St. Denis Medical arrived on NBC in the 2024-2025 season as the latest mockumentary series, and the show's quick renewal only days into the 2025 TV schedule proved that the faux-documentary sitcom format popularized by shows like The Office and Modern Family is still a hit with viewers. The renewal news hits even harder in light of the fact that this is one of only two shows that NBC has renewed at the time of writing. So, when I spoke to series regular Kaliko Kauahi, who plays Val, I had to get her thoughts on why so many people still love the format so much.
Kaliko Kauahi came to St. Denis Medical with plenty of sitcom experience already, as a longtime member of the Superstore cast. (You can find Superstore as well as St. Denis Medical streaming with a Peacock subscription now.) After she shared her excitement about her new hospital sitcom's renewal so early in the new year, she explained to CinemaBlend why she thinks mockumentaries still work in primetime:
I think it just gives people a glimpse almost like behind the camera, and I feel like it gives the characters another dimension, because there's who we present as people in the workplace, and then there's who you are when you're alone. And I think even though you're with a camera crew, in essence, you get to see that other part of a person. Maybe a more honest look at what they're thinking and feeling.
While a mockumentary format generally means that a show won't follow characters to their homes or into their personal lives, it does allow for a fun window into their work lives. Characters can present themselves one way while talking to the cameras, and then come across entirely differently in action, and that's certainly true with St. Denis Medical.
Some characters are more performative to the cameras, like Joyce and Dr. Bruce, while Val is one who doesn't seem all that bothered and Alex doesn't let the onlookers stop her from bending the rules if that's what it takes to help patients. When I noted that it can be fun to see which characters are most self-conscious of the mockumentary crew, Kaliko Kauahi responded:
I think that also informs you about their character. Who loves it? I don't think Val cares. She's there to do her job, and they happen to be there. But I also think she's sort of warming to it. I think in the beginning she was like, 'Don't get in my way, and everything will be fine.' But, you know, they're around all the time, and so I think she's starting to soften up a little bit.
Fortunately, fans can enjoy any of Val's softening for the rest of Season 1 without needing to worry about a cancellation. At the time of writing, fellow freshman comedy Happy's Place is the only other NBC show that has been renewed for the 2025-2026 TV schedule. That sitcom, which stars Reba McEntire, already aired its first season finale, while St. Denis Medical still has a few more episodes left before the credits roll on Season 1.
Personally, I'm curious about the future of Night Court at this point. The comedy starring Melissa Rauch and John Larroquette has been paired with St. Denis Medical in the new year, but even the returns of the cursed Wheelers 40 years after their first appearances hasn't resulted in a renewal announcement. For now, we can only wait for news from NBC about the futures of shows other than the two renewed sitcoms.
For more of Val and the rest of the hospital staff, keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. for the remaining episodes of Season 1. You can also stream the series so far via Peacock.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Why Is Lumon Trying To Tamper With Emotions? Severance's Gemma Actress Dichen Lachman Told Me Her A+ Theory About It
After I Rewatched The Original Night Court's First Scenes With The Wheelers, Brent Spiner And Annie O'Donnell Talked Playing The Same Characters 40 Years Later: 'We Live For Shenanigans'
