Medical dramasare next to cop shows in terms of being part of the fabric of television, remaining a staple in several countries over the years despite changing trends and the way that the small screen has evolved. While hospital stories haven’t really faded, it may be enjoying a moment of renewed interest. Each of the broadcast networks, and even some key streamers, are reinvigorated to tell stories of health care professionals and patients in varying tones and formats.
This is perhaps most evident withThe Pitt. Hailing from the producers ofE.R. and led byE.R.alum Noah Wyle, the Max Original has been one of the most talked-about series of the year so far. Over on broadcast,NBC’s hospital mockumentary comedySt. Denis Medicalbecame one of the first shows to get renewed. CBS, for its part, is preparing to launch a few medical dramas. That includes a project led bySupernaturalstar Jared Padalecki and the Sherlock-connectedWatsonled by Morris Chestnut. However, a show from Fox boasts some notable viewership numbers.
Doc Has Seen A Viewership Growth Of Over 600%
It’s Fox’s Best Debut In Five Years
Docis starting off strong. Based on the Italian seriesDoc – Nelle tue mani, the medical dramadebuted on January 7 on Fox. The story centers onDr. Amy Larsen (played byHouse of Cardsstar Molly Parker) and what happens when she suffers a brain injurythat causes her to lose years of memories.
Deadlinereports thatDochas given Fox its strongest premiere in five years. As of this writing, after 11 days, the medical drama has garnered 15.6 million cross-platform viewers. This representsa 609% increase over its live and same-day audience of 2.2 million.This is also Fox’s strongest debut episode since the9-1-1spinoff9-1-1: Lone Star.
Docis alsoFox’s best streaming performance for a debutin a year, getting 1.1 million viewers from both Hulu and Fox.com in its first seven days. But it’s noted that the large viewership increase is overall thanks to delayed linear viewing, rather than streaming viewership. It speaks well for the adaptation and Fox, which hasn’t focused as much on delivering new series as CBS, NBC, and ABC.
What Is Doc About?
Amy Larsen Is Starting Over
Parker, also known for her role as Alma Garret in the HBO dramaDeadwood, plays the brilliant but difficult Chief of Internal and Family Medicine at Westside Hospital in Minneapolis. The series catches up with Dr. Larsen just asa brain injury has erased the last eight years of her life. As a result, Larsen has to go back to a world where she has no memory of the patients she’s treated and no familiarity with her co-workers.
Docis co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment Studios, with Barbie Kligman as the showrunner and executive producer. Hank Steinberg, Judi McCreary, and Erwin Stoff also executive produce.
On an even more personal level, Dr. Larsen doesn’t remember her divorce, her current relationship, orthe tragedy that caused her to harden and develop a colder exterior. She can rely only on her teen daughter, whom she remembers as a nine-year-old, as she stares down the possibility of continuing to practice medicine despite losing almost a decade of experience. The cast also includes Omar Metwally, Jon Ecker, Amirah Vann, Anya Banerjee, and Scott Wolf.
Patrick Walker
Dr. Theodore “TJ” Coleman
In terms of the response toDoc, the Fox seriescurrently has a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews. The more detailed assessments have been divided, with some critics deriding the adaptation for being reliant on tired tropes. Others found its themes of loss to be incisive and moving. Parker’s performance was praised, however, and there’s an overall sense that the series will appeal to viewers who are already partial to medical dramas. But there are plenty of options to choose from.
Our Take On Doc’s Success
It Fits The Broader Trend
It is an overall strong year for broadcast TV. New shows likeMatlockandHigh Potentialare boasting high numbers, with both getting renewed. Returning favorites like9-1-1andTrackerare still leading their respective networks. It highlights how familiar genres can still hold their own, and that may prove to be even more true asprocedurals more fully work their way onto streaming.
Netflix has its own tweak to the formula in the works, in an upcoming series titledPulsefrom creator Zoe Robyn andLOSTproducer Carlton Cuse. Described as the streamer’s first medical procedural,Pulsecenters on the staff at Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center as they deal with emergencies and focuses on the young doctor Danny Simms (Reacher’s Willa Fitzgerald) as she gets an unexpected promotion.Doc, in that sense, is very much part of a larger trend.
Docairs Tuesdays on Fox at 9 PM ET and streams on Hulu.
Doc
Cast
Doc is a 2025 drama featuring Dr. Amy Larsen, who copes with a brain injury leaving her without memories of the last eight years. Relying on her estranged daughter and close friends, she confronts challenges in practicing medicine and personal life, struggling to regain lost expertise and connections.
