Why do medical drama shows last so fucking long?

Another Grey's cast member leaving.

They really need to STICK A FORK IN THIS FUCKER

Primetime procedurals have basically filled the void left by daytime soap operas, which are largely extinct. Ergo, 20 year shows like NCIS or Greys.

ER lasted 15 season -- 1994 to 2009. Had a total of 331 episodes.

Oddly, they never did a spin-off of it.

Greys' was the talk of my homeroom, along with The O.C., the Pussycat Dolls and High School Musical. In the 2000s.

Am shocked to hear it's still limping on and has been for the last decade. I had thought it ended or got cancelled long ago.

General Hospital is celebrating 60 years!

r2 is right. These shows tend to lose their edge early and devolve into soap opera territory.

Some of them just don't know when to leave.

I think a big part of it is that it's relatively easy to not stumble when cast members come and go. The shows don't just focus on the characters, but the hospital, the patients, the medical mystery, etc. The characters tend to be a little duller and hence more interchangeable. By contrast, the survival of Friends would have been in question had Jennifer Aniston quit.

Never seen a minute of either one.

Add those long running law and order shows. Not a minute!

People need to get medical advice somewhere!

[quote]People need to get medical advice somewhere!

Well, there's always DataLounge.

Shit, 19 seasons? That ain't nothing!

I thought Grey's would end not long after Sandra Oh's departure, but i was wrong. I think the last likable character was Lexie Grey.

I cannot believe this mess is still trudging along.

ER was excellent to good....until its last 2 seasons. Not bad compared to GA.

We only got six fucking seasons!