Critic Reviews

While there is no outright critiquing of the health-care system (something the show would benefit from doing), the series’ depictions of the day-to-day lives of the hospital’s burnt-out staff are enough of a commentary for now. And by imbuing their hard work with genuine warmth and hilarity, St. Denis Medical has the potential to be your next favorite feel-good sitcom.

This is a strong throwback to when sitcoms on NBC made cultural waves, a program that makes clear how talented co-creator Justin Spitzer is when it comes to art of the workplace comedy. And in its second season, the series returns as tighter and more confident.

St. Denis Hospital hasn't quite distinguished itself from its mockumentary counterparts yet. .... That said, this is a series secure in its identity, and all signs currently point to it sustaining that momentum. Much like the upstart hospital it's named after, St. Denis Medical shows great promise.

St. Denis Medical arrives incredibly sure of itself, having learned all the best lessons from its predecessors. The cast has chemistry, the scripts are sharp and smart, and the guest star potential is huge.

Over the three episodes provided to critics, “St. Denis Medical” quickly coheres into an ensemble that’s a likable lens through which to view some grim, intractable dysfunction.

If the rest of the season is as strong as the six episodes I was able to screen, St. Denis could be the best network comedy since Abbott.

The heart and soul of St Denis Medical is the wonderful Allison Tolman as supervising nurse Alex, an oasis of sorely tested sanity amid a cast of cutups. [18 Nov - 8 Dec 2024, p.4]

St. Denis Medical is entering its second season as a workplace comedy who knows who its characters are and how to craft stories and humor around that, which is always what shows like this should aspire to do.

"St. Denis" has a lot of potential, and it fulfills a need for a smart broadcast sitcom this season.

Spitzer and Ledgin (who serves as showrunner) have earned the audience’s investment in a series only four episodes old by showing a clear grasp of the fundamentals — of what separates a passable comedy from an unmissable one.