PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – The upcoming NBC series, “St. Denis Medical,” is the latest example of the so-called “mockumentary” format, popularized in such classic series as “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” and, more recently, “Abbott Elementary.”
“St. Denis Medical” is set in the emergency department of an underfunded regional hospital in Oregon. The cast includes Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs”) as an ambitious administrator, Allison Tolman (“Fargo”) as a conscientious nursing supervisor, and David Alan Grier (“The American Society of Magical Negroes”) as a seen-it-all doctor.
Cast members and co-creators and executive producers Eric Ledgin and Justin Spitzer talked about “St. Denis Medical” during a recent panel that was part of the 2024 Television Critics Association summer press tour, held at the Langham Huntington hotel in Pasadena, California.
While “The Office” takes place in an actual city, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and “Parks and Recreation” is set in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, “St. Denis Medical” is set in a real state – Oregon – but a fictional town.
Asked why Oregon wound up as the setting for “St. Denis Medical,” Ledgin said, “Oregon was chosen for a couple reasons. One is, I just feel like it’s a very underrepresented state. It’s a great and beautiful state that you don’t hear a lot about.”
“St. Denis Medical” isn’t filmed in Oregon, but Ledgin said, “it’s a fun place for us to discover as we go. We’ve got little references to Oregon throughout Season 1, but, of course, if we get more seasons of the show, we’ll explore more outside the hospital.”
Though the first three episodes of “St. Denis Medical” include some jokes about how Portland is the big city, especially compared to the relative underdogs at St. Denis Regional Medical Center, there’s not really a mention of just where St, Denis is located.
“We do name it,” said Spitzer.
“Yes, it is unfortunately named after my hometown, which is mainly a result of the first three options not clearing,” said Ledgin, referring to getting legal clearance to use a name.
“Then I found that it’s like $1,500 every time you clear a city. So, I just threw out my hometown name, and that ended up being the name of the town that show takes place in. It’s called Merrick. Home of Amy Fisher, if anyone remembers,” Ledgin said, alluding to the notorious ‘90s case of Fisher, the “Long Island Lolita” who went to prison after being convicted of shooting and wounding the wife of Joe Buttafuoco, the man with whom she was having an affair.
“We’ll take questions about that case,” Tolman deadpanned, as reporters in the Huntington Ballroom laughed.
McLendon-Covey, whose sister, Shelley McLendon, is a veteran of the Portland comedy scene, and is the owner and artistic director of the Siren Theater, said she welcomed playing Joyce, the executive director of St. Denis.
The cast of "St. Denis Medical." From left, Allison Tolman, Kahyun Kim, Mekki Leeper, David Alan Grier, Kaliko Kauahi, Josh Lawson, and Wendi McLendon-Covey.NBC
Referring to her long run as the matriarch in the TV series, “The Goldbergs,” McLendon-Covey said, “All I wanted was to not play another mom right away, because I did that for a long time. I think it’s well documented that I can play moms, and respect to all moms everywhere. What I loved about this character is that she is not nurturing at all. Don’t come near her wanting a huge. She does not want your germs, and she cannot keep a plant alive, but she is devoted to this hospital. That’s her baby, and this is her whole personality.”
Oregon also came up when a reporter spoke to Grier, noting, “You’re playing that rarest of characters, a Black man in Oregon. So, did you have to do a lot of research to figure out who this guy is?”
“I’ve been to Oregon,” Grier began, then Tolman jokingly asked, “Were you Black while you were there?”
“I’m always Black,” Grier said. “I can’t leave the Black at home. Anyway, I just remember my dad went to Oregon and he came back beaming, and saying, ‘Oh, I could live there.’ I was like, ‘Really, what part of Oregon were you in?’”
Grier went on, “To me, at this point in my career, to do a character and not explain my Blackness and my right to exist anywhere, is a relief. So, I just kind of play it. As a viewer, I want to see that. Like, every character I’ve played doesn’t have to be explained in terms of, why are you here? So, especially as a doctor, he’s there because they hired him. He’s working there. "
His character, Grier said, “has been in this institution many, many years. What I bring, what my character brings, is his pain and failure, because we’re successful doctors, but when you delve into any of our private lives, that’s where things fall apart, or are not so neat and kind of messy, and hopefully, funny.”
“St. Denis Medical” is scheduled to premiere at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, with back-to-back episodes on NBC, and streaming the following day on Peacock.
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— Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist
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