TV

10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting

10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting
Image credit: TNT, Warner Bros. Television, NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, PBS

These shows slipped under the radar but deserve a spot in your watch history.

10. "Monday Mornings" (2013)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 1"Monday Mornings" zeroes in on the secretive and often tense meetings that take place every Monday morning, where doctors discuss the complications and errors of the previous week.

Dr. Tyler Wilson (Jamie Bamber) is a top-notch surgeon, yet even he finds himself under scrutiny for his surgical choices. Dr. Tina Ridgeway (Jennifer Finnigan) balances her crumbling personal life with the pressures of the operating room.

The series is a riveting dance of personalities, surgical procedures, and the aftermath of life-and-death decisions.


9. "Hart of Dixie" (2011-2015)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 2Bluebell, Alabama; big-city doctor Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) lands there after inheriting a medical practice. Expecting a swift rise to the top in New York, Zoe's world is flipped when she's thrust into the slow, nosy, but charming world of Southern small-town life.

Her journey is a rollercoaster of wins and faux pas, both in the clinic and out. She finds herself entangled with the town's golden boy, lawyer George Tucker (Scott Porter), and the rough-around-the-edges yet sensitive Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel). The medical cases reflect the quirky residents of Bluebell and Zoe's growth from a fish-out-of-water to a beloved member of the community.


8. "The Night Shift" (2014-2017)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 3The emergency room of San Antonio Memorial comes alive at night, and that's where "The Night Shift" pulls you in.

The doctors here are a different breed; they're risk-takers and, even, mavericks, who punch in as the rest of the world checks out. TC Callahan (Eoin Macken), a former Army doctor, leads the charge with his unconventional methods. His rule-breaking often lands him in hot water with his ex-girlfriend and head of the ER, Dr. Jordan Alexander (Jill Flint).

There's a camaraderie among the staff that's palpable – like when former army medic Drew Alister (Brendan Fehr) wrestles with his own secrets while saving lives.


7. "A Gifted Man" (2011-2012)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 4What if your ex-wife started giving you advice from the afterlife? Well, that's the curveball thrown at brilliant but aloof surgeon Michael Holt (Patrick Wilson) in "A Gifted Man."

When his ex-wife Anna (Jennifer Ehle), a compassionate clinic doctor, dies unexpectedly, Michael's life is flipped upside down as she begins to appear to him. Anna's ghostly presence forces the high-flying surgeon to question his purpose and pushes him to the clinic she used to run for the underprivileged.

The show adeptly juggles Michael's newfound empathy with gripping medical cases.


6. "Emily Owens, M.D." (2012-2013)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 5Emily (Mamie Gummer) is an eager new intern ready to shed her geeky high school persona at Denver Memorial Hospital. But lo and behold, the hospital feels just like 12th grade all over again, complete with cliques, bullies, and a crush who's blissfully unaware of her feelings. Her mentor, Dr. Gina Bandari (Necar Zadegan), is as intimidating as they come, and Cassandra Kopelson (Aja Naomi King), a high school nemesis, is also an intern at the hospital.

Through treating patients and tackling surgeries, Emily navigates the minefield of hospital politics and personal dilemmas, realizing that perhaps the only way to survive is to grow up, in both her personal life and her career.


5. "The Mob Doctor" (2012-2013)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 6Imagine being a top surgeon with a side gig that you can't put on your LinkedIn profile: working for the mob. That's the double life of Dr. Grace Devlin (Jordana Spiro) in "The Mob Doctor." Grace is a thoracic surgeon at Chicago's Roosevelt Medical Center by day and a doctor to the mob by night.

It's a secret as precarious as a ticking time bomb, thrust upon her to pay off her brother's gambling debts. As she saves lives in the operating room, she's also forced to navigate the gritty world of organized crime.


4. "Red Band Society" (2014-2015)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 7Pediatric wards rarely serve as the backdrop for medical series, which is what makes "Red Band Society" such a standout. It's a teen drama set in a hospital, where the young patients are battling serious illnesses while also, well, being teenagers.

The series is narrated by comatose Charlie (Griffin Gluck), which gives it a unique perspective. The ensemble cast, including Octavia Spencer as the no-nonsense Nurse Jackson, portrays a range of characters such as the cheerleader with an eating disorder, the boy with cystic fibrosis, and the girl who arrives for heart surgery.

These kids are not just patients; they form bonds that transcend their diagnoses, learning about life while they fight to hang on to theirs.


3. "Black Box" (2014)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 8In "Black Box," Dr. Catherine Black (Kelly Reilly) is a renowned neurologist harboring a secret: she's bipolar. Each case is a window into the mysteries of the brain, and Catherine often sees a bit of herself in her patients' struggles. The plot doesn't shy away from the stigmatization of mental health, both in the high-stakes world of neurology and in everyday life.

The show was a cerebral journey – quite literally – into the ups and downs of a brilliant doctor who battles her demons with the same fervor she applies to her medical cases.


2. "Pure Genius" (2016-2017)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 9Billionaire tech mogul James Bell (Augustus Prew) is not someone who's used to being told "no." So when he decides to revolutionize healthcare, he spares no expense, creating Bunker Hill Hospital, an institution dedicated to the most forward-thinking medical practices.

"Pure Genius" is a medical drama for the tech-obsessed generation, showcasing cutting-edge technology in the service of medicine. At the heart of it is a conflict between Bell's high-tech approach and Dr. Walter Wallace's (Dermot Mulroney) traditional, skeptical perspective.


1. "Mercy Street" (2016-2017)
10 Underrated Medical Dramas of the 2010s Worth Revisiting - image 10"Mercy Street" takes us back to the Civil War era, focusing on the bustling Union Army's Mansion House Hospital. This PBS series breaks the mold with its historical backdrop, telling the stories of two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the conflict: abolitionist Mary Phinney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Confederate supporter Emma Green (Hannah James).

The series shines a light on the fledgling medical practices of the time and the societal shifts amidst America's most brutal war.