SCRUBBING IN

St. Denis Medical attends to the comedy among the usual medical dramas

- DAMIAN HOLBROOK

NBC'S MEDICAL SHOWS tend toward heavy drama (think Chicago Med and Brilliant Minds), but now the network is giving us a little something to take the edge off. Courtesy of The Office exec producer Justin Spitzer and showrunner Eric Ledgin (American Auto), the new workplace comedy St. Denis Medical is putting the healthcare industry under the microscope as an unseen camera crew tracks the staff of the titular medical center. Think a Dunder Mifflin in scrubs, where deadpan meets bedpans.

"It's in kind of Anywhere, USA," says Ledgin, eventually pinpointing the exact locale to small-town Oregon. "There was a nurse [from there] that I spoke to a lot during the research part of the development process, and it was a little bit of a nod to her," he reveals.

In addition, Ledgin confirms that his helpful resource also inspired star Allison Tolman's character, Alex, a put-upon supervising nurse who is both a master of handling high-stakes emergencies and a mess when it comes to advocating for herself.

"I think that's the fun of it," the Fargo actress offers about her long-suffering but good-natured Florence Nightingale. "We get to play these folks who are reattaching arms but then also just have to eat. Like, 'It's lunchtime, you know? And I need some coffee because I was up all night.' I find something really charming about the mundane in the most extreme circumstances."