American medical drama ER has been on television here for so long it's like a given. For half the year it lollops across the screen like an excitable dog that has slightly worn out its welcome.
Even though the camerawork and choreography are still awesome, it is as familiar to viewers
as that bump on Paul Holmes' nose. And you know what they say about familiarity ...
But are we ready to commit to another medical drama? Like it or not, ER has set the standard all others have to follow.
They are trying, although perhaps the words Chicago Hope might have meant something.
However, a couple of high-profile new medical dramas have launched in the United States this year where the producers have obviously said, "How can we make it not like ER?"
The ABC network's big hope was MDs, which starred Scotsman John Hannah (Four Weddings And A Funeral and The Mummy) and was a testosterone-charged dramedy, modelled on M*A*S*H. TV2 is set to screen MDs next year, although it has already been cancelled in the US.
On the other hand, Presidio Med (TV2, 8.30pm), which began here a few weeks ago, has a largely female cast and a sharing, caring attitude.
The doctors connect on a more personal level with their patients, apparently. Two of the executive producers, John Wells and Chris Chulack are from ER, which makes them qualified to know what should and shouldn't work.
However, the drama struggled in the US and is currently on hiatus, which is a nice word for "we're dropping it until we decide what to do with it". Most critics predicted its demise.
But then CBS decided it liked it and has ordered a full season of 22 episodes for next year, relaunching in January with new marketing.
Presidio Med is set in San Francisco, so there won't be any snow or grimy Chicago trains. The hospital is calm and gloriously high-tech, a marvel of the American medical system.
The core cast matriarch is Blythe Danner, who is there to say things such as, "We're here to do what we can" and mentor the other women doctors. They all express their feelings a lot, so we have a cocky plastic surgeon who doesn't like burns (huh?); a token English doctor who's kind of a cross between Hugh Grant and Billy Zane in Titanic; and a young doctor who loses an ovary and now wants a baby (oh, please).
They're passionate and committed and fiery, especially Rae Brennan, played by Dana Delaney, who arrived back from a foreign medical mission in episode one. She has been having a fling with Dr Nicholas Kokoris (Oded Fehr), who is kind of like George Clooney's older, nicer but slightly uglier brother.
Unfortunately, connecting on a personal level with patients seems to mean being as rude to them as possible.
Last week Jules Keating had a go at a heroin addict and the aforementioned cocky plastic surgeon, Jackie Collette, engaging in inappropriate kissing with patients and inappropriate sex with their friends.
All rather ho-hum. I'm beginning to see why ER sped things up so much and used all that throbbing music.
After an hour of Presidio Med, I was dying for someone to come charging through the doors yelling, "Move it, people!"
American medical drama ER has been on television here for so long it's like a given. For half the year it lollops across the screen like an excitable dog that has slightly worn out its welcome.
Even though the camerawork and choreography are still awesome, it is as familiar to viewers
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