Medical Center (TV series)

Last updated
Medical Center
Medical Center logo.jpg
Title sequence
Also known asU.M.C. (pilot only)
Created byAl C. Ward
Frank Glicksman
Starring James Daly
Chad Everett
Audrey Totter
Composer Lalo Schifrin
No. of seasons7
No. of episodes170 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesAlfra Productions
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseSeptember 24, 1969 (1969-09-24) 
March 15, 1976 (1976-03-15)

Medical Center is an American medical drama television series that aired on CBS for seven seasons from September 24, 1969, to March 15, 1976. It was produced by MGM Television.

Contents

Plot

The show starred James Daly as Dr. Paul Lochner and Chad Everett as Dr. Joe Gannon, surgeons working in an otherwise unnamed university hospital in Los Angeles. The show focused both on the lives of the doctors and the patients showcased each week. At the core of the series was the tension between youth and experience, as seen between Drs. Lochner and Gannon. Besides his work as a surgeon, Gannon, because of his age, also worked as the head of the student health department at the university. Helping the doctors was the very efficient Nurse Eve Wilcox, played by Audrey Totter. She started out as a bit role, but was eventually upgraded to co‑star status starting in 1972. Wilcox became a regular after two other similar nurses (Nurse Chambers, played by Jayne Meadows; and Nurse Murphy played by Jane Dulo) had basically served the same functions as Wilcox.

Cast

Production

Pilot

The series' pilot film, U.M.C., was televised on CBS on April 17, 1969, starring Edward G. Robinson as Dr. Lee Forestman and Richard Bradford as Dr. Joe Gannon, with Daly and Totter appearing in the roles they later played in the series; the film also starred Kim Stanley, Maurice Evans, Kevin McCarthy, and Shelley Fabares. In the film, a widow accused Dr. Gannon of allowing her husband to die, so his heart could be implanted into Dr. Forestman, who was a mentor and friend to Dr. Gannon.

The pilot telefilm was released as a part of the Manufacture-on-Demand Warner Archive Collection from Warner Bros. on January 12, 2010, as Operation Heartbeat. Warner Archive titles are available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the United States. [1]

Cancellation

At the time the show was cancelled, it tied with Marcus Welby, M.D. (which also ran from 1969 to 1976) as the longest-running medical drama on television at that point.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Pilot April 17, 1969 (1969-04-17)
1 26September 24, 1969 (1969-09-24)April 15, 1970 (1970-04-15)
2 24September 16, 1970 (1970-09-16)March 10, 1971 (1971-03-10)
3 24September 15, 1971 (1971-09-15)March 8, 1972 (1972-03-08)
4 24September 13, 1972 (1972-09-13)February 28, 1973 (1973-02-28)
5 24September 10, 1973 (1973-09-10)April 15, 1974 (1974-04-15)
6 24September 9, 1974 (1974-09-09)March 24, 1975 (1975-03-24)
7 24September 8, 1975 (1975-09-08)March 15, 1976 (1976-03-15)

Ratings

The show's Nielsen ratings are as follows:

SeasonRanking
1969-70
1970-71#8
1971-72#13
1972-73#21
1973-74#39
1974-75#27
1975-76#35

Home media

Warner Bros. has released the seven seasons on DVD in Region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. These are manufacture-on-demand releases, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

DVD nameEp. #Release date
The Complete First Season26July 12, 2011
The Complete Second Season24September 18, 2012
The Complete Third Season24June 25, 2013
The Complete Fourth Season24March 18, 2014
The Complete Fifth Season24July 15, 2014
The Complete Sixth Season24March 15, 2016
The Complete Seventh Season24July 19, 2016

Related Research Articles

<i>Snorks</i> Animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera

Snorks is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera & SEPP International in collaboration with 3M France and ran for a total of 4 seasons, consisting of a pilot episode and 65 episodes, on NBC from September 15, 1984, to March 15, 1989. The program continued to be available in syndication from 1987 to 1989 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera's third season.

<i>Without a Trace</i> American crime drama series that aired on CBS, 2002–2009

Without a Trace is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of a Missing Persons Unit (MPU) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in New York City. It starred Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Enrique Murciano and Eric Close with Roselyn Sánchez joining the cast in season 4.

<i>Becker</i> (TV series) American sitcom television series

Becker is an American sitcom television series created by Dave Hackel that aired on CBS for six seasons from November 2, 1998, to January 28, 2004, with a total of 129 episodes. Produced by Dave Hackel Productions and Industry Entertainment in association with Paramount Network Television, the show is set in the New York City borough of the Bronx, and starred Ted Danson as the title character, John Becker, a misanthropic doctor who operates a small practice and is constantly annoyed by his patients, co-workers, and friends, and practically everything and everybody else in his world. Despite everything, his patients and friends are loyal because Becker genuinely cares about them.

<i>The Jamie Foxx Show</i> American sitcom

The Jamie Foxx Show is an American television sitcom created by Jamie Foxx and Bentley Kyle Evans for The WB. It premiered on August 28, 1996, and ended on January 14, 2001, with a total of 100 episodes over the course of five seasons.

<i>The Real Ghostbusters</i> American animated television series (1986–1991)

The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series, a spin-off and sequel of the 1984 comedy film Ghostbusters. The series ran on ABC between September 13, 1986 and October 5, 1991, and was a joint production of DIC Enterprises in association with Columbia Pictures Television and distributed by Coca-Cola Telecommunications.

<i>Night Court</i> American television sitcom (1984–1992)

Night Court is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 4, 1984, and ended on May 31, 1992, after nine seasons consisting of 193 episodes. The show is set in the night shift of a Manhattan Criminal Court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone, and was created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, who had previously worked on Barney Miller in the 1970s and early 1980s.

<i>Marcus Welby, M.D.</i> American television series (1969–1976)

Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television series that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to May 4, 1976. It starred Robert Young as the title character, a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, who made house calls and was on a first-name basis with many of his patients; James Brolin as his partner Steven Kiley, a younger doctor; and Elena Verdugo as Consuelo Lopez, Welby and Kiley's dedicated and caring nurse/office manager.

<i>Eight Is Enough</i> American comedy-drama television series (1977–1981)

Eight Is Enough is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC from March 15, 1977, to May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audrey Totter</span> American actress (1917–2013)

Audrey Mary Totter was an American radio, film, and television actress and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s.

<i>Jake and the Fatman</i> American crime drama television series

Jake and the Fatman is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. Created by Dean Hargrove, Joel Steiger and Ann Doherty, the series ran on CBS for five seasons from September 26, 1987, to May 6, 1992.

<i>The Scooby-Doo Show</i> American animated television series

The Scooby-Doo Show is an American animated mystery comedy series. The title of the series is an umbrella term for episodes of the third incarnation of Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo franchise. A total of 40 episodes ran for three seasons, from 1976 to 1978, on ABC, marking the first Scooby Doo series to appear on the channel. Sixteen episodes aired as segments of The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour in 1976, while eight aired as part of Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics in 1977. A final set of sixteen episodes came out in 1978, with eight running individually under the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! name and the remaining eight as segments of Scooby's All-Stars.

<i>Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo</i> (1980 TV series) 1980 American TV series or program

The Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo shorts represents the fifth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise.

<i>The New Adventures of Gilligan</i> 1974 American TV series or program

The New Adventures of Gilligan is an American Saturday morning animated series produced by Filmation, which aired on ABC during the 1974–75 seasons. The show was based on the 1964–67 sitcom Gilligan's Island. A few years later, Filmation produced a sequel, Gilligan's Planet.

<i>The Gene Autry Show</i> 1950 American TV series or program

The Gene Autry Show is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum.

<i>Batman: The Brave and the Bold</i> American animated television series (2008–2011)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more superheroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain. As the title suggests, the series focuses on Batman's regular "team-ups" with various heroes similar to the most well-known version of the original comic book series. This version has a much lighter and simpler, often comic feel, targeting younger viewers more than the character's other series. The series premiered on November 14, 2008, on Cartoon Network in the United States, and ended on November 18, 2011. It also aired in Canada on Teletoon. The series was followed by a comic-book continuation which ended in 2014, and a feature-length crossover film: Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which aired in 2018.

<i>Hawthorne</i> (TV series) American medical drama television series

Hawthorne is an American medical drama television series created by John Masius. It starred Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan and premiered on TNT on June 16, 2009. On September 16, 2010, it was announced that Hawthorne had been renewed for a third season consisting of ten episodes. The season premiered on June 14, 2011, and ended on August 16, 2011.

<i>Looney Tunes Showcase: Volume 1</i> 2012 American film

Looney Tunes Showcase: Volume 1 is a Blu-ray disc released by Warner Home Video on January 10, 2012. It contains 25 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts and numerous supplements. It is a separate release of Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1.

<i>CHiPs</i> American television crime drama series (1977–1983)

CHiPs is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977 to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The series ran for 139 episodes over six seasons, plus one reunion television film in October 1998.

<i>Getting On</i> (American TV series) U.S. TV series

Getting On is an American television comedy series based on the British series of the same name, created and written by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer. The series aired on HBO from November 24, 2013, to December 13, 2015, for three seasons each containing six episodes. The show has garnered positive reviews from critics. It stars Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash, and Mel Rodriguez.

<i>Dr. Kildare</i> (TV series) American medical drama television series (1961–1966)

Dr. Kildare is an NBC medical drama television series which originally ran from September 28, 1961, until August 30, 1966, for a total of 191 episodes over five seasons. Produced by MGM Television, it was based on fictional doctor characters originally created by author Max Brand in the 1930s and previously used by MGM in a popular film series and radio drama. The TV series quickly achieved success and made a star of Richard Chamberlain, who played the title role. Dr. Kildare inspired or influenced many later TV shows dealing with the medical field. Dr. Kildare aired on NBC affiliate stations on Thursday nights at 8:30–9:30 p.m. until September 1965, when the timeslot was changed to Monday and Tuesday nights at 8:30–9:00 p.m. through the end of the show's run.

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-01-16. Retrieved 2010-01-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. By Love old tv shows (2016-05-28). "Medical Center: The Complete First Season". Wbshop.com. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  3. By mpratt. "Medical Center: The Complete Second Season". Wbshop.com. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  4. "Medical Center DVD news: Announcement for Medical Center - The Complete 3rd Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 2013-06-25. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  5. "Medical Center DVD news: Announcement for Medical Center - The Complete 4th Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  6. "Medical Center DVD news: Announcement for Medical Center - The Complete 5th Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  7. "Medical Center DVD news: Announcement for The Complete 6th Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  8. "Medical Center DVD news: Announcement for The Complete 7th Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2017.