NBCs new medical comedy, St. Denis Medical, has been greenlit for a second season, and we could not be happier. As someone who loves movies and TV magic and works in the medical field, I wanted to know if St. Denis Medical is based on a real place. Thankfully, we got the answer from showrunner Eric Ledgin.
Where is NBC’s St. Denis Medical Set?
If you watch St. Denis Medical, you already know the show is in the fictional small town of Merrick, Oregon. When it comes to the name of the city, Legdin had a clear answer. Even though Merrick is a real place and happens to be the name of his hometown in New York, St. Denis Medical is still “in kind of anywhere USA.” During the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour last summer, when asked why Oregon was chosen as the setting, he said, “I just feel like it’s a very underrepresented state. It’s a great and beautiful state that you don’t hear a lot about.”
We always love it when a show takes place in a location that’s not the typical one. Particularly because the show’s setting is also a character. People don’t realize just how much the location affects the story. It truly shapes the characters. Plus, the area adds to the drama. There are specific things that can happen that are unique to the place. When it comes to where to show films, however, the answer is very far from Oregon—in the NBC Universal Lot in sunny California.
As for whether or not St. Denis Medical is based on an actual hospital, it is in some ways. What’s interesting about the show is the choice to make the hospital a small one. It wasn’t a fluke, it was a decision. Ledgin wanted St. Denis Medical to be a small hospital because, “Smaller hospitals can feel more like a community, where you might treat a neighbor or family member. And because they have fewer employees, people can be forced to wear multiple hats.” I agree with this statement, as I have worked in small hospitals. There is a sense of camaraderie. Plus, you sometimes have to be many things at once because you don’t have the resources available.
Watching St. Denis Medical, not only do you feel like they are in a small, understaffed, underfunded hospital. But you can also feel their motivation to be the best with what little they have to work with. The nurses and doctors do feel like a team. And when they have to get down to the nitty-gritty, they all come together in ways that make them feel like a community. And you think the people they treat could be someone you know.
That’s why I think so many people enjoy St. Denis Medical. It’s also why I feel so many medical professionals can relate. My sister, a Registered Nurse, loves the series. She’s said that watching St. Denis Medical makes her want to go to work—because seeing the Nurses on the show go through situations she’s faced makes her feel less alone. And I think it’s pretty incredible that a show can do that. So even though St. Denis Medical isn’t a real hospital, the stories and the cast of characters are incredibly real to those in the same boat.
MORE: Did you miss the latest episode of St. Denis Medical? Here’s our review of St. Denis Medical Season 1 Episode 7, ‘50 cc’s Of Kindness’
If you want to take an even deeper dive behind the scenes on the set of St. Denis Medical, check out the video of star Mekki Leeper who plays Nurse Matt as he gives a tour of the set below.
St. Denis Medical airs Tuesdays on NBC.
