''Nurse Jackie'' is an American medical

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

television series. It premiered on Showtime on June 8, 2009, and its seventh and final season premiered on April 12, 2015. The series finale aired on June 28, 2015. The show stars Edie Falco as the title character, Jackie Peyton, an

emergency department An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pati ...

nurse at All Saints' Hospital in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. For Jackie, "every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses, and her own indiscretions." The show was well-received by critics, winning five

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

out of 24 nominations, including one win for Falco and Merritt Wever each.

Development and production

''Nurse Jackie'' was created by Liz Brixius, Linda Wallem, and Evan Dunsky. Brixius and Wallem served as

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...

s for the first four seasons and shared executive producer duties with Caryn Mandabach and John Melfi. Showtime ordered an initial 12 episodes. Before the premiere, Brixius told the New York '' Daily News'' that "Guys' stories tend to be about conquests—getting the job, winning the Olympics, whatever. Women sstories aren't as immediately climactic so they need to play out over the course of three months ... And every medical show out there has been about doctors. Doctors are absolutely unable to do what they have to do without nurses. We want to tell those stories." The June 8, 2009, series premiere was Showtime's most successful ever, with 1 million viewers for the premiere and over 350,000 for the repeat broadcast. Showtime immediately picked up the series for a second season. Season Three premiered on Showtime on March 28, 2011. On May 23, 2011, Showtime ordered a fourth season. A fifth season was ordered on May 31, 2012, and production began in late 2012. The season 4 finale aired on June 17, 2012. Season 5 premiered on April 14, 2013, with new showrunner and executive producer, Clyde Phillips. On June 6, 2013, Showtime renewed the show for a sixth season, which premiered on April 13, 2014. On March 31, 2014, Showtime renewed ''Nurse Jackie'' for a seventh season, which was announced in September as the show's final season. It premiered April 12, 2015.

Cast and characters

Showtime called Jackie Peyton a "strong-willed, iconoclastic New York City nurse juggling the frenzied grind of an urban hospital and an equally challenging personal life," noting that she had "an occasional weakness for Vicodin,

Percocet Oxycodone/paracetamol, sold under the brand name Percocet among others, is a fixed-dose combination of the opioid oxycodone with paracetamol (acetaminophen), used to treat moderate to severe pain. In 2020, it was the 69th most commonly prescr ...

, and Xanax to get her through the days." The main characters include Dr. Eleanor O'Hara (

Eve Best Emily "Eve" Best (born 31 July 1971) is an English actress and director. She is known for her television roles as Dr. Eleanor O'Hara in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–13), First Lady Dolley Madison in the ''American Experience'' ...

), a British doctor and Jackie's best friend at work; Zoey Barkow ( Merritt Wever), a spunky, inexperienced nursing student from a community college, "the perfect foil for Jackie's sharp angles"; Dr. Fitch Cooper (

Peter Facinelli Peter Facinelli (born November 26, 1973) is an American actor and film and television producer. He starred as Donovan "Van" Ray on the Fox series '' Fastlane'' from 2002 to 2003. He played Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the film adaptations of the ''Tw ...

), "a likable 'golden boy' whose calm façade hides a nervous disposition"; and Eddie Walzer ( Paul Schulze), a pharmacist with whom Jackie is having an affair at the beginning of the series. Other characters include the officious hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus (

Anna Deavere Smith Anna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is known for her roles as National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally in '' The West Wing'' (2000–06), hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus in the Showtime series ''N ...

), Jackie's bar owner husband Kevin ( Dominic Fumusa), their daughters Grace (

Ruby Jerins Ruby Jerins is an American actress best known for playing Grace Peyton for seven seasons in the comedy-drama series ''Nurse Jackie.'' She started out playing guest star parts on NBC’s '' Law & Order: SVU'' and '' Kidnapped,'' and then was a recu ...

) and Fiona (

Daisy Tahan Daisy Tahan (born March 25, 2001) is an American actress best known for her role as Samantha Focker in ''Little Fockers''. Tahan also originated the role of Fiona Peyton in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie''. Daisy, the younger sister of actor ...

in season 1 and

Mackenzie Aladjem Mackenzie Aladjem (born September 11, 2001) is an American former child actress. She co-starred in the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' as the title character's daughter, Fiona Peyton, for which she won a Young Artist Award. She also appeared ...

in seasons 2 through 7), and Thor (

Stephen Wallem Stephen Wallem (born June 14, 1968) is an American stage and television actor. He is best known for his one-man musical revue, "Off the Wallem", as well as numerous theater productions. Wallem is also a playwright, composer, and director. From ...

), Jackie's kindhearted confidant and the real-life brother of show creator/executive producer Linda Wallem.

Main

* Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, RN; a senior ER nurse *

as Eleanor O'Hara, MD; an ER surgeon, later Chief of Emergency Medicine * Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow, RN; an ER nurse, later ER charge-nurse * Haaz Sleiman as Mohammed de la Cruz, RN; an ER nurse * Paul Schulze as Eddie Walzer, PharmD.; the ER pharmacist *

as Fitch "Coop" Cooper, MD; an ER physician * Dominic Fumusa as Kevin Peyton; Jackie's husband *

as Gloria Akalitus, RN; the ER administrator *

as Grace Peyton; Jackie's elder daughter *

(season 1) and

(season 2–7) as Fiona Peyton; Jackie's younger daughter *

Bobby Cannavale Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in '' Third Watch'', '' Vinyl'', and ''Mr. Robot'', as well as recurring roles in '' Will & Grace'', which ...

as Miguel Cruz, MD * Morris Chestnut as Ike Prentiss, MD; a trauma surgeon and the Chief of Emergency Medicine *

as Thor Lundgren, RN; an ER nurse *

Betty Gilpin Elizabeth Folan Gilpin (born July 21, 1986) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan in the Netflix comedy series '' GLOW'' (2017–2019), for which she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

as Carrie Roman, MD; an ER physician *

Adam Ferrara Adam Ferrara is an American actor and comedian known for playing the role of Chief "Needles" Nelson on the FX series '' Rescue Me''. He was a co-host on the U.S. version of ''Top Gear'' and played NYPD Sgt. Frank Verelli opposite Edie Falco on ...

as Frank Verelli; an NYPD Sergeant

Recurring cast

* Rene Ifrah as Officer Ryan (seasons 1–3) * Arjun Gupta as Sam (seasons 1–4) *

Lenny Jacobson Lenny Jacobson (born June 11, 1974) is an American actor best known for his recurring role as Wayne Cobb in the Apple TV+ original science fiction space drama series '' For All Mankind.'' Life and career Born and raised in Holyoke, Massachusetts ...

as Lenny (seasons 1–4) * Michael Buscemi as God (seasons 1–4, 7) * Jaimie Alexander as Tunie Peyton (season 3) * Gbenga Akinnagbe as Kelly Slater (seasons 3–4) * Jake Cannavale as Charlie Cruz (season 4) *

Marcy Harriell Marcy Harriell is an American actress, singer and writer. She is best known for her appearances on Broadway, starring in the Tony Award winning musicals ''In the Heights'' and '' Rent'', and as the host of the fashion series '' Re:Fashion'' on TN ...

as Marta (season 5) * Laura Benanti as Mia Peyton (season 6) * Julie White as Antoinette Mills (season 6) *

Michael Esper Michael James Esper (born December 1, 1975) is an American actor, best known for his stage work. Early life Esper was born in Manhattan and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. He is the son of acting teachers William and Suzanne Esper, of the W ...

as Gabe (season 6–7) * Tony Shalhoub as Bernard Prince, MD (season 7) * Jeremy Shamos as Johanes Karlsen (season 7) * Mark Feuerstein as Barry Wolfe (season 7)

Episodes

Reception

Critical reception

The premiere of ''Nurse Jackie'' was met with generally positive reviews from critics, and received a

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

rating of 76 out of 100. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' gave the first episode a B+, stating "Edie Falco brings a genial forcefulness to Nurse Jackie." ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' magazine called the Showtime series "smart, acrid, alternately sharp and sentimental" and "the best series yet in the cable channel's ongoing meditation on the nature of addiction ... and the setting for a truly breakthrough female character." James Poniewozik from ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

'' magazine ranked ''Nurse Jackies episode "Tiny Bubbles" (106) as 5th on his ''Top 10 Episodes of 2009'' list. '' Variety'' and ''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ( ...

'' struck the primary sour notes, with ''Variety'' noting, "The series increasingly feels like all style and limited substance – a star showcase that's less 'triumphant return' than 'Nice to have you back, but...'" Reviews of subsequent seasons varied. The second season achieved a Metacritic rating of 75 out of 100 from 16 critics, the third season received 79 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, the fourth received 83 out of 100 out of 9 reviews, the fifth season received a 66 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, and the sixth season received a rating of 64 out of 100 based on 4 reviews. The seventh and final season did not receive enough ratings to warrant a score.

Controversy

Soon after ''Nurse Jackie'' premiered, the New York State Nurses Association decried the unethical behavior of the title character, and the detrimental impression regarding nurses that such a portrayal could have on the public, stating, "In the first episode, Nurse Jackie is introduced as a substance abuser who trades sex with a pharmacist for prescription drugs ... She has no qualms about repeatedly violating the nursing Code of Ethics."

Genre

On August 29, 2010, at the

62nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, were held on Sunday, August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT (00:00 UTC; August 30). Com ...

, in her acceptance speech for the

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Falco exclaimed "I'm not funny!" Later, while speaking to the press, she expanded upon her statement and said that she felt her performance was dramatic. Several articles have since been written addressing this question, with some writers even calling for an overhaul of the Emmy categorization process as well as a " Comedy-Drama/Dramedy" category for the awards.

Awards and nominations

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

s * 2015: Nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Edie Falco) * 2014: Nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Edie Falco) * 2011: Nomination for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy * 2011: Nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Edie Falco) * 2010: Nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Edie Falco)

Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

s * 2013: Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series * 2013: Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2012: Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2011: Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2010: Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco)

s * 2015: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2014: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2014: Won for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation – "The Lady With The Lamp" * 2013: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2013: Won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Merritt Wever) * 2013: Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (Bobby Cannavale) – "Walk of Shame" * 2013: Nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series * 2013: Won for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation – "Teachable Moments" * 2012: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2012: Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Merritt Wever) * 2012: Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (Bobby Cannavale) – "Disneyland Sucks" * 2012: Nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series * 2012: Nomination for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation – "Handle Your Scandal" * 2011: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Edie Falco) * 2011: Nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series * 2010: Nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series * 2010: Won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series ( Edie Falco) * 2010: Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series ( Eli Wallach) – "Chicken Soup" * 2010: Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series ( Allen Coulter) – "Pilot" * 2010: Nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series * 2010: Nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series – "Apple Bong" * 2010: Nomination for Outstanding Main Title Design * 2010: Won for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

Broadcast

Home media

Foreign versions

* The Netherlands: Charlie: A Dutch remake of Nurse Jackie began production for Dutch TV Network, Nederland 3. Starring Halina Reijn, Katja Schuurman, and

Benja Bruijning Benja Bruijning (born 28 October 1983) is a Dutch actor. Career Bruijning has played roles in the television series ''Flikken Maastricht'' (2009), '' Kinderen geen bezwaar'' (2010), '' Heer & Meester'' (2014), '' Dokter Deen'' (2012 – 2016) ...

, the show began airing on March 13, 2013.

References

External links

* * List of Nurse Jackie episodes {{DEFAULTSORT:Nurse Jackie 2000s American black comedy television series 2010s American black comedy television series 2000s American comedy-drama television series 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2000s American medical television series 2010s American medical television series 2009 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Showtime (TV network) original programming Television series by CBS Studios Television series by Lionsgate Television Television shows filmed in New York (state) Television shows set in New York City English-language television shows Fictional nurses Fictional painkiller addicts Works about nursing 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series Lesbian-related television shows Television shows about drugs Television series created by Linda Wallem