St. Denis Medicalhas been a breakout hit for NBC, but its overlap with beloved sitcomSuperstorecould prematurely stunt its growth. Both series were created by Justin Spitzer (with Eric Ledgin co-creating NBC’s modern sitcom). But whileSt. Denis Medical’s cast of charactersis talented, some names are familiar to the point of being a double-edged sword. Having multiple actors recognizable for a single role in a different show is risky for themedical workplace mockumentarythat’s still trying to set itself apart from contemporaries.
On a basic level, the small connection makes NBC’s newest comedy an appealing show forSuperstorefans, but it almost guarantees thatSt. Denis Medicalwill never be more than aSuperstorereplacement. In that sense, the medical comedy will always live in its predecessor’s shadow. Since there’s yet to be a confirmed order forSt. Denis Medicalseason 2, the rest of the pilot season will be pivotal to prove thatSt. Denis Medicalcan hold its ownwithout callbacks to Spitzer’s creative debut.
Superstore’s Reunions Make It Difficult For St. Denis Medical To Establish Its Identity
It’s Hard To Separate The Actors From Their Superstore Roles
From a pillar of the main cast to a recently spotlighted guest star,St. Denis Medicalhasn’t shied away from utilizingSuperstorealumni.Some have more defined characters, like Josh Lawson as Bruce,St. Denis Medical’s arrogant yet capable doctor. Kaliko Kauahi’s Val is a far departure from herSuperstorecharacter, but that doesn’t stop hordes of casual viewers from calling her“Sandra”anyway. Nico Santos portrayed Mateo, one of the most iconic characters inSuperstore, which seemed to completely overshadow his appearance as Rene inSt. Denis Medical, even three years afterSuperstore’s series finale.
St. Denis Medicalairs Tuesdays at 8 ET on NBC and can be streamed on Peacock the next day, butSuperstorecan be streamed on Hulu.
Aside from diminishing these actors’ work by inadvertently ignoring their new roles, an unfair comparison ofSt. Denis MedicalandSuperstoretakes the wind out of NBC’s sails before the ship has fully hit the water. Weighing a fresh show against a completed series is incredibly unbalanced, butSt. Denis Medicalcan’t seem to detach itself from Superstore. When viewers do pay attention to Kauahi’s Val, they tend to water her down to“Sandra turned into Dina.”Their wagons are hitched so tightly that critics of the show claimSt. Denis Medicalis missing something that madeSuperstoregreatspecifically.
What St. Denis Medical Can Do To Fix Its Superstore Problem
NBC Needs To Make Its Characters Extra Memorable
IfSt. Denis Medicalhas any chance of standing out from the actors’ past triumphs, the show needs to focus on the individuality of their new characters. The issue of audiences recognizing actors from past roles isn’t unique toSuperstore,St. Denis Medicalhas comparatively failed to counter that demographic. People remembered Matt (Mekki Leeper) asJury Duty’s Noahand only saw Beverly Goldberg when Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey) walked on screen. However,Joyce’s Michael-Scott adjacent hospital directorand Matt’s bumbling rookie role were quickly cemented as new, full-fledged characters. Unfortunately, mostSuperstorealumni have yet to receive that development.
St. Denis Medical Showrunner Reveals Whether “Fish Out Of Water” Character With A Crush Was Inspired By Superstore’s Jonah Simms
Exclusive: St. Denis Medical showrunner Eric Ledgin compares and contrasts Mekki Leeper’s character, Matt, to Superstore’s Jonah Simms.
Bruce is the closestSt. Denis Medicalhas come to diverging fromSuperstore, but his character has the same function as hisSuperstorecounterpart, Tate: a narcissist that the audience loves to dislike.St. Denis Medicalhas spent enough time showing us how dedicated Alex is or how outdated Ron thinks; even if they’re side characters, it’s time for Val to show different sides of herself, for Bruce’s egotistical facade to crack, and for Rene to have more screen time.St. Denis Medicalis a sitcom that deserves more love, but that starts with showing love to its characters.
St. Denis Medicalcontinues Tuesday at 8 ET on NBC.
St. Denis Medical
St. Denis Medical follows a diverse team of doctors and nurses at an underfunded Oregon hospital as they manage patient care and maintain camaraderie amid challenging circumstances.
