St. Denis Medical is a dream show for star Allison Tolman. The new NBC series is focused on the hospital staff of a hospital in Oregon, showcasing the trials and tribulations they face with a keen sense of comedy. Framed as a mockumentary, the show's ensemble cast is led by Alex. Played gamely by Tolman, Alex is the Supervising Nurse in the titular hospital's emergency room. A well-intentioned caregiver who can't quite find the balance between caring for others and herself, Alex's struggles in the hospital are the source of a lot of the show's comedic and heartwarming moments.
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New NBC Medical Comedy Series Is Grey's Anatomy Meets The Office In First St. Denis Medical Trailer
The trailer for the upcoming NBC mockumentary show St. Denis Medical teases a comedy that is part Grey's Anatomy and part The Office.
Created by Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, St. Denis Medical benefits from a talented cast of comedy veterans, with Tolman as the immediately relatable face of the series. Tolman's career has taken her from the frigid plains of Fargo to the dark comedy series Why Women Kill. However, there were some specific creative elements of St. Denis Medical that were particularly enticing to the actor. During an interview with Screen Rant, Allison Tolman discussed the joys of filming St. Denis Medical's mockumentary style and the show's balance of comedy with heart.
The Benefits Of Making St. Denis Medical A Mockumentary
"I was really excited to play in this space, and it certainly didn't disappoint."
Screen Rant: Congrats on St. Denis Medical! It is such a sweet show.
Allison Tolman: Yeah, that's what I love about it. I feel like there's not a mean bone in its body. It's just such a sweet show. I think that's kind of what we need right now, for shows that are going to make us laugh, but also be a comfortable place to land.
What excited you the most about approaching the show's balance of comedy and heart?
Allison Tolman: I think for me, the most exciting thing about this project was getting to do mockumentary style. Getting to use that opportunity to find a joke when you look down the lens, when you kind of bring the audience in or when you acknowledge the producer behind the camera, that's the thing I was most excited about getting to do. I've loved mockumentaries for ages. I've been a huge Christopher Guest fan since forever. So I was really excited to play in this space, and it certainly didn't disappoint.
The show really leans into that too, literally pulling the cameramen into the comedy. It's a very grounded approach to the mockumentary.
Allison Tolman: That's the delicious part, you know? I think you're right. I think that there are varying degrees of mockumentary. This one really is kind of like an almost gritty grounded one, The Office in a hospital. We really are following [these characters] around. The cameras are dipping in and out of doorways. It was super fun to shoot. I hope it's as much fun to watch. I think it will be.
Allison Tolman Teases The Emotional Surprises Of St. Denis Medical
"If they're able to continue this mood and this balance throughout an entire season, I really think that we've got something here."
It's not just that the show is fun, it's also got a great heart to it. Just look at that sweet ending of the first episode.
Allison Tolman: I know! That's what really stood out for me about reading the pilot the first time. The song that they use was the song that they always knew they wanted. It's in the script. I played it on my phone while I read the scene, and I really got a sense for what they were going for. And I thought, 'this is really special. If they're able to continue this mood and this balance throughout an entire season, I really think that we've got something here.'
What would you say is the biggest surprise of St. Denis Medical?
Allison Tolman: I think the most surprising and the most delightful thing for me is that... we have this beautiful moment with Alex and the husband of this patient in the pilot. Out of all this comedy and out of all this chaos, we have this really grounded, lovely landing. There's this lovely moment that lands at the end of the episode. What's incredible for me is the way that they've managed to do those in every episode.
They've done it for every character as well. Some of these characters who are so wackadoo and are making the most insane choices, and these much broader characters than Alex... but everybody gets these moments where they get to be grounded and real and touching and beautiful. I think that the way that [the show's creatives have] been able to thread that through the entire season has been kind of masterful.
More About St. Denis Medical Season 1
Devoted nurse Alex has just been promoted to Supervising Nurse in the emergency department at St. Denis Medical Center in Oregon. She works alongside an eclectic team of underfunded yet dedicated doctors, nurses and hospital staff, including her boss, Joyce, who wants nothing more than to turn the hospital into an international medical destination, and Dr. Ron, who's done it all, seen it all and is pretty much over it all. They're all doing their best not to lose their patience in a hospital overrun with patients -- while caring for everyone who comes in the door, including each other.
Check out our other St. Denis Medical interviews here:
- Justin Spitzer & Eric Ledgin
- Wendi McLendon-Covey
- Josh Lawson & Kaliko Kauahi
- Kahyun Kim & Mekki Lepper
St. Denis Medical airs on NBC and premieres Nov. 12.
In an underfunded and understaffed Oregon hospital, a dedicated team of doctors and nurses struggles to maintain their sanity while delivering care to their patients. Set in a mockumentary style, this workplace comedy brings humor and heart to the high-stakes environment of healthcare, with a standout cast led by Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier.
Cast Wendy McLendon-Covey , David Alan Grier , Josh Lawson , Mekki Leeper , Kahyun Kim , Jeff Marlow , Allison Tolman , Kaliko Kauahi
Release Date November 12, 2024
Seasons 1
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English (US) ·