Do you watch medical TV shows as a disabled person? 🩺

Rosie_Scope
Rosie_Scope Posts: 8,926 Online Community Team
in Coffee lounge

I was having this conversation with a friend the other day and would be interested to hear what you think!

If you're a person who has had a fair bit of interaction with the medical world, do you watch medical TV shows? Or do you stay away because it's too close to home?

If you do watch, what do you like about them? Which are your favourites?

I used to watch medical dramas a lot, but as I've got older I think I go through phases where I get frustrated with it being so unrealistic. All the doctors seem to have time to chat to individual patients and work out all their super-rare diagnoses. When in reality, patients like these are often waiting years and years for a diagnosis and some never get a neat answer for their issues. Although maybe it's nice to see even pretend patients get what they need!

Sometimes I prefer to watch documentaries instead. Things like 24 hours in A&E where you get more of a feel for what our health service is like and the struggles people face.

And I do like that some medical shows will highlight stories about conditions the 'general public' might not have much experience of. It's not always a realistic interpretation, but I think it can sometimes help people to get a basic understanding of something they might not otherwise interact with.

What do you think?

Do you watch medical TV shows as a disabled person? 🩺 8 votes

Yes, I love all of them!
25%
Amberpearligglypop93 2 votes
Yes, but only scripted shows like Casualty or Grey's Anatomy
12%
SheffieldMan1976 1 vote
Yes, but only documentaries like 24 Hours in A&E
12%
WhatThe 1 vote
No, I don't watch any of them!
12%
luvpink 1 vote
Other - share your thoughts
37%
worried3366MustangChrisR777 3 votes

Comments

  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community Member Posts: 15,483 Championing
    edited May 16
    Other - share your thoughts

    I've thought about this a bit but with police shows, though I think the comparisons between real life and drama/entertainment can be done in a similar way?

    My dad is the same about police shows. He finds it frustrating seeing someone calling 999 then within 15 minutes several police cars arrive full of officers. In real life you'd be lucky to get a visit from a PSCO the following day!

    At the end of the day, the shows are intended to attract viewing figures. A real life detective show would have half an hour of drama, then the following 10 episodes would be sat in an office or driving to and from places, then a brief court scene where there would be no drama and the suspect would get a disappointingly short sentence

    I guess it's the same with medical shows? I suspect scriptwriters have a formula along the lines of grabbing attention, then maintaining engagement, before delivering a cliffhanger-type conclusion to get the viewer to come back

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing
    Other - share your thoughts

    When I was young and healthy I used to like casualty, later I watched a bit of the other BBC show (forgot name but it wasnt ER department). However usually I am not keen on watching these shows, I like to try and escape my life.

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 8,926 Online Community Team

    That's true @66Mustang, it would be very boring watching medical stuff represented in real time frames. Lots of waiting around for things and unsatisfying endings.

    I also find it funny with shows like Casualty and Greys Anatomy just how much once-in-a-lifetime disasters can occur at one hospital. Plane crashes, fires, bombs, you name it. I know it's all for the drama but if I worked there I think I'd leave my job if stuff like that kept happening 😂

    That's fair enough @worried33, I think I'm becoming more like that as I get older and I don't always want to think about medical things if I don't have to. It's definitely less appealing to me than it used to be.

  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community Member Posts: 15,483 Championing
    Other - share your thoughts

    @Rosie_Scope

    I guess it inevitably goes down a slippery slope of having to one-up (or at least stay on par with) the previous show as well

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,038 Championing
    edited May 16
    Yes, but only documentaries like 24 Hours in A&E

    Only if I'm very bored and refusing to go to bed and something happens to be on will I watch 24 Hours in A&E. Much easier than being there as a patient or responsible adult!

    (I used to watch Angels then Casualty in the early years)

    Ps I don't consider myself a disabled person, rather I have a disability/impairments

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,094 Connected
    Yes, but only scripted shows like Casualty or Grey's Anatomy

    My late Grandad used to call Casualty, "Casuality", used to crack me up lol.

  • ChrisR777
    ChrisR777 Community Member Posts: 1,408 Trailblazing
    Other - share your thoughts

    I find most television programmes boring, nothing to do with having muscular dystrophy.

    If If there is a wildlife programme on, or a documentary about space, history, environment, that's the only time I bother with it. ( Can't find an emoji for grump).

Categories