10 Medical Dramas for ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Waiting on Season 20
Even after nearly two decades on television, there is still no other series like the iconic and legendary medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy.
Shonda Rhimes’ long-running and award-winning ABC drama has captivated generations of fans with its steamy romances, enduring friendships, heartbreaking deaths and fascinating medical cases.
Since its premiere in 2005, fans have followed the wild ups and downs of the emergency staff at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. A total of 19 seasons have aired so far – even starting with a new team of medical interns as some of the last Grey’s veterans left the show – and ABC renewed the drama for a 20th season.
With more than 400 episodes under its belt, Grey’s Anatomy is the longest-running scripted primetime show currently on ABC as well as in the studio’s history.
The series focuses on the overarching lives of surgical interns, residents and attendings at a Seattle hospital, revolving around Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). The show follows her life from intern to becoming the hospital’s chief of general surgery as she tries to balance her ever-hectic personal and professional life.
The show is full of twists, turns and absolutely shocking moments or deaths of main characters. Any fan will tell you not to sit down ready to binge the show without a box of tissues and maybe a carton of ice cream.
But if you’re one of Grey’s consistent devotees that have absolutely devoured all 19 seasons and still crave more medical rollercoasters, here are 10 shows you can tune in to next:
1 of 10
2001 Warner Bros. International/Getty
Who’s in it: Noah Wyle, George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies
Where to stream: Hulu
Seasons: 15
You might say ER walked so Grey’s Anatomy could run. This NBC classic is actually the original long-running hospital drama, earning a myriad of accolades and success that paved the way for Grey’s to thrive. And, like Grey’s, ER helped launch the illustrious careers of some Hollywood mainstays like George Clooney and Julianna Margulies.
Similarly to our favorite medical drama, ER follows the personal and professional lives of the staff in the – you guessed it – emergency room of a large hospital in Chicago. It also has many of the elements that keep fans returning to Grey’s, like forbidden romances, battles with hospital authority, dramatic medical cases, intense turning-point episodes and heart-wrenching moments.
Plus, with 15 seasons and 331 episodes, it’s the perfect binge show.
2 of 10 Private Practice
Who’s in it: Kate Walsh, Tim Daly, Audra McDonald, Paul Adelstein
Where to watch: Hulu, Prime Video
Seasons: 6
If you’re missing some of your favorite Grey’s Anatomy characters – or just Dr. Addison Montgomery – then turn on its spinoff, Private Practice. It’s a different story, but the show still delivers sizable medical problems, romantic entanglements and heartbreaking scenes.
Private Practice follows the life of Dr. Montgomery (Kate Walsh) after she leaves Seattle (and Derek) to join a private practice in Los Angeles. The series offers a more personal look at the characters’ lives and struggles as doctors. It was also created by Shonda Rhimes, so you know there’s guaranteed to be a ton of drama and plenty of cliffhangers.
3 of 10 House
Who’s in it: Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Jesse Spencer, Jennifer Morrison
Where to stream: Apple TV, Peacock, Prime Video
Seasons: 8
House may be just the right fit for fans whose favorite part of hospital dramas is the featured weird, complex or rare medical cases. On top of the incredible performances from its cast, House captivates viewers with the ensemble’s chemistry, quick-paced scripts and satisfying diagnoses.
The series is named for its main character, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), an unconventional, pessimistic and often mean medical genius who leads a team of diagnosticians. Despite often saving his patients’ lives just in the nick of time, House also risks his life and the lives of those around him due to his pain medication addiction.
4 of 10 The Good Doctor
Jeff Weddell/ABC
Who’s in it: Freddie Highmore, Antonia Thomas, Paige Spara, Fiona Gubelmann
Where to stream: Hulu, Prime Video
Seasons: 5
If you’ve plowed through Grey’s Anatomy and are turning to The Good Doctor, definitely don’t put your box of tissues away. Both shows deliver a lot of juicy drama, but certainly not without some heartbreaking moments that will leave you wiping tears away.
The Good Doctor follows the young, autistic medical genius Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) who relocates to San Jose to work at a prestigious hospital. Plagued with a troubled past and inexperience in the workforce, Murphy must face his own issues while dealing with all the challenges in the medical field.
Plus, the show is still running, meaning new episodes will air in the future.
5 of 10 Scrubs
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Who’s in it: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley
Where to stream: Hulu, Prime Video
Seasons: 9
As one of the few medical comedies on this list, Scrubs is the perfect show to turn to if you need a good laugh. The show is full of slapstick jokes, goofy imagined elements and hilarious riffs between its main characters. But Scrubs also has a ton of heart and no shortage of moments that may have you choking back tears.
Similarly to Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs follows the journey of medical interns as they learn the internal workings of the healthcare system, battle their own shortcomings and mature into full-fledged doctors. But the honest, messy and emotional ways the main characters tackle their problems kept fans coming back for nearly a decade.
6 of 10 Chicago Med
George Burns Jr/NBC
Who’s in it: Nick Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, Yaya DeCosta, Colin Donnell
Where to stream: Peacock
Seasons: 8
Pluck Grey’s Anatomy out of Seattle, drop it in the Windy City and you’ve got Chicago Med. As one of the modern versions of the classic hospital drama, the series follows a group of healthcare workers dealing with unspeakable traumas in the emergency department, all while trying to control their own hectic personal lives.
Part of the One Chicago universe, the majority of the series follows former plastic surgeon Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) and the challenges of working as a supervising attending physician. It’s full of gripping life-or-death decisions, fiery romances and occasional crossovers with Chicago PD and Chicago Fire.
7 of 10 Nurse Jackie
Bobby Bank/WireImage
Who’s in it: Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Peter Facinelli, Paul Schulze
Where to stream: Apple TV
Seasons: 7
Nurse Jackie takes all the high drama we love from Grey’s Anatomy and infuses it with a little more comedy. It also uncovers many of the complexities that come with working in a hospital but through an absurdly dark and comedic lens.
The show centers around Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco), who is a strong-willed veteran emergency department nurse at All Saints’ Hospital and a drug addict. She’s constantly stressed out and trying to turn her disastrous personal life upright with a little bit of humor. The award-winning show offers a real look into addiction and into the secrets we all hide.
8 of 10 Nip/Tuck
Who’s in it: Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, John Hensley, Joely Richardson
Where to stream: Hulu
Seasons: 6
Moving outside the hospital for this show, Nip/Tuck is definitely a medical drama. But the show also dips its toes into the genres of dark comedy, satire, crime drama and thriller. And to set the show apart from most other medical dramas, Nip/Tuck uses storylines that span entire or multiple seasons.
From the mind of Ryan Murphy, Nip/Tuck centers around a cutting-edge but controversial plastic surgery center run by Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon). With the characters’ marital problems, romantic escapades and scandalous business deals, fans will be hooked from the pilot.
9 of 10 Call the Midwife
Who’s in it: Jessica Raine, Jenny Agutter, Helen George, Laura Main
Where to stream: Netflix
Seasons: 12
If you love period dramas – especially if there are British accents involved – queue up the BBC’s iconic medical series Call the Midwife. Just like Grey’s Anatomy, this agonizing and sentimental series tackles the day-to-day lives of healthcare workers, just in a different decade.
Set in the post-World War II baby boom during the late 1950s and 1960s, Call the Midwife follows a group of midwives from a convent as they cope with the various medical problems and struggles of their poor community in East London. It’s a gritty show that unravels the human condition and tackles some of the most poignant feminist issues that still resonate today.
10 of 10 New Amsterdam
Who’s in it: Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, Freema Agyeman, Jocko Sims
Where to watch: Netflix, Peacock
Seasons: 5
If you’re fascinated by the struggles with hospital authority in Grey’s Anatomy, then you’ll also love New Amsterdam. It certainly fits into the medical drama mold with its soap opera drama, compelling characters and mysterious medical issues.
Based on a true story of events at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital, Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) is hired as the medical director at one of the nation’s oldest hospitals to disrupt the status quo and upend hospital bureaucracy. It’s a quick-moving, if not a little predictable, series that will certainly satisfy all your medical drama needs.