A GREAT TV show is supposed to whisk us away to another land.
But when we settle in to watch an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or ER, we expect a certain level of reality, right?
GettyThe cast of American medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy[/caption]
Seeing surgeons swapping tools, paramedics reviving patients, and doctors using complicated-sounding medical jargon, it can be easy to assume it’s all “real”.
But it turns out, many of our favourite hospital dramas are far from realistic.
According to two GPs, some are “utterly ridiculous”.
We asked Dr Zoe Watson, a locum GP based in East London, and Dr Rachel Ward, a GP from Didcot, Oxfordshire, to rate some of the most-watched medical TV programmes on how well they reflect what it’s really like working in healthcare – and they didn’t hold back.
In at number one as the most accurate of all time (that they’ve seen at least) was This is Going to Hurt.
Both docs agreed that the Adam Kay comedy-drama should get full marks for its detailed depiction of the difficulties of life as a junior doctor.
Dr Watson said: “It is the most accurate of them all, on every single level.
“It was very difficult to watch at times as it brought back a whole heap of trauma that I thought I had recovered from while being a junior doctor.
“Adam’s portrayal of the strains and the dark humour we develop in order to survive is very accurate.
“Most doctors I know cried multiple times while watching this as it resonated so deeply with all of us. A difficult but important watch.”
The medic said that British sitcom Green Wing should swipe silver, but also gave it 10/10.
Starring Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan, it follows the eccentric staff at East Hampton Medical Trust.
While they don’t seem to do anywhere near as much actual work as those in ER and Grey’s Anatomy, Dr Watson reckons it’s a pretty true-to-life portrayal.
“It’s hands down my absolute favourite medical drama ever made, and I’d say it’s the most accurate in terms of how staff interact with each other,” she said.
“The eccentricities of the characters you come across in medicine and in hospitals are perfectly captured, and it’s a work of genius in my opinion.
“It’s a 10/10 in terms of representation of what the people behind the scenes in medicine are like.
“In terms of medical accuracy, I don’t think they ever really covered that much, did they?
“But it’s such a good show. And Alan Statham the radiologist is absolute comedy gold.”
‘Not far from reality’
In joint third place, all with 8/10, were period drama Call the Midwife, ITV‘s Doc Martin, and US sitcom Scrubs.
On Call the Midwife, starring Helen George and Miranda Hart, Dr Ward said: “Though this is thankfully very different to the realities of giving birth today, it gives an historically pretty accurate depiction of its time.”
Speaking about Doc Martin, played by Martin Clunes, she added: “I don’t think many GPs can get away with Martin’s communication skills these days, but his sharp diagnostic skills and day-to-day variety is not far from the reality of a rural GP.”
And Scrubs, which got a 7/10 from Dr Ward and a 9/10 from Dr Watson, is almost perfect.
“It is another favourite of mine – and actually this one I’d say is the most accurate for medical information,” Dr Watson said.
“I always thought their cases were well researched and I would guess the diagnosis from the presentation.”
Scoring a respectable 7/10 was ER and Grey’s Anatomy.
Medical drama ER was created by Michael Crichton, who graduated from medical school, so you’d hope it would be at least somewhat realistic, and Dr Watson reckons he did a decent job.
She said: “I wish I was joking, but it’s the reason I went into medicine, funnily enough.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve watched it, but I remember it being pretty accurate.”
I haven’t watched Casualty or Holby City for a long time as I always found the story lines utterly ridiculous.
Dr Zoe Watson
As for Grey’s Anatomy, she and Dr Ward are both fans – particularly of Patrick Dempsey‘s character Derek Shepherd, a.k.a McDreamy, and settled on 7/10.
Dr Ward said: “There is far less focus on McDreamy and his equivalents in real life medicine, but the portrayal of the intense world of surgery in Grey’s anatomy is spot on.”
Dr Watson added: “I think the cases they come up with are often wildly exaggerated, but they seem well researched.
“It’s in the US, where they rely heavily on things like CT and MRI for diagnosing stuff, so the healthcare system is quite different.
“It’s very unlike working for the NHS – not least because the hospital looks more like a glamorous airport-hotel hybrid, but certainly because none of the doctors I’ve ever worked with have been as hot as the ones on Grey’s.”
Towards the bottom of the leaderboard was House, starring Hugh Laurie, with 3.5/10, and BBC soap Doctors, with 2/10.
Dr Ward gave House a 6/10. But Dr Watson, who gave it 1/10, said: “House always stuck me as utterly ridiculous.
“That job doesn’t exist. There’s no way the hospital would continue to employ someone as rude and lacking in basic social skills as House.
“Also, the cases they presented were always so ridiculously so far fetched. This programme really irritated me.”
On Doctors, she added: “Pffft. I also hate this programme.
“I don’t really watch it, but whenever I have stumbled across an episode I’ve thought it was ridiculous.”
Right at the bottom, unable to get any lower, was Casualty, which is still going after 38 series, and Holby City, which ended in 2022 after 23 years, with nil points.
On both programmes, Dr Watson simply said: “I haven’t watched either for a long time as I always found the story lines utterly ridiculous.”
NBCSarah Chalke, Zach Braff, Donald Faison in Scrubs[/caption]
AlamyCall the Midwife stars Helen George, Bryony Hannah and Jessica Raine[/caption]
�Neil GenowerMartin Clunes and Caroline Catz in ITV’s Doc Martin[/caption]
PA:Press AssociationThe full cast of BBC’s Casualty in costume[/caption]
AlamyThe cast of ER, including George Clooney[/caption]
PABen Whishaw, who played Adam Kay as a junior doctor in This is Going to Hurt[/caption]
BBCAn episode of the BBC show Doctors in 2020[/caption]
ABCThe cast of House, including Hugh Laurie[/caption]
AlamyThe cast of Green Wing at an awards show[/caption]
A scene in Grey’s Anatomy