MDs (2002–2003)

Watching the premiere of this show, I couldn't help but get a feeling of déja vu. Although it's set in a modern city hospital, MDs borrows liberally from the spirit of "M*A*S*H" (1972).

Drs. Kellerman and Dalgety are skilled doctors--among the best in their fields--employed by a hospital that is being squeezed by the HMOs. It is this clash which most strongly recalls M*A*S*H; instead of fighting the Army, these doctors are fighting the administrators and insurance auditors. The pilot wasn't nearly as irreverant as M*A*S*H got (especially not the movie), although it did feature such hilarious touches as an autopsy performed on a live patient, and a hospital director who can't stand the sight of blood.

Walking the line between the melodrama of "ER" (1994) and the inanity of "Scrubs" (2001), MDs has a lot of promise--and big shoes to fill.