Shows to watch if you love Grey’s Anatomy (and where to stream them!)

When it comes to the best medical dramas on TV, Grey's Anatomy is hard to beat. The ABC series is ready for season 21 this fall and still going strong as one of the network's biggest hits. Fans never get tired of its mix of medical emergencies alongside some wild romances, personal dramas, and social issues. As it happens, the series isn't alone as it's following in the footsteps of other shows while inspiring a few other series, too.

The wide range of medical dramas on TV is huge and often too many to count. A few were short-lived and frankly forgettable but others are worth watching. Some are quite famous as medical shows while others flew under the radar, but for any fan of Grey's Anatomy, these series should be on your binge-watch list too!

Private Practice 

Let's get an obvious pick out of the way with the Grey's spinoff that had its own great identity. Addison (Kate Walsh) moves to Los Angeles and gets a job at a clinic run by some old friends of hers (Taye Diggs and Audra McDonald). The stellar supporting cast also includes Tim Daly, Paul Adelstein, Amy Brenneman, KaDee Strickland, Brian Benben, and Caterina Scorsone debuting her turn as Amelia Shepherd.

There are a few crossovers with Grey's and a variety of medical crises alongside quite a few romantic turns. Walsh grounds it all with her lovely performance and the show's six-season run remains a delight. While Addison and Amelia later joined Grey's, this spinoff gives fans the same spirit with a brighter vibe.

Streaming on Hulu.

E/R

You can't go wrong with the NBC series, which was one of the biggest hits of the 1990s and 2000s. The hard-hitting drama amped up how chaotic an emergency room could get and doctors handling just about every emergency Chicago could throw at them, from car crashes to fires and more. The editing and music made it top-notch entertainment.

Of course, what folks remember is the cast, as this was the show that launched the careers of George Clooney, Julianna Marguiles, Noah Wyle, Alex Kingston, Ming-Na Wen, and so many more. Its 15-season run remains some of the best TV you could watch and anyone into medical series should be checking this out. 

Streaming on Hulu and Max. 

Code Black

The title of this underrated 2015-18 CBS series refers to when an emergency room is stretched beyond its resources. At a normal hospital, that may happen a couple of times a year. At this fictional L.A. hospital, it occurs at least twice a day, leaving the staff to cope with the chaos. Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden is terrific as Leanne Rorish, the head physician trying to handle all this.

She has a good supporting cast, like Luis Guzman as the head nurse, and Rob Lowe joins in the second season as a maverick doctor. The personal dynamics of the doctors are strong and each episode has some gripping medical dramas. It's too bad it was canceled after three seasons, but it deserves to be rediscovered today.

Streaming on Prime Video.

The Good Doctor

If you watch Grey's, you no doubt have seen the ads for this ABC show that just wrapped up its seven-season run. That makes it a great time to catch up on it with Freddie Highmore winning wide praise for his turn as Shaun Murphy, a brilliant young doctor with autism. He has to face not only medical emergencies but his judgemental colleagues who think he's not up for the job.

The show has some fantastic writing capturing Shaun's condition and is aided by a good cast of characters such as Richard Schiff as his mentor. The personal dynamics are great with a lot of soap opera stuff abounding and Shaun himself later adjusting to fatherhood as well as his surgical work. Now that the series is finished, it offers up a binge any Grey's fan can love. 

Streaming on Hulu.

New Amsterdam

Another show recently wrapping up its run, this NBC series stars Ryan Eggold as Max Goodwin, who becomes the new medical director for the titular hospital. He shows he's not playing by the rules by firing doctors who care more about profit than patients and challenging the broken system. The show gets most of its mileage out of Max's attempts to help the world, while still showing how his stubborn attitude has problems.

The show tackles a lot of topics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, aided by the cast of Freema Agyeman, Janet Montgomery, Tyler Labine, and more. The series is fun showing the doctors often forced to walk in the footsteps of their patients and it's always great seeing someone trying to change the world for the better.

Streaming on Netflix and Peacock.

Transplant

The title of this Canadian drama (which has aired on NBC) is two-fold. It starts with Bashir "Bash" Hamed (Hamza Haq), an experienced surgeon who, due to various issues, is forced to work at a Toronto restaurant. When a disaster happens, Bash saves the life of a customer (John Hannah) who happens to be the chief of emergency at York Hospital. In gratitude and recognition of Bash's skills, Hannah gets him a job at the hospital. 

Bash faces some backlash from his fellow surgeons but proves himself with his experience in war zones. The irony is that the hospital's emergencies make war zones look sedate as Bash also deals with prejudice in his background with a sharp cast of supporting players. The series has a good cult following, and season 4 should enhance it to make it a good watch.

Streaming on Peacock.

Hart of Dixie

Granted, the medical stuff can take a backseat to the personal drama, yet this 2011-2015 CW show has some lovely charm. That's mostly thanks to Rachel Bilson, who plays Zoe Hart, a talented doctor who lacks bedside manner. She's confused when she inherits the practice of a deceased doctor in a small Alabama town before discovering he's the father she never knew. She settles into Bluebell where her New York style at first clashes with the townspeople.

Bilson is a delight in the lead role as the series balances her medical work with the various romances and love triangles. The wonderful supporting cast includes Jamie King, Scott Porter, Cress Williams, and more and the locale offers some wonderful charm. There's the usual CW dramedy complete with Bilson nailing a character whose growth into a good doctor offers real heart. 

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The Resident

Also finishing up its run in 2023, this Fox series boasts a pretty high-profile cast. Matt Czuchry and Emily VanCamp are the main leads as two doctors willing to buck the system to help patients in their Atlanta hospital. There's also Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Jane Leeves, and best of all Bruce Greenwood whose evolution from selfish and arrogant doctor to caring leader is marvelous to watch. 

The show had some long-reaching arcs, often touching on medical corruption, and took a big turn addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate ownership of hospitals, and real-life politics. There was also a huge character death and time jump to shake up the later seasons, making this a terrific showcase for anyone who loves medical dramas.

Streaming on Hulu and Netflix.

Saving Hope

For those wanting a little supernatural touch in their medical shows, this 2012-17 Canadian series is a good one. Michael Shanks is a surgeon who's put into a coma in a car accident and his spirit wanders the halls of his hospital. He thus sees his fiancee (Erica Durance) handle medical emergencies as he tries to help in his own way. Season 2 has Shanks out of the coma only to realize he can see and hear others in that condition and even ghosts. 

CW favorite Daniel Gillies also stars as the third part of this love triangle and the show's supporting cast expands over its run. A fun turn later in the show is Durrance now able to see spirits and using their help on cases. The supernatural touches are unique yet still enough realistic medical drama and romance to appeal to Grey's fans.

Streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

House

Hugh Laurie scored arguably his best-ever role in this long-running Fox drama. He plays Gregory House, an absolute medical genius who can diagnose medical mysteries that baffle everyone else. He's also an arrogant, short-tempered, narcissistic jerk who has zero bedside manners and insults everyone around him. Always leaning on a cane and popping pills due to a leg clot, House still captivates breaking through some mysteries. 

It's Laurie's show yet he has a good supporting cast of Jennifer Morrison, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, and later Olivia Wilde in a breakout role. Laurie's performance remains captivating as even if you don't like House as a person, you marvel at his work on these cases and even the rough last season shows one of the most amazing medical show characters of all time.

Streaming on Hulu and Prime Video.

Scrubs

It’s more of a flat-out comedy, yet a lot in this 2001-10 NBC/ABC series connects for Grey's aficionados. Zach Braff got his big break as J.D., the aspiring doctor whose daydreams of life clash with the reality of working at a hospital under a nearly dictatorial doctor (John C. McGinley). Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, and Neil Flynn are just some of the fantastic actors fleshing the show out.

The series was mostly a comedy but could pull the rug out from under viewers with some surprisingly powerful drama. The later seasons got more into the characters, showing growth such as heart under McGinley’s persona and the realities of hospital politics. The last season is criticized but the previous eight rank among the best medical comedies of all time.

Streaming on Peacock. 

St. Elsewhere

Long before any of the shows on this list, this 1982-88 NBC series paved the way for every medical drama that followed. It tackled issues TV shows of the time wouldn't have on race, sexuality, politics, and more, including one of the first shows to address AIDS. It also employed a gritty, realistic style of filming that's been copied numerous times, making it an Emmy-winning favorite.

Then there's the cast of future stars: Ronny Cox, William Daniels, David Morse, Howie Mandel, Bruce Greenwood, and, in his breakout role, Denzel Washington. Its finale has been one of the most debated in TV history yet St. Elsewhere carried the DNA that Grey's emulates and for being a groundbreaking series alone, deserves a watch.

Streaming on Hulu.

Call The Midwife

This smash-hit British dramedy is still going strong after 13 seasons. It begins in 1957 just as England is experiencing a baby boom with a small group of nurses and nuns serving as midwives in London's East End. The series moves into the 1960s, addressing the cultural changes, and the personal lives of the women are wonderful to watch.

British acting legend Jenny Agutter heads the cast as Sister Julienne with the supporting cast shifting a bit as time goes on. What doesn't change is the way the show captures this time period, the challenges of women giving birth in this era and the nurse/nuns coping with the changing times. As the show begins to head into the 1970s, it's time to answer the call and check it out.

Streaming on Netflix.

Royal Pains

A great highlight of USA Network's "blue sky" period, this 2009-16 series had a fun spin on the medical drama. Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) was a talented New York doctor who made the mistake of treating a poor child rather than a rich hospital donor who died. That had him fired with his brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) taking him to the Hamptons. When Hank saved the life of a rich guy, he landed a new gig as a "concierge doctor."

Hank uses the big-money jobs to afford to run a small clinic to help others in need. The series had a fun charm using the setting and Feuerstein was wonderful in the lead role of Hank trying to do the right thing as a doctor. It was rarely about serious medical stuff, yet it is still worth watching for another reminder of how this was the best period for USA Network shows.

Streaming on Netflix.

Doc Martin

This long-running British series focuses on Dr Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes), a brilliant London surgeon who develops a strange phobia about blood. He relocates to a small beachside village and tries to rebuild a messy clinic. The show gets much of its material from how Martin sees himself as professional and by the book, while the locals see an arrogant and hot-tempered man.

The series captures the British charm and Clunes is wonderful in the lead role as Martin slowly changes over time. The interactions of the locals and the surprisingly good medical emergencies aided the show's ten-season run and worth a watch just for its leading man. 

Streaming on Acorn TV, Crackle and Tubi.

Doogie Howser MD

Neil Patrick Harris is known for How I Met Your Mother, Broadway shows, and more. But to so many fans, he'll always be remembered for his breakout role in this 1989-93 ABC series. He's the title character of a genius who becomes a doctor at only 16 and thus a hospital has a guy who can operate on patients but can't buy his own beer.

This setup could have been goofy, but the show plays it straight, and even at this young age, Harris is terrific in the role. Doogie faces the challenges of hitting adulthood while still saving lives and the series could be surprisingly daring in plotlines involving racism, AIDS, bigotry, and other topics. It's no wonder Harris became a future star and this show still aged well.

Streaming on Disney+.

Malpractice

This 2023 British series tackles a daring and dangerous case. When a patient dies of an overdose right after someone else is shot in an ER, a pair of investigators are brought in to find out what happened. As they dig deeper, they uncover this was not an isolated incident but part of a wider range of corruption that could continue to jeopardize lives.

The show feels equal parts police procedural as well as medical drama with some fantastic acting. It showcases how doctors can be too overwhelmed and make mistakes and the corruption of the system is more severe than anyone could suspect. It's a tough show sometimes yet still a very compelling watch.

Streaming on The Roku Channel.

Mary Kills People

That title may seem off for a medical series yet this Lifetime show is quite daring. Mary Harris (Caroline Dhavernas) is an emergency room doctor with the rather unique side job of helping terminally ill patients commit suicide. She has to stay ahead of the cops, including one who goes undercover as a dying man to try and trap her.

The series addressed the dichotomy of Mary helping patients at the hospital while ending the lives of others, which she sees as a good thing. Dhavernas is quite compelling in the lead from emergency surgeries to covering up her crimes. It moves into more of a crime drama in the last season, yet the hospital plotlines can still make it a darker, enjoyable series for Grey's fans. 

Streaming on The Roku Channel.

The Knick 

Grey's can often show some gripping and horrific surgeries. This Cinemax series goes the extra mile by showing how surgery worked in 1900 New York. Clive Owen is a doctor who wants to improve surgical work while handling an opium addiction. Andre Holland is a brilliant doctor held back by his race who runs an underground clinic for those who won't be treated at other hospitals. An unusual partnership soon bonds the pair against the system.

The series captures the gritty feel of the early 20th century and how flat-out horrific surgeries were then. There's no holding back on the cultural issues of the time either, all filmed in a brutal and gritty style. The personal dynamics are good and Owen terrific in the lead so this may not be a comfortable watch yet compelling for a historical medical drama.

Streaming on Max.

M*A*S*H

It’s often forgotten how this Emmy-winning CBS comedy was, at its heart, a medical series. The show is almost entirely set in the 4077, a medical unit at the height of the Korean War and the quirky pack of doctors handling it. They may seem goofball at times, especially Hawkeye, yet it’s clear it’s their way of keeping sane with the madness of war all around them. The show’s balance of comedy and stunning drama (including a shocking character death) was truly ahead of its time.

As for the cast? Alan Alda, Henry Morgan, Jamie Farr, Loretta Swit, Wayne Rogers, MacLean Stevenson, David Ogden Stiers, Mike Farrell, and more provided one of the best ensembles TV has ever seen. Its finale was the most-watched TV episode ever at the time and it still holds the test of time as a masterpiece of dramedy that never shied away from tough subjects amid medical antics.

Streaming on Hulu.