Medical melodramas occupy a significant place in the lives of the TV audience, whether the viewers are professionally connected with the sphere of medicine or not. While critics note that such TV shows are rather exaggerated and far from reality, people all over the world enjoy watching Grey’s Anatomy and House, M.D. Between these two shows, I think that House, M.D. is a better medical melodrama than Grey’s Anatomy. My opinion is supported by many people.
In her article “Health Care in the Time of Grey’s Anatomy,” Julie Beck notes:
- “Several studies have shown that people who watch a lot of medical shows are more likely to believe certain things about doctors and healthcare.”
In other words, many viewers of medical melodramas believe that doctors in the real world see as many extraordinary cases as their TV colleagues do. However, each of these shows presents the disparity between real and fictitious life in a different way. As Todd VanDerWerff mentions, Grey’s Anatomy is “a unique blend of workplace drama and over-the-top-soap.” While the events pictured in House, M.D. are also far from reality, the show concentrates more on the professional lives of the doctors rather than their personal affairs. Indeed, I agree with Peter McNab, who says:
- “[House, M.D.] still deserves credit for great writing, an unwillingness to compromise, and being able to effectively mix humor with challenging intellectual content.”
The cases described in both medical melodramas are very rare in real life— and that is exactly why they are called “shows.” However, the amount of time that Grey’s Anatomy spends displaying the personal lives of medical staff, and the excessive amount of passion in that presentation, takes away from the merit of the TV show as a medical melodrama. In House, M.D., on the other hand, events are also a bit overstated, but they mostly pertain to professional and not personal situations. Thus, I consider House, M.D. to be a better medical melodrama than Grey’s Anatomy since the former focuses on “medical” while the latter concentrates on “melodrama.”
Works Cited
Beck, Julie. “Health Care in the Time of Grey’s Anatomy.” The Atlantic. 2014. Web.
McNab, Peter. ““House, M.D.”: An Appreciation and Analysis by Mario Sikora.” Nine Points Magazine. 2012. Web.
VanDerWerff, Todd. “Sure, Grey’s Anatomy Was a Big Hit, but Was It Good TV?” A. V. Club. 2013. Web.