American Western dramas weren't prevalent in the 1990s, but Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman changed that narrative slightly. The show starred Jane Seymour as Dr. Michaela Quinn, a physician who left Boston searching for an Old West adventure. The character settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but relocating to the West isn't an escape from drama.

"When I read a script, I want to feel that I've experienced something of substance, something important," Seymour told The Ferdinand News during an interview in 1996. "And if it gets made into a film, I want to believe the audience will react the same way. I don't want to do something that seems to be entertaining but actually says nothing. Whether it's a drama or comedy, a film or a series, it should matter."

Seymour's character seemed to imitate her real-life experience during one season of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Her character gave birth to her first baby, while Seymour gave birth to her first set of twins.

"My first set?" the actress exclaimed when the interviewer sounded as if she would have more. "Why, do you think I'll have more? But seriously, I'm so happy with these babies and so are our older children. They've brought so much joy into our lives. I feel very fortunate."

Dr. Quinn's success was exhilarating for Seymour, and she believed that it had a certain quality of substance that made it a superb drama.

"We feel we've been able to give you the sense that you're in that period," she added. "It's history experienced in dramatic form. You see what the people wore; the homes they lived in; what they were like; what their lives were like. You experience the emotional impact of [it.]

Viewers, indeed, did feel the emotional impact of the series and the plots of its episodes. Many young girls saw Dr. Quinn as a role model; they saw her as "courageous and compassionate."