The Doctor is a half-hour American medical anthology series that aired Sunday evenings on the NBC television network from August 24, 1952, until June 28, 1953, [1] with a total of 44 episodes. [2]
The format had the viewer seeing patients "through the eyes of a general practitioner who makes house calls". [3] Hosted by Warner Anderson, the program revolved around emotional problems. Actors who appeared included Anne Jackson, Ernest Truex, Mildred Natwick, and Lee Marvin. [4] Beulah Bondi and Charles Bronson guest-starred in the episode "The Guest" (1952). [5] One especially well-received 1953 episode, "Treasure Island" (about "a lonely little boy whose reading inspires fictional heroes, and what happens to him when he is faced with their real-life counterparts"), boasted "excellent acting" by Russell Hardie, John Marley, Peg Hillias, and, as the boy, Joey Fallon. [6]
The Doctor replaced The Red Skelton Show on Sunday nights. Its competition included The Web on CBS. [7] The program was produced on film [8] by Marion Parsonnet. Some of the films were made in Hollywood, and others were made in New York. [9] When it went into syndication, it was re-titled The Visitor. [10] Robert Aldrich directed 17 episodes, three of which he also wrote. [2] Rod Serling wrote two episodes. [10]
Camay soap sponsored the program. [9]