint that inspired "Best Medicine". Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) is a brilliant London surgeon whose career takes a turn when he develops a sudden onset of haemophobia (a fear of blood). Since surgery is no longer an option, he takes a gig as a GP in the sleepy, rural village of Portwenn.
However, he quickly finds himself out of his depth in the Cornish countryside, where his brusque, clinical nature clashes with the easygoing locals. The show was a massive hit for ITV, running for an impressive ten seasons before finally signing off in 2022.
Watch free on the Roku Channel
'Royal Pains'
In "Royal Pains," we find another big-league doctor displaced and forced to relocate for work. In this case, the doctor is Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) who, after the death of a wealthy patient with powerful connections, is essentially run out of New York.
He finds a safe haven in the Hamptons, where he joins forces with his younger brother (Paulo Costanzo) to attend to the health of the rich and famous. It’s quite the culture shift, to say the least. The series was a staple on USA Network, running for eight seasons from 2009 to 2016 largely on the back of the effortless charm and chemistry of its two leads.
Buy on Prime Video
'Scrubs'
Although "Scrubs" is first and foremost a comedy, what made it so successful during its nine-season run is how well it incorporated drama into the proceedings — often when audiences least expected it. Set in a teaching hospital, the show follows the misadventures of a new medical intern, JD (Zach Braff), and his best friend Turk (Donald Faison) as they learn the ropes of the profession.
Over the course of the series, they grow and change without losing the slapstick sensibility and codependent bromance that made them so beloved in the first place. Although the final seasons suggest the show might have stayed at the party a little too long, for the most part, it remains a remarkably consistent and heartfelt sitcom. (A new revival has brought "Scrubs" back to our screens.)
'M*A*S*H'
If you haven’t watched "M*A*S*H," boy, are you missing out. It is one of the most celebrated series in television history, with finale viewing numbers that still haven’t been surpassed decades later. Set in an Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, the show uses gallows humor to navigate an otherwise dark and heavy setting.
But just because it laughs in the face of tragedy doesn’t mean it lacks its share of heartbreaking, profoundly human moments. Tonally brilliant and structurally innovative, "M*A*S*H" stands in a class of its own.
Watch on Hulu
'Northern Exposure'
This 1990-95 CBS dramedy, from the creators of "St. Elsewhere," takes its fish-out-of-water storyline to the extreme. Needing help paying for med school, New York City mensch Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) accepted financial aid from the state of Alaska in exchange for agreeing to work in the Last Frontier for four years. He expected to at least be in Anchorage, but instead, he’s sent to remote Cicely, where early patients include a beaver and a man who’s been shot, then later stabbed, by his wife.
Joel’s entertaining neuroticism may be somewhat predictable, but here’s what’s refreshing: The locals are actually happy to have him! And even if Joel won’t initially admit it, he finds them, their drama, and their traditions fascinating. Bush pilot Maggie O’Connell (Janine Turner) has a love life that may be cursed. Bar owner Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum) and astronaut turned town visionary Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin) haven’t talked since Holling stole the heart of beauty queen Shelly Tambo (Cynthia Geary), a woman 40 years his junior. Local disc jockey Chris Stevens (John Corbett) is an ex-con philosopher. Native Alaskans Marilyn Whirlwind (Elaine Miles), Joel’s unflappable, self-appointed office manager, and Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows), a budding filmmaker, defy stereotypes.
Season 3 is particularly strong with the town’s moving origin story “Cicely,” the Christmas episode “Seoul Mates,” and the memorable “A-Hunting We Will Go” (Joel tries to save the grouse he shot, Ed gives an unexpected birthday present to septuagenarian shopkeeper Ruth-Anne Miller, played by Peg Phillips). - MB
Buy on Prime Video
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