How Hospital Dramas Have Transformed

Television hospital drama shows like Fox’s House and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy have vastly changed since their early counterparts, the Washington Post reported.

The hospital setting, the Post said, has set the stage for one of the most enduring genres of television. But where more dated programs like Marcus Welby, M.D. portrayed doctors as gentle heroes, newer shows portray a more gritty side of the profession, with characters like the arrogant, drug-addicted Dr. Gregory House on the hit Fox drama.

The Post says that this transformation of the TV doctor has been attributed to St. Elsewhere, which premiered on NBC in 1982. St. Elsewhere has been credited as being the first hospital drama with flawed characters, sophisticated dialogue and complex stories.