St. Denis Medical has been a breakout hit for NBC, but its overlap with beloved sitcom Superstore could prematurely stunt its growth. Both series were created by Justin Spitzer (with Eric Ledgin co-creating NBC’s modern sitcom). But while St. Denis Medical’s cast of characters is talented, some names are familiar to the point of being a double-edged sword. Having multiple actors recognizable for a single role in a different show is risky for the medical workplace mockumentary that’s still trying to set itself apart from contemporaries.
On a basic level, the small connection makes NBC’s newest comedy an appealing show for Superstore fans, but it almost guarantees that St. Denis Medical will never be more than a Superstore replacement. In that sense, the medical comedy will always live in its predecessor’s shadow. Since there’s yet to be a confirmed order for St. Denis Medical season 2, the rest of the pilot season will be pivotal to prove that St. Denis Medical can hold its own without callbacks to Spitzer’s creative debut.
Superstore’s Reunions Make It Difficult For St. Denis Medical To Establish Its Identity
It’s Hard To Separate The Actors From Their Superstore Roles
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From a pillar of the main cast to a recently spotlighted guest star, St. Denis Medical hasn’t shied away from utilizing Superstore alumni. Some have more defined characters, like Josh Lawson as Bruce, St. Denis Medical’s arrogant yet capable doctor. Kaliko Kauahi’s Val is a far departure from her Superstore character, but that doesn’t stop hordes of casual viewers from calling her “Sandra” anyway. Nico Santos portrayed Mateo, one of the most iconic characters in Superstore, which seemed to completely overshadow his appearance as Rene in St. Denis Medical, even three years after Superstore’s series finale.
St. Denis Medical airs Tuesdays at 8 ET on NBC and can be streamed on Peacock the next day, but Superstore can be streamed on Hulu.
Aside from diminishing these actors’ work by inadvertently ignoring their new roles, an unfair comparison of St. Denis Medical and Superstore takes the wind out of NBC’s sails before the ship has fully hit the water. Weighing a fresh show against a completed series is incredibly unbalanced, but St. Denis Medical can’t seem to detach itself from Superstore. When viewers do pay attention to Kauahi’s Val, they tend to water her down to “Sandra turned into Dina.” Their wagons are hitched so tightly that critics of the show claim St. Denis Medical is missing something that made Superstore great specifically.
What St. Denis Medical Can Do To Fix Its Superstore Problem
NBC Needs To Make Its Characters Extra Memorable
If St. Denis Medical has any chance of standing out from the actors’ past triumphs, the show needs to focus on the individuality of their new characters. The issue of audiences recognizing actors from past roles isn’t unique to Superstore, St. Denis Medical has comparatively failed to counter that demographic. People remembered Matt (Mekki Leeper) as Jury Duty’s Noah and only saw Beverly Goldberg when Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey) walked on screen. However, Joyce’s Michael-Scott adjacent hospital director and Matt’s bumbling rookie role were quickly cemented as new, full-fledged characters. Unfortunately, most Superstore alumni have yet to receive that development.
Bruce is the closest St. Denis Medical has come to diverging from Superstore, but his character has the same function as his Superstore counterpart, Tate: a narcissist that the audience loves to dislike. St. Denis Medical has spent enough time showing us how dedicated Alex is or how outdated Ron thinks; even if they’re side characters, it’s time for Val to show different sides of herself, for Bruce’s egotistical facade to crack, and for Rene to have more screen time. St. Denis Medical is a sitcom that deserves more love, but that starts with showing love to its characters.
St. Denis Medical continues Tuesday at 8 ET on NBC.
Superstore’s Reunion Is Great But Threatens St. Denis’ Success
