The Best TV Doctors Ever

Everybody loves a good television doctor; you can tell because not only are many of the top shows out there medical dramas and comedies (a la Nip/Tuck and Scrubs), but even shows that aren't set in hospitals feature major doctor dramas (a la FlashForward). Television doctors are, and have always been, the perfect combination of smart, funny, relatable, and sexy. We love them when they work "modern miracles" before our very eyes, and in some cases we love them because they couldn't work magic with a how-to book. But we love them, nonetheless. There are so many great television doctors to choose from that it's hard to pick a top ten without skipping over some great doctors. As always, this might not be your top ten, but the choices are diverse, and hopefully ones you'll enjoy!

10. Dr. Philip Chandler, St. Elsewhere-Oh, ho! Surely you didn't actually believe my list of the top television doctors would exclude Dr. Chandler? Two words explain why Dr. Chandler makes this list: Denzel, and Washington, baby. Washington's Dr. Chandler brought some diversity to Boston's St. Eligius Hospital, a "place you wouldn't want to send your mother-in-law" on this medical drama that was originally advertised as "Hill Street Blues in a hospital." This young, unsure-of-himself yet fully capable television doctor helped spur Washington's illustrious television and film career.

9. Dr. Leo Spaceman, 30 Rock-He may not make many appearances on Tina Fey's uproarious comedy series, but when he does, you can be sure Dr. Spaceman (pronounced "Spa-che-man") is good for a lot of laughs. He's probably televisions best worst doctor, the last doctor you want to go to for any kind of advice, surgery, or anything else. Trust me, even if you just ask this guy for a tissue you're going to walk away with more than you bargained for. Having received his medical degree from "the Ho Chi Minh City School of Medicine," he currently treats Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan). He's written at least two books: a sexual advice book titled You're Doing it Wrong, and a diet guide titled The Cigarette Diet. If Chris Parnell's television doctor has anything going for him, it's that he at least seems to take his career seriously ... okay, that's not true, either, but you'll never find a more experimental doctor (which isn't exactly a good thing either).

8. Dr. Frasier Crane, Frasier-You might call Dr. Crane the best worst doctor on television (well, second worst ... reference, please, Dr. Spaceman). Considering the fact that he spends all day dishing out advice on Seattle radio and the rest of his time completely botching up his personal life, it's a wonder he had an audience at all. But in real life, Frasier managed to captivate weekly audiences for twenty years, which is no small feat. Some might call Kelsey Grammar's move from playing Dr. Frasier to playing Dr. Hank McCoy, a.k.a. "Beast," in the X-Men movies a step down ... I like to think of it as step awesome.

7. Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Star Trek-Before Dr. House, the world's crankiest doctor was Bones McCoy, the doctor who did as much healing as James Kirk did making out. DeForest Kelley spent years giving us lines like, "I'm a doctor, not a coal miner/escalator/bricklayer/watchmaker" to remind us all of two things: first, that he was a "simple country doctor" in space, and second ... well, that he was a doctor. Now how a "simple country doctor" wound up in Star Fleet, the most modern intergalactic experience any humanoid could have dreamed of during McCoy's television legacy ... well, let's just chop it up to bravely going where no simple country doctor had ever gone before.

6. Dr. Miranda Bailey, Grey's Anatomy-Sure, it's called Grey's Anatomy, but it's probably just because it's a pun and sounds a little better than Bailey's Anatomy, which, with no pun reference to go with it, would probably have been a completely different show. And look at that, it's another Seattle doctor! Chandra Wilson is the perfect combination of mom, friend, and drill sergeant. And she is not afraid to take on anybody ... and I mean, anybody. I'm talking from the head of the hospital on down.

5. Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable, The Cosby Show-Not only did Bill Cosby give us one of the best television daddies ever, but he was a doctor to boot! Along with Phylicia Rashad, Cosby translated the ever elusive American Dream for one of the first major positive presentations of a Black family on television. The Doctor and his lawyer wife managed to be at the top of their game and keep it completely real at the same time. Well, okay, mostly real-maybe more families don't go around performing full-length musical numbers or having recording sessions with Stevie Wonder ... but maybe they should.

4. Dr. Mark Green, ER-Yeah, sure the rest of the world might have gone with the debonair Dr. Ross (George Clooney), or even the hottie Dr. Carter (Noah Wiley), but I'm keeping it real. Neither of them would have been anything without Mark Green, portrayed by Anthony Edwards. This is my list's posthumous award, since Dr. Green also takes my award for one of the top television send-offs (i.e., death episodes) ever. He had a beautiful thing going with perpetual flirtation Dr. Lewis, and a wonderful second marriage to Dr. Corday, and served as the ultimate inspiration for his daughter, Rachel, who by the last episodes of the last season was returning to her father's medical stomping grounds to pursue a medical career of her own. Slow clap, Dr. Green, slow clap.

3. Dr. Jack Shephard, Lost-From saving countless lives before even having his own gaping wound sutured in the first episode to using the core of a nuclear bomb to try and turn time back on its head in the most recent season finale, Dr. Shephard is showing the Island who's boss. Sure, he's a helpless drunk on the mainland, and can't maintain a relationship worth beans, but on the Island, he is the man. Matthew Fox's character shows television viewers that if TV doctors are hot in hospitals, they're even hotter on desert islands where they're plagued by Others, smoke monsters, sexual tension, dissension in the ranks, Time itself, Fate, polar bears ...

2. Dr. Douglas "Doogie" Howser, DoogieHowser, M.D.-Two time survivor of pediatric leukemia, adorable teenager, and, oh yeah, genius resident surgeon at Eastman Medical Center. There are kids who know it all, and then there are kids who really know it all. Neil Patrick Harris starred as the teen doctor, son of a loving mother and family physician father, who stole our hearts and convinced us kids of the 80's that we, too, could be anything with hard work and determination, and maybe an eidetic memory.

1. Dr. Gregory House, House M.D.-In 2004, Hugh Laurie took my last name and gave it national allure; for that, I thank him (outside of the "Dr. House" jokes it started, but I'll forgive him). House is probably televisions more cantankerous doctor, with a level of emotional crippling that rivals his need for an actual cane. He might not have the best bedside manner-or any, for that matter-but he's probably the first doctor on any television patient's list to go to for a diagnosis. Sure, he'll reach it by nearly killing you with testing, and it'll probably just turn out to be something like bed bugs or a very weird manifestation of lactose intolerance, but you'll at least walk out of the hospital alive. Because while he's not always nice, he is always, always right.