The Drifter
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Messages
- 1,051
- Real Name
- Jim
When St. Elsewhere was on back in the '80's, I was a kid/teen & just wasn't into watching this hospital drama - even though I knew it was critically acclaimed. However, as time has gone by I've gotten more interested in seeing shows that I missed the first time around.
So, I finally saw S01 recently, on the old DVD set. Incredible series! I really enjoyed the both dramatic & sometimes comedic story-lines, and the cast was top-notch. This is definitely one of the best TV shows I've ever seen, and that's just based on this first season.
I liked the fact that St. Eligius is located in a run-down section of Boston & was considered less prestigious than other hospitals in the area. This was referenced several times in the season, and IMHO made the setting more interesting than it may have been otherwise.
Again, excellent ensemble cast, which included: David Morse; William Daniels; Denzel Washington (in his first?! role); Ed Begley Jr.; Terence Knox (Tour of Duty; an episode of Midnight Caller); Barbara Whinnery; Howie Mandel; Christina Pickles, etc.
Some (though definitely not all) of the most notable storylines from S01 include:
A scum-bag domestic terrorist sets off a device in a bank, and kills 2-3 innocent people. He ends up in St. Eligius due to being slightly injured in the blast so he can be treated - before being sent to prison & trial. This terrorist is from a wealthy family & is an entitled piece of garbage - who has no regrets about what he did. The culmination of this story-line is somewhat predictable, but satisfying. The terrorist is played by a young Tim Robbins, in his first notable (and possibly best) role.
The officious, condescending, and unlikable Dr. Mark Craig (William Daniels) is desperately trying to sell his old car, and keeps getting notes/messages from someone at the hospital who seemingly wants to buy this - but he is always one step behind the person & can't connect with them.
The doctors save the life of a young man who is brought into the hospital after being assaulted/shot. When he regains consciousness, he doesn't remember anything about his past life. This amnesiac is played by Tom Hulce, who is best known for his role as Mozart in the iconic film Amadeus (1984).
A middle-aged man is brought into the hospital with numerous past injuries & unusual, unexplained possible illnesses. The doctors run a lot of tests trying to figure out what's wrong with him.
Obviously, later medical dramas like ER owe a lot to St. Elsewhere.
It's unfortunate that only S01 is available on Region 1 DVD, from the 200X's. The PQ is overall very good, but the terrible flipper-disk format is sub-par. However, I'm not at all surprised that none of the other seasons were released to DVD. This is par for the course with a lot of older TV shows. I.e., they released the first season & then sales may have been poor, so the releases stalled right there. I would definitely be interested in a boxed set of the entire series, even if it's just on DVD. Sure - I know the whole?! series is available via streaming, but it's not the same.
So, I finally saw S01 recently, on the old DVD set. Incredible series! I really enjoyed the both dramatic & sometimes comedic story-lines, and the cast was top-notch. This is definitely one of the best TV shows I've ever seen, and that's just based on this first season.
I liked the fact that St. Eligius is located in a run-down section of Boston & was considered less prestigious than other hospitals in the area. This was referenced several times in the season, and IMHO made the setting more interesting than it may have been otherwise.
Again, excellent ensemble cast, which included: David Morse; William Daniels; Denzel Washington (in his first?! role); Ed Begley Jr.; Terence Knox (Tour of Duty; an episode of Midnight Caller); Barbara Whinnery; Howie Mandel; Christina Pickles, etc.
Some (though definitely not all) of the most notable storylines from S01 include:
A scum-bag domestic terrorist sets off a device in a bank, and kills 2-3 innocent people. He ends up in St. Eligius due to being slightly injured in the blast so he can be treated - before being sent to prison & trial. This terrorist is from a wealthy family & is an entitled piece of garbage - who has no regrets about what he did. The culmination of this story-line is somewhat predictable, but satisfying. The terrorist is played by a young Tim Robbins, in his first notable (and possibly best) role.
The officious, condescending, and unlikable Dr. Mark Craig (William Daniels) is desperately trying to sell his old car, and keeps getting notes/messages from someone at the hospital who seemingly wants to buy this - but he is always one step behind the person & can't connect with them.
As it turns out, the whole thing was a prank on the part of another doctor, who felt that Craig deserved it due to his being such an a-hole. Hilarious!
The doctors save the life of a young man who is brought into the hospital after being assaulted/shot. When he regains consciousness, he doesn't remember anything about his past life. This amnesiac is played by Tom Hulce, who is best known for his role as Mozart in the iconic film Amadeus (1984).
A middle-aged man is brought into the hospital with numerous past injuries & unusual, unexplained possible illnesses. The doctors run a lot of tests trying to figure out what's wrong with him.
He eventually goes to surgery, and dies on the operating table. As it turned out, he had Munchausen syndrome; the injuries/fake illnesses were self-inflicted. Bizarre, and based on factual cases.
Obviously, later medical dramas like ER owe a lot to St. Elsewhere.
It's unfortunate that only S01 is available on Region 1 DVD, from the 200X's. The PQ is overall very good, but the terrible flipper-disk format is sub-par. However, I'm not at all surprised that none of the other seasons were released to DVD. This is par for the course with a lot of older TV shows. I.e., they released the first season & then sales may have been poor, so the releases stalled right there. I would definitely be interested in a boxed set of the entire series, even if it's just on DVD. Sure - I know the whole?! series is available via streaming, but it's not the same.
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