MDs

Quick wits, sarcastic comments and a battle- the Dr.s and patients: versus the system- streamline this beautifully written drama. Two Doctors, Kellerman, head of the Cardio-Thoracic, and Dalgety, a Trauma Surgeon, will do anything to help their patients, much to the dismay of the greedy runners of the hospital. This is mix of ER, but not as dramatic and way more serious than Scrubs. Many people go on about not needing another Hospital series, but this is more than that. And different. MDs is in a category all of its own. It's a perfect show for everyone.

This show so far has been totally great. The vibe between Doctors Kellerman and Dalgetty reminds me very much of the vibe between Doctors Pierce and Hunnicut from M*A*S*H*. The show had characters like Doctor Kellerman, a man who is divorced and tries to see his kid as much as he can. He's good at what he does and always tries his hardest. Then there's Dalgetty, with that sexy Scottish accent, he's the Hawkeye Pierce of the show. He's the one who is always charming women and has never had a relationship last longer than 3 weeks. Nurse Doctor Pool is a woman who has a Doctor in nursing and takes her job very seriously. Mr. Donge (pronounce the 'e') is the representative from the hospital's HMO, there to make sure money is only spent on necessary things and not on things such as reattaching a pinkie. The cast has worked together beautifully from the start and I think that this show has real staying power, if only it could be moved into a better time slot.

Watching the premiere of this show, I couldn't help but get a feeling of déja vu. Although it's set in a modern city hospital, MDs borrows liberally from the spirit of "M*A*S*H" (1972).

Drs. Kellerman and Dalgety are skilled doctors--among the best in their fields--employed by a hospital that is being squeezed by the HMOs. It is this clash which most strongly recalls M*A*S*H; instead of fighting the Army, these doctors are fighting the administrators and insurance auditors. The pilot wasn't nearly as irreverant as M*A*S*H got (especially not the movie), although it did feature such hilarious touches as an autopsy performed on a live patient, and a hospital director who can't stand the sight of blood.

Walking the line between the melodrama of "ER" (1994) and the inanity of "Scrubs" (2001), MDs has a lot of promise--and big shoes to fill.

The "MDs" show was canceled because of the TV network's error: they put it against two other medical shows at the same time/day and so it couldn't withstand the competition. However, watching the series I found one more flaw: the first 3-4 episodes were really good. Then, it became really boring and disconnected. I guess that had something to do with the viewership and the consequent cancellation too...

William Fichtner is very attractive in the series, playing a divorced heart surgeon with a... Harley Davindson.

In a not so nice note though, I felt sick more than once with that series. They would simulate heart transplant operations and I was that close from throwing up.

I thought this was a very interesting show. Unfortunately, it was jerked around to different times, and was skipped some weeks, so it was tough to follow it. It's kind of hard to build a viewership for a show when viewers can't find it.

It's too bad it didn't get more of a chance. I feel it had a feeling much like the old M*A*S*H TV series. Two doctors just trying to do what was right, even if it sometimes ran afoul of their higher ups.