Naman Shrestha
From the creative minds of Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, ‘St. Denis Medical’ is a mockumentary-style medical sitcom that revolves around the overworked employees of an underfunded and understaffed titular hospital. Recently promoted to Supervising Nurse in the emergency department at St. Denis Medical Center, Alex is accompanied by varying personalities of doctors, nurses, and other staff members. On one hand, there is Alex’s boss, Joyce, who aspires to take the hospital to newer heights.
On the other hand, there are other medical professionals who not only work on treating the patients but also try not to lose their patience and maintain their own sanity amidst the chaos. Featuring compelling and hilarious performances from a talented ensemble cast comprising Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Mekki Leeper, Kaliko Kauahi, and Kahyun Kim, the comedy series is set at a fictional hospital in a fictional small town in Oregon, raising questions about the actual filming sites of the show.
St. Denis Medical Filming Locations
‘St. Denis Medical’ is filmed entirely in California, particularly in several locations in Los Angeles County. As per reports, the pilot of the show was taped shortly before the commencement of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Although the show was officially ordered in the summer of 2023, the principal photography for the inaugural iteration seemingly got underway in March 2024. One of the showrunners, Eric Ledgin, revealed why they chose to set the story in Oregon.
During the 2024 Television Critics Association summer press tour, he explained, “Oregon was chosen for a couple reasons. One is, I just feel like it’s a very underrepresented state. It’s a great and beautiful state that you don’t hear a lot about.” After about six months, the shooting of season 1 got wrapped up in September of the same year. Marking the day of the wrap-up, Allison Tolman, who portrays Alex, posted on social media, writing, “I’m so grateful for this show and the hundreds of people who made it, most – but not all – of whom are pictured here. So much hard work has gone into a show that we’re all really excited about and proud of.”
Los Angeles County, California
For the purpose of shooting ‘St. Denis Medical,’ the production team sets up camp in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County in Garden State. The filming is specifically carried out at the Universal Studios Lot at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City. Since the sitcom is almost entirely set inside and around the fictional St. Denis Medical Center, it makes sense as to why the production facility has been chosen as the filming site. Thus, all the drama that takes place between Alex and the eccentric team of professionals in the medical center is mostly captured within the walls of one of the soundstages of the complex. Just like the fun-filled adventures of the characters in the workplace comedy, the actors portraying them have a lot of fun bringing the show to life.
During the filming of the first installment of the mockumentary, the cast and crew members gathered up to throw David Alan Grier, who essays the role of Ron, a surprise birthday party. The actor shared a snippet from his 68th celebration, making a lighthearted quip about how he had just turned 49 and expressing his gratitude to his team for wishing him “a day late, though.” The humorous and fun-filled party is a reflection of the usual mood on set, as the hardworking team of talented professionals come together to successfully translate the script to the screen. It is a widely-known fact that apart from ‘St. Denis Medical,’ the Universal Studio Lot has provided its services to numerous movies, television shows, commercials, music videos, and more over the decades. Some of the popular titles that were filmed on the grounds of the production complex are ‘Tropic Thunder,’ ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall,’ ‘House,’ and ‘Monk.’
Read More: St. Denis Medical: Is the NBC Show Based on a True Story?
