The Doctor Will See You Again: Fox Prescribes Another Season of Its Medical Drama, Doc

Medical dramas never really leave; they just find new ways to pull you back in. Case in point: Fox's Doc has turned its second season into a legit breakout, and the network is not waiting around to see how the finale plays. Season 3 is officially a go.

The surge

Since coming back in September, Doc has tripled its average ratings. Even more telling: the last 11 episodes have all landed among Fox's Top 20 non-sports telecasts this season. When a show does that week after week, you lock it down, which is exactly what Fox did ahead of the Season 2 finale hitting in mid-April.

What Fox is seeing

"Doc has become a true breakout for Fox, delivering our largest scripted multiplatform audience of the season and building remarkable momentum across Fox, Hulu, Netflix, and internationally," Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn said. He credited "the exceptional creative leadership" of showrunners Hank Steinberg and Barbie Kligman, and praised Molly Parker's "deeply nuanced performance."

On the studio side, Sony Pictures Television Studios president Katherine Pope underscored the same strengths.

She pointed to "Doc's compelling storytelling and standout performances" and "the exceptional writing from Hank and Barbie," singling out Molly Parker's "powerful, nuanced performance at the center of the series."

The show, in brief

Based on the Italian series 'Doc – Nelle tue mani', the U.S. take stars Molly Parker as Dr. Amy Larsen, a physician rebuilding her life and career after a car accident wipes out eight years of memories. Those missing years were... eventful, and not always in a good way, which gives the series a clean engine for emotional fallout, case-of-the-week medicine, and long-arc reveals. No rocket science: it's a sturdy hook anchored by a lead who can carry the weight.

Old-school orders

Doc is also leaning into a full broadcast-sized run. Season 2 is 22 episodes, and Season 3 is set for another 22. In an era of 8-to-10 episode sprints, this one is embracing the weekly grind, and clearly benefiting from it.

Tuesdays just became a block

Doc's early renewal is not the only good news for Fox's medical slate. Last week, the network also ordered a second season of Doc's Tuesday lead-in, Best Medicine. That series stars Josh Charles as a doctor who opens a small-town practice in the sleepy fishing village where he spent his summers as a kid, and its ratings have been roughly on par with Doc's. If you are programming a night, that is the kind of one-two you want.

Bottom line: Doc is a hit, the creative team (Hank Steinberg and Barbie Kligman) and Sony are getting their flowers, and Molly Parker is the face of a show that just earned itself another full season before the current one even signs off.