I just saw the first episode of scrubs. It’s pretty funny. I’m going to watch it from now on. I don’t know what station the states get it on, but for Canadians, it’s on at 9:30 on CTV.
Badly paraphrased sample of dialogue:
Protagonist’s thought: “You know how some people give distinct first impressions?”
First Impression of Resident doctor: “I’m a tool. I’m a tool, I’m a tool tool tool.”
I liked it too, especially John McGinley as the hardass doctor. I’m not sure I understand the thread title though–after all, there was MASH* and ER (with Elliot Gould)
I would just like to add that there was the classic medical comedy series “E/R” some years ago which featured a chap by the name of George Clooney.
Would the Bob Newhart show qualify as a medical comedy? He was a dentist.
I enjoyed the hell out of Scrubs last night, also. I hope lots of other folks did, too.
No, ER and a sitcom with a character who happens to be a doctor do not qualify as medical comedies. ER is a drama.
Scrubs is a comedy set in a hospital.
MAS*H is a medical comedy, yes. The title was in reference to the fact than about 90% of medical shows are dramas. Dramas can have comedy and humor, yes, but the focus of Scrubs is straight-up comedy.
No. E/R was certainly a comedy and certainly qualifies. It was in the late 80’s. Starring Elliot Gould (co-starring George Clooney). The setting was a Chicago emergency room. It WAS a comedy. It just wasn’t very funny and got cancelled in the first or second season.
Then that Michael Crichton guy came along with a not so original name and setting.
This E/R vs. ER thing has me confused. I’ve never heard of E/R, and I dont know who Elliot Gould is.
Nobody’s ever heard of E/R 'cuz it wasn’t on very long. Elliot Gould played B.J. in the MAS*H film and can currently be seen as Ross & Monica’s dad on Friends.
–Cliffy
Two shows with the same name, same city, same premise. One is the hit TV show you are thinking of. The other was a CBS sitcom that VERY FEW have ever heard of.
Elliot Gould was a big star in the 70’s. He was married to Streisand. He is best known today as Monica and Ross’s dad on Friends.
More details on “E/R”.
I could be tripping over the same multiple series problem that has already caused so much chatter, but if you’re talking about The Bob Newhart Show that ran on CBS in the 70s, he was a psychiatrist, not a dentist.
Suzanne Pleshette. Grrrrowwwlll.
Everybody’s beating me to them! Better post this now…
Actually, Bob played a psychologist. You’re probably thinking of Jerry, a dentist whose office was across the reception area from Bob’s.
To try to chear up the E/R-ER controversy, there was a medical sitcom called E/R that lasted 22 episodes in the 1984-1985 season on CBS. It starred Elliot Gould, who was well-known in movies of the 60s and 70s (MASH*, of course, but anybody remember The Silent Partner?).
From Harry and Wally’s Favorite TV Shows by Harry Castleman and Walter J. Podrazik (New York: Prentice Hall, 1989):
As far as the thread title goes, there have been medical comedies. In addition to the ones already cited, I can recall Temperature’s Rising with Cleavon Little; and House Calls, which is what Wayne Rogers left MASH* for.
Whoops, that should be “clear,” of course, not “chear.”
But any controversy could always use some chearing up. 
Jerry was played by Peter Bonerz, who still acts on occasion but mostly keeps busy by directing sitcoms (I saw him direct an episode of NewsRadio when I was in the studio audience)
And even before MASH, Elliot Gould was an Oscar-nominated actor for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Ahem, Peter Bonerz stars as the father on the new (now in its 2nd season) show Three Sisters.
Medical comedy is a longstanding, although not entirely successful TV format. In addition to the previously mentioned E/R (which I watched and enjoyed), MAS*H, House calls, and Temperatures Rising, there was Doctor, Doctor, with Matt Frewer, Doc with Barnard Hughes, Nurses with Jeff Altman, and of course a whole string of sitcoms in which the protaganist is a doctor and there are occasional medical storylines: Doogie Howser, M.D., Empty Nest, The Cosby Show, etc.
The last nit to pick in this thread is this one: Eliot Gould played Trapper John McIntyre in the MAS*H film. B.J. only existed in the TV series.
Reminds me of an exchange on an old Barney Miller episode. One guy was commenting on the way ‘Lynne Redgrave’ had been seen dancing with a rifle while supporting the Palestinian cause.
The other guy says it was Vanessa Redgrave, and that Lynne “is the woman on the show with the guy from MAS*H” [referring to Wayne Rogers on ‘House Calls’].
First guy says, “Why isn’t he on ‘Trapper John’?”
Second guy says, “I don’t know, ask the guy from Bonanza!” [Pernell Roberts, who played Trapper on the eponymous series.]