Name that bizarre late 80s medical reality show.

November 19, 2008 4:14 PM

ObscureTVFilter: Help me remember the name of this strange medical reality TV show from my childhood. It aired on American television either in the late 1980s or early 90s, and followed clinic patients into an exam room to record their interactions with the doctor and his ultimate diagnosis.

As I recall, the doctor exams were long individual segments, in which the doctor would go over the patient's history, give them an examination, and then make a diagnosis and prescribe a treatment before the commercial. After the commercial, there was a new patient, and possibly a different doctor.

The whole thing was rather low-budget and had a kind of an over-dramatic tone. I recall thinking the entire concept was a huge violation of doctor-patient confidentiality, and then thinking it rather strange that someone would allow themselves to be filmed speaking with their doctor about their medical conditions.

Just to be clear, these were real patients and real doctors. Also, I can't be certain but I believe the show came on one of the UHF channels, possibly late at night. I'm guessing it was syndicated. In some ways it was a little bit like The People's Court, but for medicine.

Any idea what this was? If you don't know the name, do you recall having seen something like this so I know I didn't dream it up?

posted by iamisaid to media & arts (4 comments total)

I don't remember the name, but I used to watch the show all the time, too, so you're not crazy.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 4:25 PM on November 19, 2008

Was it Family Medical Center? Discussed in this NYT article.
posted by dhartung at 12:30 AM on November 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Whoops, I meant to edit that to say it was from the same producers as The People's Court. But it used actors to portray the doctors and the interactions took place on a set -- not that it was made clear.
posted by dhartung at 12:32 AM on November 20, 2008

dhartung, you found it! After reading the NYT article I'm almost certain that was the show. I had no idea it was dramatized, though. It seemed quite real to me, but then again I was a naive little kid at the time.

I don't know how you did it, but great work.
posted by iamisaid at 6:01 AM on November 20, 2008