Shocking Changes in Medical Dramas Over 30 Years Revealed by ‘Chicago Med’ Boss!

Introducing Screen Gab, the newsletter for anyone who enjoys a gripping medical drama.

Medical dramas have always revolved around diagnosing and treating a variety of illnesses. However, the on-screen portrayal of diseases and their treatments has significantly evolved since the era of “ER,” as shared by Allen MacDonald, the showrunner of “Chicago Med,” our guest for this week. He says, “Previously unimaginable stories that seemed like science fiction are now being realistically portrayed.”

Also in this 152nd edition of Screen Gab, we have L.A. chef Evan Funke, the featured chef from “Chef’s Table: Noodles,” sharing tips on homemade pasta-making, along with some weekend viewing recommendations.

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Turn on

Picks from The Times’ film and TV experts

“Matlock” (CBS, Paramount+)

Never did I think I would be writing this in 2024: “Matlock” is my top new show this fall. Jennie Snyder Urman, the creator of “Jane the Virgin,” has rebooted the legal procedural on CBS, with Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor Kathy Bates at the helm. But Bates isn’t portraying an exact copy of the iconic lawyer character played by Andy Griffith. In this version, Bates plays a 70-year-old attorney named Madeline “Maddy” Matlock, attempting to reenter the workforce. The connection to the original TV series is humorously referenced in the pilot. But rest assured, she’s every bit as savvy at cracking cases as her predecessor with the Southern drawl. By the end of the pilot, which I won’t spoil, the reasons behind the character’s motivation to secure a job at a prestigious Chicago law firm become apparent, making you want to rewatch to pick up on the clues you may have missed. Watching Bates portray the character with such strength and subtlety is truly delightful. Also, CBS, if you’re listening, we need an “Elsbeth”/“Matlock” crossover event. — Yvonne Villarreal

READ MORE: ‘Matlock’ is making a comeback. Discover who reimagined the character as a sharp and underestimated woman

“Moonflower Murders” (PBS, Hulu)

If you’re a fan of Lesley Manville, believe editors deserve more recognition, or have ever fantasized about meeting a fictional detective, then Anthony Horowitz’s “Moonflower Murders” is for you. In this sequel to the similarly structured “Magpie Murders,” book editor Susan Ryeland (Manville), now residing in Crete, returns to England to investigate another murder related to the work of her late best-selling author Alan Conway (Conleth Hill). As before, she is assisted by Conway’s fictional detective Atticus Pünd (the brilliant Tim McMullan). A murder mystery for murder-mystery enthusiasts. — Mary McNamara

Guest spot

A weekly conversation with actors, writers, directors, and others about their current projects and what they’re watching

Compared to the long-running “Grey’s Anatomy,” NBC’s “Chicago Med” might still be considered a relative newcomer in the medical drama genre. But with ten seasons under its belt, the show is no less significant. As the new showrunner, Allen MacDonald is taking over a smoothly operating show with a dedicated fanbase and high expectations. With the third of four installments in Dick Wolf’s highly successful “Chicago” franchise returning from its summer break, MacDonald offers insights into how the genre has changed since his time on “ER,” his go-to source of inspiration, and more. — Matt Brennan

What have you watched recently that you would recommend to others?

“The Bear” [Hulu] and “Hacks” [Max]. Both shows are masterclasses in character development — full-bodied characters interacting with each other to create comedic and dramatic effects that evoke both laughter and tears. Given the chance, both shows are great for binge-watching.

What’s your ultimate “comfort watch,” the film or TV show you return to repeatedly?

“Halt and Catch Fire” [AMC+]. I first watched this show after reading a glowing review of the series finale. I was late to the game, but it was definitely worth it. “Halt and Catch Fire” portrays the backstage struggles of four characters striving to make a mark in the home computer revolution of the 1980s and early 1990s. They inspire, destroy, despise, and ultimately learn to love each other as their relentless creative spirits drive them to aim high. However, they learn most about themselves and each other when they fail spectacularly. The show is a beautiful narrative on creativity, success, and failure. I make it a point to rewatch it every two years to remind myself of the thrill of getting completely lost in a show’s world.

Your experience with medical dramas dates back to your time on “ER.” In your opinion, what’s the most significant change in the genre from then until now, joining “Chicago Med”?

Technology. Over the past three decades, medicine has made leaps and bounds, allowing us to showcase stories that once seemed like science fiction or have become much more commonplace: in vitro fertilization (IVF), lung transplants, genetically modifying a leukemia patient’s T-cells to fight cancer cells, laparoscopic surgeries — the list goes on. But technological advancements have also brought us smartphones and social media, which both connect and separate us in ways that pose challenges to modern psychiatry, something we explore on “Chicago Med.”

Even for a viewer, starting a series in its 10th season can be intimidating. What’s that like as a showrunner?

Joining a show in its 10th season can indeed be daunting, but I would argue that it’s easier than joining a show in its first season. New shows face the added challenge of trying to establish their identity and purpose in a very short amount of time. Sometimes they succeed; most of the time, they don’t. But a show in its 10th season knows exactly what it is because its world and characters are already well established. The main challenge of stepping into “Chicago Med’s” 10th season is to find new and innovative ways to infuse storytelling energy that elicits emotional responses while simultaneously portraying intriguing medical mysteries. The perfect balance is when our characters approach these stories with differing but entirely valid viewpoints that lead to conflict. But it’s more about fine-tuning and taking some creative risks than about completely reinventing the show. You can’t and shouldn’t fundamentally change the DNA of the world the audience has come to know and love.

Break down

Times staffers discuss current pop culture trends — whether they love them, hate them, or fall somewhere in between

A decade after the debut of Netflix’s “Chef’s Table,” creator David Gelb is back with three new seasons, including the seventh season of the original series (Nov. 27), a retrospective “Chef’s Table: Legends” (2025), and the currently streaming spinoff, “Chef’s Table: Noodles.” Featured in this series are Nite Yun, an expert in Cambodian cuisine from Oakland, and L.A.’s own Evan Funke. At a recent event for the series at his Beverly Hills restaurant, Funke demonstrated his pasta-making technique and provided some tips for food-show viewers looking to apply their binge-watching knowledge in their own kitchens. —Matt Brennan

1. Ingredients may be few, but quality is crucial. “This is just 00 flour and very, very, very good eggs, the best you can find, a table, a [rolling] stick, and the willingness to fail repeatedly,” says Funke. The best eggs are identified by their dark yolks. Some farmers in Italy even feed their chickens marigold and capsicum to achieve a deep yellow, even reddish hue.

2. The texture of hand-rolled pasta is worth the extra effort. “As you shape this, you are shaping air pockets into the ball of dough. So if you take that ball of dough and press it through a mechanical means, it squishes all of the air out of it. With this, we’re gently spreading and coaxing the gluten matrix into a flat structure versus slamming it through two rollers. The density difference between machine-made pasta and machine-rolled pasta is kind of like poundcake to wafer.” Funke acknowledges that some pasta makers have mastered the machine and produce high-quality pasta with it, but he still prefers the hand-rolled method: “It has more soul.”

3. “You can’t taste the shape.” As a young pasta maker, Funke was obsessed with perfectly round pasta — until he realized that he may be compromising the consistency of his cooking in the process. He demonstrates how a traditional tortellacci can accumulate “touch points” until one end of the pasta has several more layers of thickness than another, meaning they will cook inconsistently. In other words, don’t let perfection stand in the way of deliciousness.

4. Everything you’ve been told about seasoning pasta water is incorrect. “If you season the water like the ocean, as hundreds of recipes and books suggest, no one will want to eat that. It’s too salty.” Instead, Funke proposes seasoning pasta water like “a boldly flavored soup.” This way, you can use the pasta water to thicken sauces without making the final dish overly salty.

5. Don’t get discouraged. “In the end, what’s the worst that can happen?” Funke says. “The worst that can happen is pasta.”