St. Denis Medical

The show has great potential to be a hit. We have so few comedies on television today. It's nice and refreshing to see them on network television. Wendy McLendon-Covey is perfect in her role as the head director at St. Denis Medical Center in Oregon. Alison Tolman is effecetive as a nurse supervisor who has a family. Her character seems to be overly involved and so dedicated that she has trouble leaving to see her daughter perform in her school's Mamma Mia. David Alan Grier is fine here as a long term veteran doctor. There are some familiar faces here. I did enjoy the first two episodes and hope to see the rest.

Don't give up in the show. It's the best sitcom on NBC right now and that's not saying much. I would rather have more sitcoms than crime dramas.

*St. Denis Medical* plays like a tongue-in-cheek roast of hospital dramas, taking on the genre's endless parade of personal crises that rarely leave room for actual medicine. Rather than saving lives with stoic resolve, the doctors and nurses here are tangled in their own quirks and foibles: a head doctor terrified of needles, a new nurse bumbling his way through basic tasks, and an administrator more focused on boosting the hospital's reputation than fixing its dysfunction. Unlike *Grey's Anatomy*, where every love affair is treated as a life-or-death scenario, *St. Denis Medical* winks at the audience, pointing out how ridiculous it would be if real hospitals ran on the same level of personal drama. The show subtly mocks the genre's formulaic conventions, making it clear that a world this messy is far from the heroics-filled hospitals that medical dramas have sold us for years.

What makes *St. Denis Medical* refreshing, though, is that it doesn't shy away from showing just how flawed the healthcare system-and by extension, the people running it-really are. It hints at genuine issues like underfunding and overworked staff, but opts to show these truths through the lens of absurdity rather than earnest social commentary. The satire might be soft, but there's a pointedness in the way it tackles certain archetypes: the aloof, "House"-inspired diagnostician who ironically fears the sight of blood, or the overzealous administrator who believes a pep rally will fix morale in a crumbling ER. These jabs may be gentle, but they still get their mark across, highlighting just how absurd it is that so many real-life crises end up buried beneath the genre's melodramatic formula. By not being afraid to laugh at itself, *St. Denis Medical* stands as a self-aware takedown of TV's longstanding obsession with medical heroics.

I am impressed. It's well written, acted, & funny. I like how they handled current issues like reviews and "fat shaming" in the medical field. I'm especially happy to see Dr. Ron's character and nurse Alex is great opposite him. I do wish that nurse Matt wasn't so ridiculous though. He was home schooled, is from a small town, & is religious which you can see but he's a bit too dumb & clueless too often. This shifts things from real life & funny to silly which I think doesn't work as well for this show. Even with the nursing shortage & standards lowering no one would want him as an RN! Still, I look forward to this show.

It's nowhere near on par with "The Office" or "Parks and Rec" (nothing ever will be), but it's got some laugh out loud moments. It reminds me a lot of Superstore, although that could be because half the cast came from that show. I can see how it's not for everyone, but it's definitely a lot better than most of the comedies I've seen released in the last few years. As one of the other reviews said, the comedic style is a bit more like the characters are cracking jokes with each other than trying to make the audience laugh. But there were some funny enough moments to make up for that, in my opinion. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes!

I'd say right now the show is about a 5-6/10 for me- however, I gave it a 7 because it has a ton of potential. There are likable characters, good jokes, and a decent comedic format; I think it just needs a little time to truly find its footing.

I think the negative comments are forgetting that a lot of shows, particularly sitcoms, need some time to develop. Too many people expect instant gratification and aren't willing to stick it out, despite the fact that most shows benefit from some time/world & character building.

The negative reviews are comparing this to The Office, Parks & Rec, etc., while completely ignoring the fact that those shows weren't great in their first seasons either. Fortunately, they were given a chance and they became some of the most iconic shows out there. I think this show also deserves a chance. It might not be amazing now, but I could see it becoming great with time. Hopefully the network gives it a chance!