Medical Show Heroes

I have always watched TV shows that revolve or have themes that revolve around medicine, even those I have just watched in reruns. M*A*S*H, Doogie Howser, Rescue 911,Third Watch, along with other shows, have entertained me through many late nights and boring afternoons. The three crown jewels in my book of medical TV shows are, ER, Scrubs, and House M.D. In each of these shows there are characters who stand out. It is these characters that put each in the top three.
Dr. Robert Romano. Many fans of the widely popular ER hated Romano for his rude comments, rough social skills, and canny ability to piss people off. The character was killed off the show midway through the tenth season. Dr. Romano was the type of man who got things done. As Chief of Staff Romano would be described as being insensitive, but if there was one thing that he did care about was saving lives. Dr. Romano, usually a jerk, usually right, and always entertaining.

The next doc to grace my top three is Dr. Perry Cox on another NBC medical show, Scrubs. Though scrubs is the comedy that jump started Zach Braff's career the comedy stylings of John C. McGinley help to make the show. Dr. Cox appears to be a self centered arrogant doctor who doesn't want the role of mentor that everyone else places on him. The truth is Cox is self centered, but deep inside he cares more about his patients and coworkers than anyone else at Sacred Heart. His hilarious drawn out rants, insults, and raves make the character the hero of the show.
I guess the producers at FOX finally picked up on idea of the jerk doctor who doesn't like people and is always sure that they are right. In 2004 House M.D. premiered. Staring the popular British actor Hugh Laurie as a Gregory House, the brilliantly dysfunctional Head of Diagnostic Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Living under the philosophy that everyone he meets is lying to him, House, spends as little time as possible with patients and uses questionable techniques to save lives. The pill-popping, limping self loathing doctor doesn't care as much about people as he does with doing what is right. The character offers a paradox with his questionable morals concerning his personal life but over exerts himself to save patients he claims he doesn't like. The intricate character development, in my opinion, is the reason the show is multiple award winning drama.

I don't know if it is the fact that there are few people in the world that act in the manner of Romano, Cox, and House, or the fact that at times we all act like them, but they are the type of characters that make me sure that cynicism makes humanity more entertaining.


Honorable Mention:


Hawkeye Pierce

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