Ranking TV's Returning Medical Dramas: 'Grey's,' 'New Amsterdam' & More (PHOTOS)
The Good Doctor
Season rating: 1.11
Compared to 2017-2018: down 38%
Staying power: ABC’s drama lost more than three million viewers in its second season, and if it continues to slip, its future could be in question.
The Good Doctor, Season 3 Premiere, Fall 2019, ABC
New Amsterdam
Season rating: 1.07
Compared to 2017-2018: N/A
Staying power: We’ll have to wait to see how it does in its second season, but it did slowly and steadily slip with each new Season 1 episode. Even if the premiere does well, the series has to retain its audience for subsequent episodes.
New Amsterdam, Season 2 Premiere, Tuesday, September 24, 10/9c, NBC
The Resident
Season rating: 0.94
Compared to 2017-2018: down .07%
Staying power: There wasn’t a significant difference in The Resident‘s ratings between the first two seasons. So while its overall season rating isn’t as strong as some of the other shows on this list, it’s remained consistent. Plus, what it does have going for it is that it’s one of Fox’s few returning dramas going into the 2019-2020 season.
The Resident, Season 3 Premiere, Tuesday, September 24, 8/7c, Fox
Chicago Med
Season rating: 1.2
Compared to 2017-2018: down 2.4%
Staying power: Something that this NBC drama has going for it is that it’s part of the One Chicago universe. While Justice may not have lasted and Med lost two of its key series regulars at the end of Season 4, it’s likely not going anywhere.
Chicago Med, Season 5 Premiere, Wednesday, September 25, 8/7c, NBC
Grey’s Anatomy
Season rating: 1.55
Compared to 2017-2018: down 18.8%
Staying power: While the series did slip, it was the highest-rated medical drama of the 2018-2019 season and ABC has already renewed it for Season 17 (to air in the 2020-2021 season). The series isn’t going anywhere, especially with Ellen Pompeo continuing to extend her contract to star as Meredith Grey.
Grey’s Anatomy, Season 16 Premiere, Fall 2019, ABC
If you're a fan of dramas that follow both the patients in a hospital and the personal lives of the doctors treating them, you're in luck. There may not be as many medical dramas as procedurals on TV right now, but you still have a handful to choose from in the lineup.
In the 2018-2019 season, NBC, Fox, and ABC each aired at least one medical drama, and only one (New Amsterdam) was in its first season. The Good Doctor and The Resident both returned for sophomore runs, while Chicago Med aired its fourth season. And ABC's Grey's Anatomy became the longest-running primetime medical drama, passing ER.
See Also
Which Medical Shows Are Most Realistic? Ranking 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'The Good Doctor' & More
All five are returning for the 2019-2020 season, but which medical drama is most likely to keep coming back? And which shows' futures could be in question? Click through the gallery above for our ranking for the least to most solid medical dramas in the game, based on the shows' staying power and how they're doing in the key demo (adults 18-49) in same-day ratings.
