In a move that has sent shockwaves through the television industry, NBC has officially announced the second phase of its 2026 expansion plan with the greenlighting of a standalone prequel series titled Med Origins. Following hot on the heels of the Voight prequel announcement, this new drama will transport audiences back to the late 1970s and early 80s, documenting the transformation of a struggling municipal clinic into the high-tech powerhouse known today as Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. The series promises to be a gritty, era-specific look at the “Darkest Hours” of Chicago’s medical history, focusing on the pioneers who practiced medicine before the era of modern ethics and advanced technology.
Unlike the polished corridors of the current Chicago Med, the world of Med Origins is one of flickering fluorescent lights, radical medical experimentation, and a city gripped by a brutal public health crisis. The show will center on a young, ambitious hospital board and a group of maverick surgeons who were willing to break every rule in the book to save lives in a city that was rapidly changing. Fans can expect to see the origins of the hospital’s most sacred traditions, as well as the dark secrets that have been buried under the foundations of the current Emergency Department for decades. The series aims to bridge the gap between the old-school “cowboy” medicine of the past and the sophisticated, protocol-driven world of the present day.
One of the most exciting aspects of the 2026 announcement is the confirmation that Med Origins will explore the backstory of several legendary figures who have been mentioned in passing throughout the main series. While casting is still under wraps, insiders suggest the show will feature a young, fiercely idealistic Sharon Goodwin as she begins her career as a nurse, fighting against the systemic corruption and gender biases of the 1980s medical establishment. We will also witness the rise of a younger Dr. Daniel Charles, exploring his early days in psychiatry when the field was still struggling to find its footing within the chaotic environment of a trauma center. This deep dive into the characters’ pasts will provide a haunting and beautiful context for the veterans we have grown to love over the last eleven seasons.
The visual style of the prequel is set to be a major departure for the franchise, opting for a grainy, cinematic aesthetic that reflects the era. The production team at Cinespace is reportedly rebuilding an entire wing of the hospital to match the architectural style of the 1970s, complete with outdated machinery and an atmosphere of constant, low-level urgency. The series will also tackle major historical events that shaped the city, from the blizzard of 1979 to the rise of groundbreaking medical procedures like the first successful organ transplants in the Midwest. This historical grounding allows the show to function not just as a medical drama, but as a historical chronicle of Chicago itself.
The 2026 schedule for Med Origins is strategically designed to air during the winter hiatus of the flagship One Chicago shows, creating a year-round narrative flow for the “Chi-Hard” audience. This “Marvel-level” approach to world-building ensures that the lore of Gaffney is deeper than ever before. Producers have also hinted at “Legacy Crossovers,” where modern-day episodes of Chicago Med will feature cold-case medical mysteries that were first introduced in the prequel, forcing the current team to solve puzzles that were left unfinished by their predecessors thirty years ago.
As NBC prepares to launch this new chapter, the message is clear: the story of Chicago Med didn’t start in 2015. It started in the blood and grit of a city that refused to stop fighting. Med Origins isn’t just about the doctors; it is about the soul of a building and the untold sacrifices made by those who built it from the ground up. As the first trailers prepare to drop in the spring of 2026, viewers are invited to see Gaffney as they have never seen it before—unpolished, dangerous, and profoundly human.
