Despite people claiming it is only a British knock off of the US series, "House" (the creator admits he was inspired by the series, so there is no skullduggery), I am a big fan, and wish they had made more.It is only like "House",in that it is a hospital drama.Nesbitt plays Monroe, and unlike "House", he is not a neurotic and not addicted to pain killers.He is a delightful fellow, with the same problems as anyone else, and has a fun pleasant sense of humor, not acerbic and ogomaniacal like "House".I loved "House", don't get me wrong, and as an American I might be expected to be the first to cry "foul".But I don't, because "Monroe" is original, funny, and Nesbitt makes it a joy to watch.

Very engaging medical series. The cast plays an assortment of characters destinctive and interesting. The drama of the serious medical issues is reflected by patients and surgeons as they have to deal with their role in each crisis. The personal lives of the doctors and staff fill in the drama outside of the operating rooms. Good acting and writing have so far prevailed. Hope there is more than one season.

Having watched the first few episodes of Monroe I am surprised by reviews comparing it to House. Sure, Monroe is a hospital drama centred on a brilliant surgeon with a challenging personality. But hospital dramas about so so surgeons with boring personalities tend not to rate.Monroe is well scripted, the story lines are compelling and much more credible than House's fantasy plots. It is well acted, has very high production values and is backed by a great music score. All in all it is great entertainment - exactly what I want from a TV series. To base a negative review of one show on a supposed, tenuous association with a completely different show instead of on its merits is puerile.

We've had maverick cops,maverick lawyers,a maverick judge,maverick bus crews,maverick politicians,maverick sailors from old King George's golden days and now ITV has produced for our delectation a maverick brain surgeon played with lip - smacking relish by Mr James Nesbitt,a man who has never knowingly underacted,and he doesn't let us down in "Monroe",which may not be subtle,but by golly it is compelling viewing. You may,if you wish,merely sit back and count the clichés,but if you simply let it wash over you and enjoy Mr Nesbitt's mesmerising display of eye - narrowing,facial tics,brief grins and outright double takes,"Monroe"is hugely enjoyable. Set in a good,old - fashioned Edwardian English hospital with absolutely no frills it lacks the anaesthetised,antiseptic aura American hospital soaps - however better - made - all seem to possess. We are deep in NHS country here,no gently swishing doors and dulcet bells,these doctors,nurses and patients are all involved together in a struggle to make things work at all,let alone quietly and discreetly. Within these parameters Monroe grapples with his perhaps over - familiar demons (dead teenage daughter,failing marriage,stroppy student son)whilst mentoring budding surgeons and struggling with inter - departmental politics. The stuff,then,of every medical soap on British TV since "Emergency Ward Ten". But "Monroe" actually benefits from Mr Nesbitt's larger than life performance which makes him the focus of all eyes whenever he's on screen,as it does from Miss Sarah Parish's rather less showy turn in the battle of the egoes as a cardiac surgeon with a dysfunctional home life - his mirror - image of course but he's too full of male arrogance to see it. It's pedigree may be plainly discerned,but that does not make "Monroe" a bad show by any means. It kept me out of the pub every Thursday night for it's whole run and if a second series is commissioned I'm sure that will do the same trick.