"Strong Medicine" (2000)TV series 2000-????

Creator:

Tammy Ader

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | unknown

Release Date:

23 July 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Hope in every heartbeat.

Plot:

Tough female doctors treat an exclusively female clientele at the Rittenhouse Women's clinic, tackling female-centric issues and trying to make the world a better place in a male-dominated society.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Medical | Hospital | Interracial Relationship

Awards:

10 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Rosa Blasi	...	Dr. Luisa 'Lu' Delgado (131 episodes, 2000-2006)
Jenifer Lewis	...	Receptionist Lana Hawkins (131 episodes, 2000-2006)
Joshua Cox	...	Midwife Peter Riggs, R.N. (131 episodes, 2000-2006)
Philip Casnoff	...	Chief of Staff Dr. Robert Jackson (108 episodes, 2000-2005)
Brennan Elliott	...	Dr. Nick Biancavilla (89 episodes, 2000-2005)
Patricia Richardson	...	Dr. Andy Campbell (59 episodes, 2002-2005)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Sony Pictures Television

Goofs:

There is an episode where a 16-year-old girl overdoses on cough syrup. Throughout the episode, the doctors refer to the drug in cough syrup as "DMX". The psychoactive ingredient in some cough syrups is dextromethorphan hydrobromide, commonly called "DXM".

Quotes:

Receptionist Lana Hawkins: [to Dr. Kayla Thornton] I didn't know they made Lu Delgado in black.

Overlook the flaws and be entertained!

Yup, Strong Medicine does go "over the top" frequently, but what hospital show or courtroom or detective/police drama hasn't? And yes, it also flaunts a decidedly feminist perspective, but what else would you expect from Whoopi Goldberg on Lifetime TV?

Strong Medicine is not intended to reflect reality all the time, because if it did, it would either be too gory or too boring to have entertainment value. The acting is very credible, the writing is creative and sensitive and the direction is first-rate though not unusually clever for an emergency room show.

Rittenhouse Hospital doesn't exist (I did a quick search) and its characters and patients are fictitious. But the entertainment industry asks us to suspend our logic and common sense every day for the sake of, well...being entertained. And we do it gladly.

So sit back and relax and watch "Lu", "Andy Campbell" and the rest of the Rittenhouse staff tackle fascinating women's health issues with their usual confidence, expertise and sense of humor -- and OK, a bit more schmaltz and drama, just for fun.