3 June
Frida - Stroke of Passion: The Immersive Experience 
June 3, 2025 Frida - Stroke of Passion: The Immersive Experience
April 29, 2025 Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire
April 22, 2025 Movie Review: A Minecraft Movie
April 17, 2025 Trump´s Amok Run
St. Denis Medical - The Comedy Gem You Didn´t Know You Needed
June 5, 2025
By Bessy ADUT
With two 2025 Critics’ Choice Television Awards nominations—Best Comedy Series and Best Actor in a Comedy Series for the always-brilliant David Alan Grier—St. Denis Medical arrives as a chaotic, heartfelt, and utterly hilarious new entry in the mockumentary canon.
I caught a special IndieWire + NBC “Consider This” live screening event this week at Vidiots, a local gem of a venue. It was my first time attending one of their events, and between the ambiance and the warm crowd energy, I’ll definitely be back. More importantly, I discovered a series that instantly carved out a place in my heart.
Truthfully, I went in completely cold—not a trailer, not a synopsis. But it didn’t matter. This show had me hooked from the first beat. For newcomers, here’s a quick teaser to catch you up:
St Denis Medical - Trailer | BBC
Created by Justin Spitzer (Superstore) and showrun by Eric Ledgin (American Auto), St. Denis Medical is a mockumentary sitcom set in a hilariously underfunded Oregon hospital. It’s a sharp blend of The Office-style awkwardness, Scrubs’ medical absurdity, and real emotional resonance.
Wendi McLendon-Covey leads as Joyce, the hospital’s determined (and borderline delusional) executive director who’s constantly trying to wrangle funding and media attention. One episode centered on mammograms had the room in fits—especially a spot-on panini press gag that resonated on multiple levels.
Alison Tolman is pitch-perfect as Alex, a deeply empathetic supervising nurse with major workaholic energy. She plays exhaustion and grace in equal measure. Josh Lawson’s Bruce, a trauma surgeon who desperately craves applause, delivers the now-iconic one-liner: “You don’t have to be good!”—which absolutely brought the house down.
The ensemble cast shines:
- Kahyun Kim is electric as wild-card travel nurse Serena
- Mekki Leeper brings sincerity and charm to Matt, a wide-eyed Montana transplant
- David Alan Grier (award nomination well-deserved) kills as Ron, a grizzled ER doc skeptical of tech, particularly ChatGPT—though he begrudgingly admits it’s “mostly right.”
- Kaliko Kauahi anchors the chaos as surly nurse admin Val
A pleasant surprise: the appearance of Mindy Sterling as a guest star in the role of Laurie, a patient at the hospital. (Spoiler: Mindy is also featured on an upcoming episode of my Searching for Goodness podcast!)
Developed by NBC and produced by Universal Television, St. Denis Medical has already garnered a 90% approval rating. And if the laughter in the screening room was any indication, the audience is fully on board.
Critics are calling it “a tart and well-cast addition to the tried-and-true mockumentary sitcom genre”—and I couldn’t agree more.
Make sure to check it out and let me know your thoughts! @bessyadutofficial on Instagram and [email protected]
Related News
5 December
New Exhibition from the Museum of the Princes´ Islands
A new photography exhibition, "The Islands Were Here Before Bodrum, Marmaris Came Along!" is opened by the Museum of the Princes´ Islands, at the Historical Ferry Pier in Büyükada.
14 November
"Humor on the Margins: Cartoons in the Turkish Jewish Newspaper Şalom" by Rakel P. Meşulam
Rakel P. Meşulam signed her first book "Humor on the Margins: Cartoons in the Turkish Jewish Newspaper Şalom (1947-2016)" at Schneidertempel Arts Center.
7 November
The "Ottoman and Turkish Ketubbot" Exhibition
The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews is opening an exhibition of Ketubbot (Jewish wedding contracts), some from forgotten corners of our homes, some as already discovered works of art, some from the walls of the collectors, some from the Chief Rabbinate Collection, on November 7th, at Schneidertempel Arts Center, after they have been cleaned and maintained.
24 October
Izzet Keribar´s "Journey of Colors" Exhibition at Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern, Turkey´s first modern and contemporary art museum, is preparing to host photography artist Izzet Keribar´s solo exhibition "Journey of Colors".
8 August
Kasadolu Draws Attention to the Increasing Hostility Towards Turkish Jews
The businessperson Doğan Kasadolu wrote a letter to AKP´s Ankara Member of Parliament Tuğrul Türkeş, drawing attention to the increasing anti-Semitism.
30 May
Annette Bat Mitzvah Club and Yoel Bar Mitzvah Club Year-End Ceremonies
The 2023-2024 "Collective Bat Mitzvah Ceremony" of the Annette Bat Mitzvah Club girls, founded in 2002 within the Chief Rabbinate of Turkey Education Commission (HEGKOM), was celebrated in the Neve Shalom Synagogue on Sunday, May 26th.
