Gute Ärzte, gute Quoten – die Genese des deutschen Film- und Fernseharztes

Physicians in Germany criticize an unrealistic representation of their profession in German TV-series. To them, they screen an ideal world-image of the doctor that does not represent the medical know-how and progress made in Germany. But this screen-image actually stems from a long narrative tradition that in the beginning was created by the physicians themselves. This paper explores where the critizised image initially came from, tracking it from the early German talkies to the TV series still produced today by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF. Going beyond a mere history of narrative patterns, it points out the consequences of media-shifts and narrative strategies that aim at increased viewer ratings. By tracing the topic over a long period of time, long-lasting trends can be identified regarding the viewers’ needs and wishes.