Two new doctor shows were added to network lineups this week, adding to an already medically filled television collection. NBC's "Do No Harm" and TNT's "Monday Mornings" each offer a glimpse into the world of two very different hospitals.
It is true that both shows involve surgeons, romance in the workplace (what a surprise) and, strangely enough, brain surgery, but the similarities end there. "Do No Harm" focuses primarily on one particular doctor, while "Monday Mornings" focuses more on the entire group of surgeons with the morning shift and the consequence they face when something goes wrong.
The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type relationship is explored in "Do No Harm." What Dr. Jason Cole is dealing with is more than Dissociative Identity Disorder. His other identity, Ian, is malicious and appears at precisely 8:25 p.m. and disappears shortly after. Until now, he has been able to be contained by a certain drug, but the cure couldn't last forever. Now Dr. Cole is being faced with the task of silencing his other personality for good. The show spent a reasonable amount of time exploring both Dr. Cole's life as a surgeon and his struggle with Ian and ended in a way that would leave watchers wanting more.
The pressures of peer judgment are slightly more enticing, however, making "Monday Mornings" very interesting. TNT's newest drama offers insight on what happens when something goes horribly wrong in the operating room. The show is as much about performing surgery well as it is about being chastised in front of all the other surgeons when you did not. The way the pilot unfolded had a very natural feel and kept the viewer interested and constantly guessing.
Though both shows were good albeit unnecessary, "Monday Mornings" is likely to gain the bigger viewership.
Samantha Giedris can be reached at samantha.giedris@student.shu.edu.
