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Blood Ties (Diagnosis: Murder episode)
Encyclopedia
"Blood Ties" is the 21st episode
of the sixth season of Diagnosis: Murder (1993–2001), an American
medical
/crime-drama, mystery
television series
; the episode originally aired on May 6, 1999.
It was filmed as a pilot episode
for a spin-off
series that would have starred Kathy Evison
and Zoe McLellan
. The series, which would have been called Whistlers, was ultimately not picked up by CBS
, the broadcast
television network
airing the series.
s — the calm and professional Detective Amy Devlin (Evison) and her hotheaded partner, Detective Taylor Lucas (McLellan), a former special agent
for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
— are investigating the murder of local pimp
Milton Wilder and uncover a conspiracy by four corrupt female police officer
s who murder felons
(including Wilder and Laurette Stipe, a bail
-jumping gunrunner biker
Devlin and Taylor were pursuing) to harvest their organs
for the most-seriously-ill patients using the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program
(VICAP) DNA
database of felons and the organ-donor
registry.
and William Rabkin; it was directed by Bruce Seth Green
.
s of the series and would have been the executive producers on the new series as well. They, along with Green, had worked extensively with Evison before on seaQuest DSV
(1993–1996), a science-fiction
television series in the United States
. She also guest-starred as different characters in two earlier episodes of Diagnosis Murder ('Murder by the Busload' and 'Wrong Number') that were written and/or produced Goldberg & Rabkin prior to the nested pilot.
Because Diagnosis: Murder was itself a spin-off of the television series Jake and the Fatman
(1987–1992) which was a spin-off of the television series Matlock
(1986–1995), Fred Silverman
, another executive producer of the series, insisted that every season the series devote one episode to be a nested pilot. This was a practice he had earlier pioneered at CBS where episodes of Barnaby Jones
(1973–1980), Magnum, P.I.
(1980–1988) and others often hosted such pilots.
The two nested-pilot projects during Goldberg's and Rabkin's period with the series were "A Mime Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" (1997), which was an unsold pilot for a spin-off with no name currently known; and a two-part episode "Retribution" (1998), which was for a spin-off called The Chief and would have starred Fred Dryer
.
Previous nested-pilot episodes of the series included "Sister Michael Wants You" (1994), with Delta Burke
as a crime-solving nun
; "How to Murder Your Lawyer" (1995), about crime-solving lawyer
s; and "An Explosive Murder" (1996), starring Tracy Gold as an undercover
police officer.
Regulars
Guests
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
of the sixth season of Diagnosis: Murder (1993–2001), an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
medical
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
/crime-drama, mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
; the episode originally aired on May 6, 1999.
It was filmed as a pilot episode
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series that would have starred Kathy Evison
Kathy Evison
Kathy Evison is an American actress born in Boulder City, Nevada in 1963. She is best known for playing Lonnie Henderson in season 2 and 3 of seaQuest DSV.-Biography:...
and Zoe McLellan
Zoe McLellan
Zoe McLellan is an American actress who is mostly recognized for her roles as Petty Officer Jennifer Coates on JAG and as Lisa George on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money.-Biography:...
. The series, which would have been called Whistlers, was ultimately not picked up by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, the broadcast
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
airing the series.
Plot
Two female vice-unit detectiveDetective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
s — the calm and professional Detective Amy Devlin (Evison) and her hotheaded partner, Detective Taylor Lucas (McLellan), a former special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
— are investigating the murder of local pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
Milton Wilder and uncover a conspiracy by four corrupt female police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s who murder felons
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
(including Wilder and Laurette Stipe, a bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
-jumping gunrunner biker
Motorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
Devlin and Taylor were pursuing) to harvest their organs
Organ harvesting
Organ harvesting refers to the removal, preservation and use of human organs and tissue from the bodies of the recently deceased to be used in surgical transplants on the living...
for the most-seriously-ill patients using the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program
Violent Criminal Apprehension Program
The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program is a unit of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation responsible for the analysis of serial violent and sexual crimes, organizationally situated within the Critical Incident Response Group's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
(VICAP) DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
database of felons and the organ-donor
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
registry.
Production
The episode was written by Lee GoldbergLee Goldberg
Lee Goldberg is an American author, screenwriter and producer, known for his work on several different TV crime series, including Diagnosis: Murder, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Hunter, Spenser: For Hire, Martial Law, She-Wolf of London, SeaQuest, 1-800-Missing, The Glades and Monk...
and William Rabkin; it was directed by Bruce Seth Green
Bruce Seth Green
Bruce Seth Green is an American television director.His credits include Knight Rider, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Babylon 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Angel, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, Law & Order, Diagnosis Murder, Baywatch and other series.His last directorial credit...
.
Pilot
Goldberg and Rabkin were also the executive producerExecutive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s of the series and would have been the executive producers on the new series as well. They, along with Green, had worked extensively with Evison before on seaQuest DSV
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...
(1993–1996), a science-fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She also guest-starred as different characters in two earlier episodes of Diagnosis Murder ('Murder by the Busload' and 'Wrong Number') that were written and/or produced Goldberg & Rabkin prior to the nested pilot.
Because Diagnosis: Murder was itself a spin-off of the television series Jake and the Fatman
Jake and the Fatman
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series...
(1987–1992) which was a spin-off of the television series Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
(1986–1995), Fred Silverman
Fred Silverman
Fred Silverman is an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at the CBS, ABC and NBC networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as the series Scooby-Doo , All in the Family , The Waltons , and Charlie's Angels , as well as the...
, another executive producer of the series, insisted that every season the series devote one episode to be a nested pilot. This was a practice he had earlier pioneered at CBS where episodes of Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
(1973–1980), Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
(1980–1988) and others often hosted such pilots.
The two nested-pilot projects during Goldberg's and Rabkin's period with the series were "A Mime Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" (1997), which was an unsold pilot for a spin-off with no name currently known; and a two-part episode "Retribution" (1998), which was for a spin-off called The Chief and would have starred Fred Dryer
Fred Dryer
John Frederick "Fred" Dryer is an American actor and former football defensive end in the National Football League . Dryer played 13 years in the NFL, playing 176 games, starting 166, and recording 104 career sacks with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams...
.
Previous nested-pilot episodes of the series included "Sister Michael Wants You" (1994), with Delta Burke
Delta Burke
Delta Ramona Leah Burke is an American television and film actress. Her television work includes a leading role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
as a crime-solving nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
; "How to Murder Your Lawyer" (1995), about crime-solving lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s; and "An Explosive Murder" (1996), starring Tracy Gold as an undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
police officer.
Cast
- Dick Van DykeDick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
as Dr. Mark Sloan - Victoria RowellVictoria RowellVictoria "Vicki" Lynn Rowell is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for her portrayal of ballerina-turned-model Drucilla Winters on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless, and medical examiner/pathologist Dr. Amanda Bentley on the CBS drama Diagnosis: Murder...
as Dr. Amanda Bentley
- Charlie SchlatterCharlie SchlatterCharles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter is an American actor. He has starred in numerous TV series and films, and is well-known for his role in the series Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Jesse Travis with Dick Van Dyke, and for his role in the film 18 Again! with George Burns...
as Dr. Jesse Travis - Barry Van DykeBarry Van DykeBarry Van Dyke is an American actor and the second son of actor and entertainer, Dick Van Dyke, and nephew of Jerry Van Dyke. He has one older brother, Christian, and two younger sisters, Stacy and Carrie Beth...
as Lieutenant Steve Sloan
Guests
- Kathy EvisonKathy EvisonKathy Evison is an American actress born in Boulder City, Nevada in 1963. She is best known for playing Lonnie Henderson in season 2 and 3 of seaQuest DSV.-Biography:...
as Detective Amy Devlin - John David Heffron as E.R. Doctor
- Michelle LintelMichelle LintelMichelle Lintel is an American actress best known for playing the lead role in the television series Black Scorpion. She has studied martial arts. She is a former Miss Kansas and a two-time Bronze medal-winner in the Junior Olympics.-Filmography:...
as Officer Lipton - Shannon MarketicShannon MarketicShannon LaRhea Marketic , is a former beauty queen from Phoenix, Arizona who became Miss USA 1992.-Early life:Marketic was crowned Miss Arizona Teen USA 1989 but held the title for only a week and a half after it was discovered an error had been made and she had actually placed first...
as Officer Jackie Cole - Kelli McCartyKelli McCartyKelli McCarty is an American model, actress and adult film performer who was crowned Miss USA in 1991.-Career:McCarty won the Miss USA beauty contest in 1991, competing as Miss Kansas USA...
as Officer Washington - Zoe McLellanZoe McLellanZoe McLellan is an American actress who is mostly recognized for her roles as Petty Officer Jennifer Coates on JAG and as Lisa George on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money.-Biography:...
as Detective Taylor Lucas
- Kevin McNallyKevin McNallyKevin McNally is an English actor who has worked in theatre and radio extensively as well as in film and television.-Life and career:...
as Paramedic - David PackerDavid PackerDavid Packer is an American actor. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey.His first starring role was as the human traitor Daniel Bernstein in the 1983 NBC miniseries V. He reprised the role in the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle....
as E.R. Shooter - Brandi SherwoodBrandi SherwoodBrandi Sherwood is an American model and pageant winner. She was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She was Miss USA 1997 and Miss Teen USA 1989 and was a frequent rotating Barker's Beauty model on the US daytime television game show The Price Is Right from 2002-2009.-Pageant history:In 1997, she won...
as Officer Andrews - Richard Tanner as Milton Wilder
- Lynn Wanlass as Dirty Doctor
- Spice WilliamsSpice Williams-CrosbySpice Williams-Crosby is an American actress and stunt performer, with a career in film and television which spans over twenty years...
as Laurette Stipe
See also
- Diagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
- List of Diagnosis: Murder episodes
- 1999 in television1999 in televisionThe year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
External links
- diagnosismurder.col.uk, Diagnosis: Murder fansiteFansiteA fansite, fan site, or fanpage is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee interested in a celebrity, thing, or a particular cultural phenomenon...
- Diagnosis: Murder — "Blood Ties" (episode script — in PDF formatPortable Document FormatPortable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
(652 KBKilobyteThe kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
; Adobe ReaderAdobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat is a family of application software developed by Adobe Systems to view, create, manipulate, print and manage files in Portable Document Format . All members of the family, except Adobe Reader , are commercial software, while the latter is available as freeware and can be downloaded...
required). diagnosis-murder.com (operated by Lee GoldbergLee GoldbergLee Goldberg is an American author, screenwriter and producer, known for his work on several different TV crime series, including Diagnosis: Murder, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Hunter, Spenser: For Hire, Martial Law, She-Wolf of London, SeaQuest, 1-800-Missing, The Glades and Monk...
). Accessed February 8, 2010.DatabaseDatabaseA database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
(uploaded October 5, 2006) "Whistlers Main Title" (opening credits). brettmaverick2004 on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Accessed February 8, 2010.