10 Best TV Shows Like Best Medicine

After premiering this past January, the medically themed dramedy “Best Medicine” has proved to be an early network television hit. The series has already been renewed for a Season 2 at Fox, ready to take audiences back to its cozy small-town setting of Port Wrenn, Maine. The show follows big city physician Martin Best (Josh Charles) open up a private practice in the New England community where he vacationed as a child. As Best gets to know his new neighbors and help them with their medical ailments, he comes to terms with his own unresolved trauma stemming from his youth.

To help tide over the wait for “Best Medicine” Season 2, there are plenty of similar shows to check out or revisit. Most of the series that we’re including on this list also have main characters in various medical professions, balancing the high-stress nature of their work with their personal lives. These shows also alternate between overt humor and heartbreaking moments reminding audiences of the life-and-death stakes that come with the characters’ jobs. Here are the 10 best TV shows like “Best Medicine” that fans of the medical dramedy should watch next.

When it comes to medical dramedies, the show that continues to set the standard for the genre is “M*A*S*H.” Premiering in 1972, the series follows the antics of a U.S. Army mobile surgical hospital throughout the Korean War in the ’50s. When the show began, it played a greater emphasis on the comedy, occasionally veering into screwball gags. The “M*A*S*H” episode that changed the show for good, “Sometimes You Hear the Bullet,” brought a more serious tone which developed considerably for the remainder of the series.

“M*A*S*H” is a series that evolved tremendously over its 11-season run, leaning more into the tragedies of wartime, with the humor more punctuative than constant. These changes were also realized by the main ensemble changing significantly, including two series regulars quitting after just three seasons. But for as serious as the show got, it always remembered how to find the laughs in the face of its intense stakes. Setting the tonal balance template for all medical dramedies moving forward, “M*A*S*H” remains an enduring classic for a reason.

Another classic medical dramedy, “Northern Exposure” follows New York City physician Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) as he moves to practice medicine in a small town in Alaska. The first season revolves primarily around the fish-out-of-water dynamic Joel gets from his backwoods posting, but quickly expands its focus to the rest of the ensemble. With this expanded scope, the show begins to delve into the eccentricities of its community as its source of comedy. The series ran for six seasons on CBS, ending its run in 1995 with Morrow leaving the show abruptly midway during its final season.

Over 30 years after its conclusion, “Northern Exposure” feels like a hit show from the ’90s that nobody talks about today. Where the series excels is depicting how varied its quirky community is, yet with its inhabitants moving beyond their differences to form a quietly thriving town. This isn’t a show beset by constant conflict or crises, but where its residents get into existentially philosophical debates and musings as they go about their day. Running heavily on its rustic charm and memorable ensemble cast, “Northern Exposure” finds the unassuming everyday joys in small-town life.

If there was ever an heir apparent to the medical dramedy legacy of “M*A*S*H,” it’s the long-running show “Scrubs.” The series centers on J.D. Dorian (Zach Braff), who starts the series as an intern before moving up the ranks at his hospital workplace. While the show contains loads of humor, including a penchant for the surreal and absurd through J.D.’s daydreams, the stakes are never trivial. This is apparent in some of the essential “Scrubs” episodes, balancing its wacky comedy with thoroughly tragic moments.

For so much of its run, “Scrubs” got its delicate balance in tones down perfectly, with Bill Lawrence’s writing buoyed by a strong ensemble cast. While J.D. is our protagonist, this is truly a group effort and everyone from Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke to John C. McGinley and Judy Reyes bring their A-game. That quality carries over to the “Scrubs” revival, which taps into those core strengths without coasting on nostalgia. A comedy that plays the realities of its main characters’ profession seriously, “Scrubs” keeps the laughs and heart in ample supply.

What a lot of “Best Medicine” fans might not be aware of is that the show is technically a loose remake of the British series “Doc Martin.” A staple on ITV for 10 seasons from 2004 to 2022, the show starts with successful London surgeon Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) developing a fear of blood. This development forces Ellingham to relocate to a small English town linked to his childhood where he opens his own medical practice. Much of the comedy here comes from Ellingham’s surly personality clashing with his more laidback and friendlier neighbors around town.

The general premise between “Best Medicine” and “Doc Martin” are obviously similar but Martin Ellingham is a very different protagonist from that show’s Martin Best. Both shows revolve around curmudgeons, but the humor throughout the British series is much dryer than the more overtly comedic American series. The romantic aspect of “Best Medicine” is also more pronounced than “Doc Martin” while also providing more generally likable characters. Still, there similarities between the two series is impossible to ignore and it’s fascinating to see where “Best Medicine” got its creative DNA from and how much it changed in translation.

The USA Network has built up a whole bench of shows that bring a lighter edge to everything from murder mystery procedurals to espionage thrillers. Among these is “Royal Pains,” which puts its own twist on the medical dramedy genre with a beautiful scenic location as its backdrop. The show centers on Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein), a physician who becomes a doctor-for-hire for the wealthy in the Hamptons. While Hank proves himself to be a brilliant medical professional, he doesn’t always save patients and endures his fair share of trauma in the line of duty.

Years after the series’ conclusion, “Royal Pains” hit the Nielsen streaming top 10 chart underscoring the show’s enduring appeal. This comes from the core dynamic between Hank and his younger brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) and the juxtaposition of life-and-death medical stakes with its gorgeous beachside setting. Feuerstein brings a lot of humanity to his central role, confidently evoking the required expertise with a bright-eyed optimism. With a “Royal Pains” revival eyed at NBC, maybe audiences will get a chance to see Hank back in action once again.

One of the most romantically oriented entries on this list, the CW series “Hart of Dixie” also follows a big city physician relocating to a small rural town. For this series, the physician in question is Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson), who moves to coastal Alabama after her dream of becoming a heart surgeon in New York falls apart. While working as a general medical practitioner, Zoe falls into a love triangle with two local hunks as one is wont to do. This provides a lot of the show’s humor, more than the fish-out-of-water tropes under which the series starts.

“Hart of Dixie” is genuinely funny and sexy, only developing further upon those qualities across the show’s four-season run. A lot of that comes down to Bilson’s natural charisma and the quick rapport she forms with her co-stars, particularly Wilson Bethel. Even with Zoe’s medical profession, this show arguably has the lowest stakes of any show on this list, but not every medically oriented series needs life-or-death implications. Easygoing in its execution, “Hart of Dixie” stands as an all-around comfort show with a strong emphasis on romantic intrigue.

Easily the show with the darkest sense of humor on this list, 2013’s “Getting On” is a remake of the British series of the same name. A lot of that comes from the show’s primary setting being within the extended care unit for the elderly in a Southern California hospital. In between helping patients enjoy their delicate final days on this mortal coil, the staff try to maintain relatively normal personal lives. The show largely centers on the unit’s vain-glorious director Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf) and recently divorced head nurse Dawn Forchette (Alex Borstein) and the contentious dynamic that they share.

Given the nature of the show and its main characters’ professions, “Getting On” certainly isn’t for everyone and its constant presence of death. But that wicked sense of humor that the show hones in on is something that it does particularly well, finding the comedy in its heavily somber setting. As good as Borstein and Metcalf are, the cast’s real standout is Niecy Nash-Betts as Didi Ortley, a ward nurse who maintains visibly stronger empathy to work than her colleagues. Darkly funny in spite of its grimmer setting, or rather because of it, “Getting On” does its British source material proud.

When it comes to South Korean television, or K-dramas, there are plenty of shows that evoke similar dramedy sensibilities. One essential K-drama for beginners to Korean television that aligns with the premise of “Best Medicine” is the 2021 series “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.” The show follows dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a), who opens up her own practice at a small seaside town. As she acclimates to her new community, Hye-jin finds herself falling for local handyman with a tragic past Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho).

The medical elements of “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” are present but really take a backseat to the small-town life and romance of its narrative. That said, the show still packs an emotional punch at times, especially regarding Du-sik’s painful backstory as it comes to light. Where the series excels is really fostering a sense of community as Hye-jin gets to know her neighbors, fueling the humor and drama. An outstanding K-drama that also deftly balances its emotional tones, “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” makes for a delightful watch.

Jason Segel and “Scrubs” creator Bill Lawrence, along with “Ted Lasso” actor and writer Brett Goldstein, teamed up to create the Apple TV series “Shrinking.” The 2023 show stars Segel as Jimmy Laird, a therapist who is in the midst of a self-destructive spiral after the death of his wife. Frustrated by the standard protocol and limitations of his job, Jimmy begins to tell his patients what he really thinks of their respective cases. Obviously, this carries palpable consequences, not just to the lives of Jimmy’s patients to him and his colleagues, including senior therapist Paul Rhoades (Harrison Ford).

“Shrinking” is right in Lawrence’s creative wheelhouse and he finds creative simpaticos in Segel and Goldstein, leaning into the emotional complexities of its premise. Like Lawrence’s previous work, the show expertly knows when to tug on those heartstrings, but also when to deliver its wry sense of humor. The show also presents Harrison Ford as audiences have never seen him before, while Jason Segel gives a masterclass performance that anchors the entire series. An Apple TV show without a bad season to date, “Shrinking” has everyone in the cast and crew firing on all cylinders.

Given the stakes and driven personalities associated with the premise, medical dramedies are ripe for the mockumentary format. The 2024 series “St. Denis Medical” recognizes that potential and takes full advantage of it, focusing on an overworked hospital in Oregon. Our point-of-view character into this chaotic workplace is Matt (Mekki Leeper), a new nurse starting at the hospital. The show consistently places a greater emphasis on comedy than, say “Scrubs,” but does regularly touch on the stresses of working at an underfunded and understaffed hospital.

“St. Denis Medical” has admirably followed the mockumentary footsteps left by shows like “Modern Family” and “The Office.” The show even has its own version of the Jim and Pam dynamic from the latter, albeit in its own distinct way. But more than just riffing on the familiar sitcom format, the show features a strong ensemble led by Wendi McLendon-Covey as the hospital’s zany director. Making good use of its format, yet not just another run-of-the-mill workplace comedy, “St. Denis Medical” takes advantage of its setting and colorful cast.