Eight TV Shows that Put Bioethics on the Small Screen

From binge-worthy medical procedurals to speculative science fiction, there are countless TV shows that deal with bioethics themes. Onscreen storylines about artificial intelligence (AI), mental health, and medical decision-making mirror real-world challenges and invite viewers to ask questions like: What’s right, what’s fair, and who decides? Below, we share some TV series from recent years—by no means a comprehensive list—that put bioethics front and center on the small screen. (Beware of potential plot spoilers!)

The Pitt (2025-Present): The Pitt brings back Noah Wyle from his ER days into a modern-day medical procedural that takes place at a Pittsburgh-based hospital emergency room. The hit first season—praised for its realistic portrayal of the medical profession—follows Wyle’s Dr. Robby character and his colleagues during a harrowing, hour-by-hour shift as they deal with issues like end-of-life decision-making and care, addiction, hospital resource allocation, and burnout among hospital staff.

The Last of Us (2023-Present): The Last of Us asks if one life is worth more or less than the well-being of an entire population. When it’s discovered that Bella Ramsey’s Ellie character is immune to an ongoing zombie apocalypse and could potentially be sacrificed to create a vaccine, Pedro Pascal’s Joel is confronted with whether he must give up someone he loves for the good of the world. 

Severance (2022-Present): When a new brain-implantation technology offers employees at Lumon—a dubious company with an opaque work product—the opportunity to completely divide their work selves (“innies”) from their personal lives at home (“outies”), it raises questions about the use of medical technology for nonmedical purposes and whose needs, wants, and desires should be considered to have more value. 

Maniac (2018): The Netflix miniseries follows Emma Stone and Jonah Hill’s characters as they embark on a risky, mind-bending pharmaceutical trial for a miracle drug that can supposedly cure their respective mental health conditions. Along the way, Maniac poses questions about drug trials, research involving human subjects, and therapeutic approaches to mental health care. 

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2025): The TV series based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name explores the book’s central idea of state-sanctioned control of fertility and reproductive and bodily autonomy. It takes place in Gilead, where a select group of fertile women—dubbed Handmaids—are forced to bear children for the dystopian world’s ruling-class families. 

Westworld (2016-2022): In a future not all that far off, guests can visit alternate reality theme parks—including the Wild West-inspired Westworld—and engage in elaborate narratives with human-like robots called Hosts. As the Hosts develop sentience, the series draws questions of bioengineering, AI, and who experiences pain and suffering. 

Black Mirror (2011-Present): Black Mirror is an anthology series that examines technology’s potential—for both good and bad. Bioethics issues don’t surface in every episode, but over the course of the show’s more than decade-long run, it’s explored how medical technology could be deployed to keep loved ones alive; the use of AI; personal information, data, and surveillance; and for-profit medical technology. 

Grey’s Anatomy (2005-Present): On air for 20 years, Grey’s Anatomy is one of our most enduring medical dramas. Of course, there are the hospital staff’s ever-present interpersonal affairs, but each episode also deals with medical dilemmas that naturally raise bioethics questions about issues like research ethics, organ donation and transplantation, access to and equity of health care, and end-of-life decision-making. 

Did one of your favorite TV shows not make our list? Visit our LinkedIn post and share it with us in the comments! And if you’re looking for bioethics on the big screen, too, check out our blog about bioethics in film.