Together medical and crime drama will forever make up the vast majority of scripted television. Although the schedules are already packed with medical shows (Greys Anatomy, House, Private Practice to name a few), 2009 sees the debut of no less than 7 new medical shows – Mental, Mercy, Trauma, Miami Trauma, Royal Pains, Three Rivers and Nurse Jackie. We will get around to all these shows, but we are going to start with Nurse Jackie 
Showtime has been having great success with their new shows in recent years, Dexter
Starring Edie Falco of Sopranos fame as Jackie, an emergency room nurse at All Saints’ Hospital in New York City, the show moves away from the doctors and focuses on the unsung heroes of the hospital. In the opening scene we learn of the nurse’s plight, they have been there and seen it all only be treated as a dog’s body by the young doctors who just because they lay claim to a title does not mean they are capable of doing the job. Of course everyone has to start somewhere, even nurses and that is why we are introduced to Zoe, a nurse fresh on the scene and desperate to make a good impression. Working 80 hour weeks is both chastised and encouraged by the hospital management which leaves the majority of Jackie’s life trapped within those walls. In between looking out for patients, training a new nurse, going for dinner with her English doctor friend, Jackie manages to carry on sexual relationship with Eddie who works with all pharmaceuticals. This last relationship is probably the most useful since Jackie suffers from a bad back that only snorting pain killers can keep at bay.
Ultimately we are presented with highly moral individual who is nearly blind to her own flaws, she knows she is good at her job and can’t let any injustice slip her by. We are very much on Jackie’s side, as she cuts corners, carries out revenge and chastises those who have not listened, but we know her behaviour cannot continue without some kind of blowback and that is what we are both waiting for and dreading.
Nurse Jackie delivered Showtime with its most successful premiere to date and was immediately picked up for a second season. No news yet on who is picking this Nurse Jackie up in the UK which is a shame as this is probably one of the best new shows so far this year.
Written by: Liz Brixius, Linda Wallem, and Evan Dunsky
Directed by: Allen Coulter
Starring: Edie Falco, Eve Best, Peter Facinelli, Merritt Wever, Haaz Sleiman, Paul Schulze
Date premièred: 8th June 2009
UK Details: None available.
Tags: Drama, Edie Falco, Evan Dunsky, Linda Wallem, Liz Brixius, Nurse Jackie, Showtime
