The new comedy from Eric Ledgin and Justin Spitzer, St. John’s Medical Clinic, premiered Tuesday, November 12 on NBC. The pair are no strangers to workplace sitcoms, having previously collaborated on Superstorewhich ran from 2015 to 2021. Spitzer served as showrunner for the America Ferrera-led series, while Ledgin served as writer and co-executive producer. St. John’s Medical ClinicMeanwhile, there follows a team of doctors and nurses who do their best to prioritize patients, despite the challenges of working in an underfunded hospital.
While the nature of hospital work is drastically different from the hardships of retail at Cloud 9, the chaotic environment easily appeals to fans of Spitzer’s past shows. St. John’s Medical Clinic features a handful of alumni, but Mekki Leeper’s “fish out of water” character, Matt, offers a sense of nostalgia for the similarities it shares with Superstore Jonas Simms. When speaking with TelaRantLedgin addressed whether Matt was inspired by the beloved Cloud 9 employee. Check out what he had to say below:
ScreenRant: The moment Matt appeared as a “fish out of water” character on his first day, I was wondering if he was inspired by Jonah Simms.
Eric Ledgin: That’s really funny. He’s such a different character in terms of background. I loved writing for Jonah because there was a part of me that felt very similar to Jonah, in terms of trying to curate the perfect sandwich or something, but Matt, and specifically Mekki Leeper, brought something that was so wide-eyed, and So, “I just want to be a part of this!”
He’s a striver in a way that I really enjoy writing. I think the biggest thing they have in common is that they are fish out of water. They are starting from scratch in an environment they don’t fully adapt to. But I think this is also often a good way to give viewers a window into a new workplace. Ask someone who is also there for the first time so you can see through their eyes.
What Jonah from Superstore and Matt from St. Denis Meidcal have in common
Both characters bring an upbeat energy to Spitzer’s workplace comedies.
St. John’s Medical Clinic and Superstore start during Matt and Jonah’s first day on the job. Characters aren’t sure how they should contribute and make a lot of mistakes. While Jonah accidentally changes the store’s prices to twenty-five cents, Matt uses an EpiPen on himself instead of his patient. However, despite having a terrible initial change, the characters end the night on a positive note. Jonah is immediately smitten with Amy, even decorating Cloud 9’s ceiling with glow-in-the-dark stars to give the supervisor a “moment of beauty.”
Although there are no grand romantic gestures in St. John’s Medical Clinic pilotA brief conversation with Serena lifts Matt’s spirits, and he admits to the camera crew that he has met the girl of his dreams. In addition to falling in love with your co-workers, Matt and Jonah bring similar energies and mannerisms to their respective series. Both have an innate desire to be part of the team and their optimism can be felt on the TV screen.
Matt still has many unique features at St. Denis Medical
His background and work ethic are different from Jonah’s.
As Ledgin states, Matt and Jonah come from very different backgrounds. Jonah impulsively decides to work at Cloud 9 after failing business school, while Matt spends years training to be a nurse. Although many of Matt’s values remain unknown, it’s possible he and Jonah disagree on a number of topics. Matt was raised in an extremely religious community, which is one of the reasons he never considered options like organ donation. Additionally, neither of the characters’ parents approve of their jobs, but while Jonah spends years keeping his whereabouts a secret, Matt is honest about his aspirations.