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No one likes going to the doctor, but for some reason, a lot of us can't seem to get enough of watching fake doctors on TV. Medical drama series have been popular on the small screen for what feels like forever, and whether these procedurals are following the high-pressured jobs of doctors, nurses, paramedics, or any essential worker, there's an audience ready and waiting to tune in.
In August 2024, Netflix released its Spanish medical drama series Breathless (also known as Respira) from the creators of the now-ended teen thriller Elite. The series centers on a public hospital in Valencia that experiences changes when a public figure seeks treatment. Breathless stars Blanca Suárez, Manu Rios, Najwa Nimri, Alfonso Bassave, and more talented actors in the ensemble cast.
Like most medical drama series, Breathless doesn't solely focus on the heart-pounding and sometimes downright bone-chilling life-or-death situations that happen in a hospital. There's also romance, intrigue, and politics. After watching the eight-episode first season, are you looking for even more medical dramas to add to your watch list? Here are three of the best on Netflix!
Grey's Anatomy
As if there's anyone left in the world who hasn't either watched (at least a few seasons!) or heard of Grey's Anatomy, you'd be remiss not to at least give it a shot, dive back in, or catch up after watching Breathless. Like the Spanish series, the long-running ABC medical drama features some of the most boundary-pushing storytelling on the small screen, and that includes all of its dreamy and steamy (with or without the Mc) romance and gut-wrenching character deaths.
Grey's Anatomy first premiered back in 2005, but it's still going strong over 400 episodes in. The landmark 21st season premieres on ABC on Sept. 26 and arrives on Netflix sometime in 2025 after its surely devastating in some way or another season finale. Cast members have come, gone, come again, and gone again, but the core of Grey's remains the same no matter the season, decade, or episode. While there's still 20 seasons on Netflix, don't miss out on this pop culture institution.
The Resident
Similarly to Breathless, Fox's fan-favorite medical drama series The Resident held up a mirror to the healthcare industry throughout its six seasons and over 100 episodes of storytelling. Gilmore Girls and The Good Wife alum Matt Czuchry stars as headstrong resident Conrad Hawkins as he uses unconventional medical practices to get the job done. The series also starred Emily VanCamp, Manish Dayal, Bruce Greenwood, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Jane Leeves, and others.
The Resident first premiered on Fox back in 2018 and ended after six seasons in 2023, but the series found brief renewed popularity when it arrived on Netflix in early 2024. The wider audience that the streaming service provides allowed for the series to be seen by those who might have completely missed it. If by chance you still haven't watched The Resident, make sure to check it out!
New Amsterdam
Another broadcast favorite that found popularity on Netflix, NBC's New Amsterdam also premiered in 2018 and ended in 2023, a nearly identical lifespan to The Resident. However, NBC's medical drama ran for only five seasons and tapped out with under 90 episodes, making for the shortest binge-watch on this list — aside from newbie Breathless. The series takes place in a public hospital in New York City as the brave Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) looks to reform the facility's care strategies.
Even though it was a relative hit while airing on NBC, New Amsterdam reached the top 10 on Netflix when it arrived as a pleasant surprise. All five seasons are still available to stream on the platform, and its success has inspired NBC to develop a potential spinoff centered on Max's daughter Luna. Each medical drama has a natural element of inspiration ingrained in the character arcs, but New Amsterdam just might be the most touching one on the list.
If you loved watching Breathless on Netflix, you can't go wrong with making either Grey's Anatomy, The Resident, or New Amsterdam your next binge-watch!