TV

3 Unlikely Med Shows That Are Surprisingly Better Than Grey's Anatomy

3 Unlikely Med Shows That Are Surprisingly Better Than Grey's Anatomy
Image credit: Legion-Media/BBC

Not by Shonda Rhimes alone…

One of the most popular genres for TV shows that almost always become successful is medical drama.

Constant bounce between life and death, mega-brains of doctors saving lives, brave patients and complicated storylines. All of this seems to grab the attention of fans and keep them glued to their TV screens.

When talking about medical shows that everyone loves and knows, there are always a few that come to mind, like House, M.D., Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Med and others.

But there is much more to the genre than that.

Let's see what else TV has to offer lovers of medical series.

3. Hawthorne

It's a series that premiered in 2009 and ran for 3 seasons until 2011, when it was unfortunately canceled.

The show aired in a period when it was trendy to cast A-list actors for TV shows, so the main role in the series was played by Jada Pinkett Smith.

She had the titular role of Christina Hawthorne, the Chief Nursing Officer at Richmond Trinity Hospital.

Hawthorne not only fights for the lives of her patients, but also stands up for her staff, who seem to need protection from being blamed for almost everything bad that happens in the hospital.

She also used to fight the hospital administration and was proved to be a real-life hero of the show.

Unfortunately, the show couldn't stand the competition and ended on a cliffhanger in season 3. But if you are in the market for something new that has had a decent run, Hawthorne is just that.

2. The Knick

This show proves to be one of the highest value and quality, as it was directed by the famous Steven Soderbergh, with the main character brilliantly played by Clive Owen.

It is the short medical drama series that premiered in 2014 and almost immediately won the love of fans and critics.

The show takes us to the 20th century, when doctors made quite a lot of their medical breakthroughs and developed revolutionary procedures, but with some questionable ethics.

Owen plays Dr. John Thackery, the Chief of Surgery, who is in his own war with the system while saving the lives of his patients.

He is also in a fight with his private battle against racism and prejudice, as he is running an underground clinic for minorities.

The show tackles serious problems, and has much to say about the state of medicine and society in 1900, while also serving as an allegory for many of today's issues, so it's definitely worth watching if you are tired of the soapy stuff other med shows offer you.

1. Trust Me

This British series we can absolutely call revolutional for the genre, as it tells a story of a doctor who falls from grace and starts a new life under an alias.

In addition, the series is a mix of suspense thriller and procedural, with touches of the old hero drifter story.

The main character of the show is Cath Hardacre, played by Jodie Whittaker, who was once a nurse in Sheffield, but left the local hospital with her reputation in tatters.

With no job prospects in sight, she decides the only thing she can do is steal the identity of her best friend, who has just left the country for New Zealand, and get a job as a doctor in Scotland.

But things get much darker when patients start dying under mysterious circumstances in this hospital...

Any idea who is to blame?