Medical Police - new Childrens Hospital spin-off on Netflix

[Moribunderast]

MEDICAL POLICE just showed up on Netflix with very minimal publicity but I've been keenly anticipating it for the whole week I knew it was coming. A spin-off of Childrens Hospital, created and written by many of the same people behind the original (David Wain and Rob Corddry, for two). I adored Childrens Hospital, even if it maybe got a bit long in the tooth towards the end. I've just watched the first episode of Medical Police and I think the break has done the show some good. I laughed a LOT and it's great seeing those characters and actors again. Not sure how much the regular CH crew will be around as the spin-off element focuses mainly on Rob Heubel and Erinn Hayes' characters but the first episode has some outstanding moments courtesy of Henry Winkler and Malin Akerman. It's so gleefully stupid and when this tone of comedy hits, it's close to my favourite thing.

Very much looking forward to watching more of this. Anybody else keen on it or enjoying (or not enjoying)?

[up_the_hampipe]

Do I need to see Children's Hospital to properly get this then? Or is it fine on its own? I love the people involved in this and the concept amused me, but I don't want to tread through a whole other show to get to this.

[Moribunderast]

Do I need to see Children's Hospital to properly get this then? Or is it fine on its own? I love the people involved in this and the concept amused me, but I don't want to tread through a whole other show to get to this.

I wouldn't think so. Childrens Hospital was very loose on characterisation and non-existent when it came to actual plot - everything is just in service of the next joke. The only confusing aspects to newcomers I could see out of the first episode are wondering why one of the doctors is a clown and why the hospital is in Sao Paulo as those are running jokes but they're not important at all.

I will say, though: Childrens Hospital is a smashing watch. The joke maybe got a bit tired in the final season or two but the early seasons are great and the episodes are only ten minutes long so I'd say maybe give this new one a go and if you really enjoy it, maybe then go back to Childrens Hospital.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I've seen the first episode and liked it a lot, the bigger budget allowed them to do some great physical comedy and as always the dialogue is gloriously silly and very funny. And I'm not sure what the situation is with the Childrens Hospital cast, they're clearly not going to be in it as much but Ken Marino is listed on imdb so clearly we're going to see at least some of them again.

[Obel]

Well stoked for this.

Speaking of Children's Hospital how is it possible to watch that these days?

[remedial_gash]

Really enjoyed the first few scenes with all the old regulars (bar one big absence), even nurse Dory. Then I felt it turned a bit Eagleheart/NTSC:SD:SUV for the last 17 minutes, not that I didn't enjoy those two series, I just wanted more of the older stuff, but it's not CH it's 'Medical Police'. So yeah it was fun, thanks for the heads up.

As for watching old CH now it seems poorly seeded, maybe you tube etc, sorry dunno.

[phantom_power]

It was good and I don't think you necessarily need to have seen Children's Hospital to watch it, but I did think how confused people who hadn't would be by the clown doctor.

Is Lake Bell out of that gang now then?

[Moribunderast]

It was good and I don't think you necessarily need to have seen Children's Hospital to watch it, but I did think how confused people who hadn't would be by the clown doctor.

Is Lake Bell out of that gang now then?

Lake Bell's currently writing and starring in her own (okay, but nothing special) sitcom, Bless This Mess, so she may not have been able to free up the time. She's doing voice-work on the new Harley Quinn cartoon too.

I've watched the 2nd episode of MP and it does seem to now be settling as very much not Childrens Hospital in terms of the setting. That's fine - ep. 2 just felt like they were doing a David Wain-style parody of Homeland. I'm okay with that tone.

[Mister Six]

Oh my god, I am so happy to find out about this.

[Thursday]

The best part of Children's Hospital ended up being the behind the scenes stuff, and all the things that built up the world where Children's Hospital was a TV show, ended up taking it a level beyond just being a funny but throwaway adult swim show.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Lake Bell's currently writing and starring in her own (okay, but nothing special) sitcom, Bless This Mess, so she may not have been able to free up the time. She's doing voice-work on the new Harley Quinn cartoon too.

I've watched the 2nd episode of MP and it does seem to now be settling as very much not Childrens Hospital in terms of the setting. That's fine - ep. 2 just felt like they were doing a David Wain-style parody of Homeland. I'm okay with that tone.

I really liked it too, the black box joke especially made me laugh hard and I could watch a Terry spin-off quite happily.

[kidsick5000]

A lot of Children's is on yt in that reduced screen style.
It's a brilliant show that has that try everything style.
Do seek out the brilliant fan fiction episode. Or the sort of doc My friend Falcon

[Mister Six]

Mrs Six and I burned through the first five episodes - which comprise the first proper story - last night and it was fantastic. She's never seen Childrens Hospital but she was doubled up laughing on three occasions here (the bit after they jump onto the mattress truck, their extended horrified reaction after the gruesome death of a villain, and something from episode five, I forget) and chortling heartily throughout.

Really great to see all these characters back (even if most of the Childrens Hospital cast appear to be supporting players at best) and surprised by how much money was apparently spent on this thing. Really hope it's a success for Netflix.

[Thursday]

Only watched the first episode, enjoyed it although a little concerned over how well this works over 20+ minutes rather than 10... and yeah it's weird seeing the budget behind this thing, just seems strange that this exists. I'm happy with it, but it didn't seem like there was the demand for this kind of thing anymore.

[Mister Six]

I think it holds out surprisingly well over 20-minute episodes - mostly because it is actually plot-focused rather than just spinning out a genre parody. The plot's nonsense, of course, but it's there, which wasn't really the case with CH.

[Small Man Big Horse]

the bit after they jump onto the mattress truck

I'd seen that in the trailer but it still slayed me when I watched it in context, it's a gag I don't think I've ever seen done before and they carried it off beautifully.

Edit: Just watching the fourth episode now and enjoyed the cameo from CaB's own Vinnie01.

[Mister Six]

The trailer murdered a few of the jokes. Especially "What kind of God would make a virus like this? [Beat] Maybe the Jewish one?" Maybe they thought leaving that gag in there would alienate people or something I dunno.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Is Lake Bell out of that gang now then?

I've just watched the fifth episode and pleasingly she has a reasonably decent role in it. I thought the episode was the strongest yet too, the Latvian food sequence, the farting in the silent disco, the card game and Cat's rubbish performance on Break A Leg all made me laugh a great deal.

[kidsick5000]

the bit after they jump onto the mattress truck

Glorious moment. It's sold perfectly. you know it's likely they'll miss but the crunch it brings in is amazing. I watched it a few times - at first just laughing at it then trying to deconstruct why it works so well

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm up to episode 8 right now and enjoying it a huge amount still, the sex scene was almost as funny as the mattress jump (well, not quite, but it still made me laugh a great deal), and the grenade bit was beautiful too. I'm really enjoying seeing Jason Schwartzman play against type for once as well, and doing it so impressively.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

During episode 8, the actress who plays McIntyre (Sarayu Rao) starts to corpse when Rob Huebel begins to tell the story about how he left the police. They promptly cut to a different angle.

And the whole bit with the Guam flashback, the credit card and the Goldfinch's vital organs was fantastic.

I also love how they get sloppier every time they introduce a different country.

[Mobius]

Really enjoyed this. And it's put me back onto old stuff like NTSF:SD:SVU and Burning Love which is fucking hilarious

What other shows are there like this? I've done Bajillion... can't find 'Hot Wives'

[Small Man Big Horse]

Really enjoyed this. And it's put me back onto old stuff like NTSF:SD:SVU and Burning Love which is fucking hilarious

What other shows are there like this? I've done Bajillion... can't find 'Hot Wives'

Rob Heubel's youtube series Do You Want To See A Dead Body? has a similarly daft tone, the first episode is on youtube for free - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j48WOIm_Arc&t=10s - If you like it and want to see more let me know and I'll upload it somewhere.

[Mobius]

Thanks mate, I've seen it as you uploaded it for me a while ago :)

[Small Man Big Horse]

Thanks mate, I've seen it as you uploaded it for me a while ago :)

Ha, jesus my memory is terrible!

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Really enjoyed this. And it's put me back onto old stuff like NTSF:SD:SVU and Burning Love which is fucking hilarious

What other shows are there like this? I've done Bajillion... can't find 'Hot Wives'

I have "Hot Wives".

Try the Wet Hot American Summer mini-series. The two of them were put together by the same creative team as Medical Police.

[up_the_hampipe]

Really enjoyed this. And it's put me back onto old stuff like NTSF:SD:SVU and Burning Love which is fucking hilarious

What other shows are there like this? I've done Bajillion... can't find 'Hot Wives'

Angie Tribeca.

[letsgobrian]

Really enjoyed this. And it's put me back onto old stuff like NTSF:SD:SVU and Burning Love which is fucking hilarious

What other shows are there like this? I've done Bajillion... can't find 'Hot Wives'

Newsreaders and Filthy Preppy Teen$ were the other two shows in the Childrens Hospital/NTSF:SD:SVU universe. I've not seen Filthy Preppy Teen$, but enjoyed both series of Newsreaders.

There was a Adult Swim pilot/short of Michael Showalter's Nils Vildervaan character from Childrens Hospital, now called Giles Vanderhoot.

Similarly there's Swords, Knives, Very Sharp Objects and Cutlery featuring Huebel's Dragon Shumway character from NTSF:SD:SVU.

There's another Adult Swim pilot that Corddry & Stern were involved with called The Hindenburg Explodes! that I've not been able to track down.

Stern and Wain did Wainy Days for MyDamnChannel prior to Childrens Hospital. It now lives on Youtube.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Angie Tribeca.

Yes, this reminded a lot of that and made think I should seek out the second series.

I enjoyed this a great deal. Although it didn't maintain a consistent level of hilarity, the highs were very high indeed. I'm sure the mattress bit has been done before, but the execution here left me breathless.

[Mobius]

Cheers lads I'll see if I can find any of the shows you've mentioned.