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Watch What You
Eat
Doctor shows are not for the weak of stomach --
especially now that special effects can replicate pretty much any
kind of grisly surgery, from invasive biopsies to impromptu
amputations. It was all fine and good when the "Chicago Hope" team
had to cut open a guy's chest, but the "House" specialists are
particularly fond of zooming in on dying blood cells and decaying
bone marrow. You might want to hold off on that sloppy joe until
after the credits have rolled. | |
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Don't Expect to Understand What's Going
On
Nowadays, the only people as important as producers
and writers
are the medical consultants who make doctor shows
believable.
Because most TV watchers haven't been to medical
school, it's
easy for the speeches about aortic arches and
fibrodysplasia to
go right over their heads. But that's OK; it's
just the show's way
of saying, "See, we totally know what we're
talking about."
Fortunately, the technical stuff is the least
important part of the show. Writers work hard to make sure that, no
matter how little you may know about lymphoma, the important plot
points are spoken in plain English. | |
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The Most Dangerous Medical Job Is
the Leading Man
Once upon a time, there was a show
called "Chicago Hope," starring a Broadway star named Mandy
Patinkin. His show fought a bitter ratings battle with "ER," starring George Clooney. Despite
some passionate performances, it didn't take too many surgeries for
both these leading men to retire their latex gloves -- a doctor show
tradition since "St. Elsewhere." The same goes for lesser actors,
who, like real doctors, get juggled in and out of hospitals like so
many hypodermic needles. These can be some of the most dependably
tear-jerking moments on television -- watching a doctor you loved
and trusted get the boot, or storm out in frustration, or, in the
case of "M*A*S*H," have his helicopter shot
down in the episode's last five minutes. If the promos look dim for
your favorite M.D., consider stocking up on hankies.
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The Ante Will Get
Upped
Doctor shows are infamous for upping the ante.
When "ER" first aired, it concerned mostly realistic cases,
realistic doctors and realistic relationship qualms. In its final
seasons, the "ER" characters faced massive power outages, shootings,
nine-year comas -- and when that isn't exciting enough, the show
sends its characters to Third World countries, where disease and
civil war have a chance to wreak havoc on TV's most gold-hearted
Chicagoans. One more season and we might see Dr. Dubenko operating
on an extraterrestrial. Or a whale. | |
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There's Always a
Moral
It's been a long time since Doogie Howser tapped
at his computer, recounting those nuggets of wisdom he'd learned
from the day's rounds. But just as actual medicine thrives on study
and learning, doctor shows thrive on neatly packaged moral lessons.
These might not be very profound (such as, "Don't lie about your
condition," or, "There's no 'I' in team"), but we usually come away
respecting caregivers just a little bit more -- even the ones who
just play doctors on TV. | |
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Robert Isenberg is a
freelance writer, stage actor, comedian and playwright. Raised in
Vermont, he discovered television -- as well as gas heat, electric
stoves, e-mail and baklava -- when he moved to Pittsburgh, where he
lives and performs.
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