Hospitals. You may never want to visit them in real life, but several shows over the years have made these locations prime television real estate.
The medical world has been a hot spot for television for years.
From the hot docs of the legacy series Grey’s Anatomy and ER to the emotionally wrought and exciting action, as well as the endearing characters from Doc and The Pitt, the medical drama era never ends.
And neither does our love for the emergency room — onscreen, of course.
Whether it’s because we know we’ll get the best possible care imaginable, the medical staff is super attractive to stare at, or all the juicy drama and action would have us lingering in a waiting room well past necessary, we have a list of 11 TV Shows That Make Us Yearn for a trip to the emergency room.
Did your favorite make the cut? Well, let’s find out below!
Grey’s Anatomy
Listen, do you want to be a patient at Seattle Grace-Mercy West Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital? Not really.
They’ve had everything from explosions to a raging gunman, and everything in between. You have to be built of special stuff to walk the halls of GSM after everything that transpires there on any day that ends in a “y.”
But the hospital also bolsters some of the finest (and we do mean finest) doctors in their respective fields. From Meredith Grey herself and TWO Shepherds, to Sloan, Avery, Altman, and Yang, there has never been a shortage of esteemed doctors who you’d trust with your literal life.
Most of the doctors of Grey’s Anatomy are competent, passionate about their jobs, and willing to do the work.
But aside from that, it shouldn’t be possible for one hospital to have so many attractive people. And just as pretty people do, there’s plenty of bedhopping, hookups, and juicy drama that spread through the hospital like wildfire (they may have had one of those, too).
You may check in Grey’s Anatomy for semi-decent medical care, but you stay for all the juicy gossip and drama that gorgeous doctors will openly discuss in front of you. And if you’re nosy like us, well, that’s more than enough reason to yearn for that trip to the emergency room.
Watch Grey's Anatomy Online
ER
Let’s just say that ER is the blueprint for modern medical dramas, and for that reason alone, it’s one county hospital you wouldn’t mind attending.
There’s just so much going on all the time there. It’s high stakes and intensity at every given moment, and the rush of excitement is adrenaline-inducing. It’s always going to keep you on your toes and deeply invested in the pure chaos around.
Would you want to be a patient? Maybe not, if only because there’s so much going on all of the time, that you’d genuinely fear that you’d slip through the cracks. But Mark Greene’s drive and devotion to saving lives are reassuring.
Doug Ross’ charm and dashing good looks are enough to put you at ease, and while Benton doesn’t have the best bedside manner, he’s damn good at what he does. Of course, Carter gives his all, and he is adorable while doing it. The women of ER are among the most talented and inspiring, too.
The prospect of spending much time there’s daunting and nerve-wracking, but beyond the constant chaos, incessant beeping of monitors, swinging doors, and packed waiting rooms, there’s so much grit and heart in the staff who work there, and just being in their presence will leave you awestruck.
Watch ER Online
Doc
What’s not to love about Doc? It’s a classic medical drama with heart, character-driven in a way that’s rare in the genre.
There’s something about the series that seems to sustain itself on pure vibes. Waltzing into the emergency room there and landing in a hospital bed could be the worst day of your life if you’re suffering something horrendous.
But it can also be like a warm hug on a beautiful day if you’re lucky enough to work with doctors who actually care, and most of the doctors on Doc do. Jake’s empathy and compassion seem to know no bounds, and he makes patients feel safe, heard, and well cared for.
Amy sometimes still struggles with her bedside manner after amnesia, but she’s a force of nature who will rally and fight for you — a true advocate. And Gina makes you feel whole. She heals parts of you that you didn’t know required it.
Doc has its fair share of drama, too, obviously, and if you’re lucky, maybe you can pick up on some of the juicy bits and watch the sparks fly and chemistry heat up between many of the series’ biggest players.
Watch Doc Online
Brilliant Minds
Going to the hospital on Brilliant Minds isn’t just a thing you’d have to do if it were necessary for health reasons — it’s a journey, a full-bodied experience.
The series’ fixation on mental and emotional well-being is the perfect solution and approach for anyone with hospital anxiety or who feels rejected and dejected after terrible experiences within the healthcare system.
There is really no end to what Oliver and his wolf cubs will do for a patient, rules be damned.
His innovative and personable approach trickles down to his endearing interns, and his messaging of turning what makes you different into an asset has made Oliver a fantastic doctor, allowing Van, Jacob, and the others to be the same.
With Brilliant Minds, you yearn for the connection and sense of community that comes from individualized and personal attention, as their goal is always to treat the patient, not just the symptoms.
It’s like getting therapy, finding a family, and resolving your future with the help of a life coach all wrapped up in one.
Watch Brilliant Minds Online
House
When it comes to House, you’re yearning for a competent doctor who will always get to the bottom of what’s really going on with you.
You’re most assuredly going for the cure and a proper diagnosis, even if it takes a bit to get there, including hurt feelings. But you’re likely staying for the sarcasm and House’s ability to roast anyone within sniffing distance of him.
He doesn’t have a great bedside manner, and he’s a jerk. But he’s an equal-opportunity jerk, and when his endless depth of sarcastic quips and comebacks aren’t directed solely at you, he’s pure entertainment while saving your life.
A day spent with House means you get a bird’s-eye view of solving medical mysteries. You also walk away with a treasure trove of hilarious quips and insults to add to your collection.
Watch House Online
The Resident
Listen, if you followed our The Resident content over the years, you know how much we adore this show. I can personally attest that it’s still my baby and holds a special place in my heart, serving as one of my first series I covered from beginning to end here at TV Fanatic.
If you ever find yourself needing some medical attention, Conrad Hawkins and the doctors at Chastain are who you want in your corner.
Conrad is such a renegade as a doctor, practically midle-fingering the system at large because he always, and I mean ALWAYS puts his patients first, and he doesn’t give a damn about the bureaucracy.
You can trust that the Chastain doctors will get you right by any means necessary, and for that alone, it’s worth the trip.
Of course, on a shallow level, everyone is beautiful, and it’s an exciting hospital to be in without being too melodramatic. Win/win!
Watch The Resident Online
The Pitt
Some of us are masochists, and that’s why The Pitt is the perfect emergency room that fits the bill for this list.
For starters, let’s be real, doesn’t it already feel like we clocked in on that 15-hour shift with the characters anyway? What’s a bit more time there!
It’s immersive, pure chaos, but there’s a beauty to it — seeing everyone flooding in and out. The Pitt feels like a love letter to the artistry and craft of healthcare, while simultaneously showcasing what the field is like and what first responders face.
And the thought of getting to see that up, close, and personal is too intriguing to pass up. Sure, the emergency room will be a hotbox of angry, cranky, suffering individuals, and the staff is overworked.
However, their passion still bleeds through, as does their determination to treat people as best as they possibly can.
Plus, the collection of personalities among the first responders is entertaining all on its own. Hell, isn’t that why Myrna is a frequent flyer? She gets that there’s a certain magic to The Pitt.
Watch The Pitt Online
Chicago Med
Often at the heart of the One Chicago franchise, Chicago Med feels like a hub for all.
When you waltz through those doors (or you’re wheeled in on a gurney), you know Chicago’s finest will treat you with the ultimate care, and some of them will even break rules to do it.
Bolstering one of the sleekest trauma centers, there’s no shortage of action when you drop in on their emergency room, and there are always high stakes.
They also have expert healers who work quickly and competently under pressure, and they’re not too shabby to look at either. The scenery is nice in Chicago. We’re just saying.
Watch Chicago Med Online
Transplant
Bash is almost entirely the reason why a person would happily spend time in the emergency room of Transplant.
Like many of the other first responders on this list, Bash is all about treating the person as a whole, not just as a patient. He leads with compassion and sympathy in a manner that makes you misty-eyed, as if he genuinely grasps the act of practicing medicine as a love and service.
On Transplant, humanity and vulnerability reign supreme, and something is comforting about that in a field that can often result in jadedness and coldness.
Transplant is all about the subtle, quiet heroics rather than flash and ego, and second chances and imperfections abound, reflected in the staff. There’s an innate understanding that can largely be absent in other hospitals.
You may come in with a trauma, but you leave feeling understood, valued, and respected. Who doesn’t like to feel seen?
Watch Transplant Online
Code Black
Is Code Black a chaotic series? Absolutely. But it also has a hell of a lot of heart and badassery.
You may have to wait a lifetime to be seen when it’s a hospital crawling with patients in need and short-staffed warriors working to attend to everyone.
But you bet your life that Leanne and her crew will move hell and high water to treat and save everyone who crosses the threshold, and they’ll break whatever rules they need to do it.
The medical staff on Code Black is fierce, relentless, and so compassionate. They’re bleeding hearts with grit and a rebellious streak that makes them badass, and watching them in action is worth the trip to the ER.
And frankly, no one will make you feel safer, heard, and taken care of quite like Nurse Jesse. He runs that ship like the Navy. NOTHING gets past Mama, and that’s how we like it!
Watch Code Black Online
New Amsterdam
The worst thing you’ll experience at New Amsterdam is death by toxic positivity.
Max Goodwin makes fixing a broken system his crusade, and he gets carried away with everything and everyone he thinks he can heal. The man goes out of his way to resolve all the world’s ails from the confinement of New Amsterdam.
But in the end, is there any other emergency room you’d rather be in? New Amsterdam is the closest we can get to what healthcare could be, prioritizing patients and healing people. If you’re someone desperately in need and seeking a community, there’s no other emergency room you’d want to fall into.
It’s also a fun one to be in because you have to expect the unexpected.
One day, they’re painting the corridor in solidarity with social movements, and the next, the medical director of your local hospital is advocating for you in housing court or scoring you free internet access.
There’s never a dull moment, and that makes life exciting!
Watch New Amsterdam Online
If you read this whole thing — wow, we’re impressed. Seriously. It was a long one!
Please consider leaving a comment or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it too. Are there any other emergency rooms you wouldn’t mind hanging in? Let us know!
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