Strong Medicine: The Complete First Season

Currently TV is swimming in medical dramas, but this one stands apart from the rest in its depiction of two idealistic physicians dedicated to women's-health issues. Dr. Dana Stowe (played by Northern Exposure's Janine Turner) heads the department of women's medicine at Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Hospital. A pioneer researcher much lauded for her accomplishments, Stowe is also a stickler for the rules and keeps her emotions in check at all times, which puts her at odds with street-smart Dr. Luisa Delgado (Rosa Blasi), an inner-city practitioner dedicated to fighting for her poverty-stricken clients—even when that means breaking Stowe's cherished rules. The 21 first-season episodes (plus the pilot) revolve around the efforts of these two talented medicos to reconcile their differences and work together in the best interests of their patients. Strong Medicine, which bowed in 2000, made its bones by tackling complex and sometimes dicey subjects (for example, one of the earliest episodes, “Performance Anxiety,” focused on female athletes using steroids), and attracted fine guest stars, including Whoopi Goldberg (who also served as one of the executive producers), Diane Ladd, Katherine Helmond, and star-to-be Dakota Fanning. No second opinion is necessary here: this extra-less first season set is recommended. (E. Hulse)