Medical Drama Sees Viewership Surge Over 600% Days After Premiere

Medical dramas have long been a cornerstone of television programming, following closely behind crime series in popularity. These shows have remained prevalent across various countries, adapting to shifting viewer preferences while maintaining their core themes. Recently, however, the genre appears to be experiencing a resurgence in viewership and creation, evidenced by several new and returning series capturing audience attention.

One of the standout entrants this year is The Pitt, produced by the team behind the acclaimed show E.R. Starring Noah Wyle, an alumnus of E.R., this Max Original has quickly become a focus of industry chatter. Meanwhile, NBC’s comedic take on hospital life, St. Denis Medical, has successfully earned an early renewal, proving the ongoing appetite for medical narratives. CBS has also joined the fray, readying multiple new medical dramas, including a project featuring Jared Padalecki from Supernatural. Not to be outdone, a new offering from Fox has made headlines for its impressive viewership numbers.

Doc Sees Remarkable Viewership Growth

Fox’s Top Debut in Five Years

Doctor Amy Larsen (Molly Brown) smiling at someone in Doc season 1, episode 3

Doc has made a striking entry into the television landscape. Debuting on January 7 on Fox, this medical drama is based on the Italian series Doc – Nelle tue mani and crafted by seasoned television writer Barbie Kingman. The narrative follows Dr. Amy Larsen, portrayed by Molly Brown of House of Cards, who endures a brain injury resulting in the loss of eight years of personal memories. Despite her cheerful disposition upon returning to work, the emotional weight of her forgotten past complicates her journey to readjust to advancements in the medical field that she’s been absent from.

The cast of Doc also features talents such as Omar Metwally, Jon Ecker, Amirah Vann, and Anya Banerjee. According to reports from Deadline, the show has delivered the strongest premiere for Fox in over five years. Within the first 11 days, Doc has pulled in an impressive 15.6 million cross-platform viewers, marking a staggering 609% growth from its initial live audience of 2.2 million viewers. This performance rivals that of other popular series, including the successful spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star.

In streaming metrics, Doc set a new record for Fox’s debut performances, attracting 1.1 million viewers across Hulu and Fox.com in its first week. Notably, the surge in viewership has been largely attributed to delayed viewing rather than immediate streaming, which reflects positively on Fox’s programming strategy—a notable contrast to CBS, NBC, and ABC’s more aggressive output of new content.

Analyzing Doc’s Success

Embracing Broad Themes

This year has been promising for broadcast television, with new entries like Matlock and High Potential gaining traction and securing renewals. Classic favorites like 9-1-1 and Tracker also continue to perform well, contributing to a robust overall viewing landscape. Doc exemplifies this trend, showing that familiar formats still resonate powerfully with audiences.

Doc airs every Tuesday at 9 PM ET on Fox and is also available for streaming on Hulu, making it accessible to a wide viewer demographic.

Source: Deadline

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