Medic (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Medic is an American
medical drama
that aired on NBC
beginning in 1954. Medic was television's first doctor drama to focus attention on medical procedures, establishing the style for later medical series.
Created by its principal writer James E. Moser, Medic attempted realism and detailed medical accuracy in a way its predecessors The Doctor
and City Hospital
had not but which would typify medical shows from then on. Moser had previously written for the radio shows Dragnet
and Dr. Kildare
. He went on to write the television series Ben Casey
.
, playing Dr. Konrad Styner who sometimes also appeared in the stories. A total of 59 were aired from September 1954 to November 1956.
The series was introduced each week by theme music written by Victor Young
. Eventually, with lyrics added by Edward Heyman
, the song became popular under the title "Blue Star
."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
medical drama
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...
that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
beginning in 1954. Medic was television's first doctor drama to focus attention on medical procedures, establishing the style for later medical series.
Created by its principal writer James E. Moser, Medic attempted realism and detailed medical accuracy in a way its predecessors The Doctor
The Doctor (1952 TV series)
The Doctor is a half-hour medical anthology series that aired Sunday evenings on the NBC television network from 1952-1953. Hosted by Warner Anderson, the program revolved around emotional problems stemming from medical cases rather than the medical case itself. The show is notable for having Rod...
and City Hospital
City Hospital
City Hospital was a medical drama series that aired on the CBS television network Tuesday nights from 1951 through 1953. The show starred Anne Burr as Dr. Kate Morrow and Mel Ruick as Dr. Barton Crane....
had not but which would typify medical shows from then on. Moser had previously written for the radio shows Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
and Dr. Kildare
Dr. Kildare
Dr. James Kildare is a fictional character, the primary character in a series of American theatrical films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, an early 1950s radio series, a 1960s television series of the same name and a comic book based on the TV show, and a short-lived 1970s television series...
. He went on to write the television series Ben Casey
Ben Casey
Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
.
Synopsis
Medic episodes were introduced and narrated by Richard BooneRichard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
, playing Dr. Konrad Styner who sometimes also appeared in the stories. A total of 59 were aired from September 1954 to November 1956.
The series was introduced each week by theme music written by Victor Young
Victor Young
Victor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:...
. Eventually, with lyrics added by Edward Heyman
Edward Heyman
Edward Heyman was an American musician and lyricist, best known for his compositions "Body and Soul", "When I Fall in Love", and "For Sentimental Reasons". He also contributed many songs for films.-Biography:...
, the song became popular under the title "Blue Star
Blue Star (song)
"Blue Star" is a popular song.The theme music of the television series, Medic, was written by Victor Young and copyright on February 17, 1955 under the title "The Medic Theme." A set of lyrics were written by Edward Heyman and with those lyrics and under the new title "Blue Star," a new copyright...
."
Guest stars
Notable guest stars included:- Claude AkinsClaude AkinsClaude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
- Charles BronsonCharles BronsonCharles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
- Cindy CarolCindy CarolCindy Carol is an American actress. She was credited as Carol Sydes before her starring role as Gidget in Gidget Goes to Rome ....
- Lee J. CobbLee J. CobbLee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
- Richard CrennaRichard CrennaRichard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
- Bobby DriscollBobby DriscollRobert Cletus "Bobby" Driscoll was an American child actor known for a large body of cinema and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. He starred in some of The Walt Disney Company's most popular live-action pictures of that period, such as Song of the South , So Dear to My Heart , and Treasure Island...
- Beverly GarlandBeverly GarlandBeverly Garland was an American film and television actress, businesswoman, and hotel owner. Garland gained prominence for her role as Fred MacMurray's second wife, "Barbara Harper Douglas", in the 1960s sitcom My Three Sons...
- Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
- Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
- Vera MilesVera MilesVera Miles is an American film actress who gained popularity for starring in films such as The Searchers, The Wrong Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Psycho and Psycho II.-Early life:...
- Denver PyleDenver PyleDenver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
- Dick SargentDick SargentRichard Stanford Cox , known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched...
- Robert F. SimonRobert F. SimonRobert F. Simon was an American character actor, often portraying military or authority figure roles. Though his face was recognized by audiences, he was mostly unknown by name...
- Robert VaughnRobert VaughnRobert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in...
- Michael WinkelmanMichael WinkelmanMichael L. Winkelman was an American child actor best known for his role as Little Luke McCoy from 1957 to 1963 in 157 episodes of the situation comedy television series, The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan in the title role of Grandpa Amos McCoy, with Richard Crenna as Luke McCoy, older...
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Nominated | Best Written Dramatic Material | James E. Moser | For episode "White Is the Color" |
| Nominated | Best Television Film Editing | Jodie Copelan | For episode "White Is the Color" | ||
| Nominated | Best Original Music Composed for TV | Victor Young | |
||
| Nominated | Best Individual Program of the Year | |
For episode "White Is the Color" | ||
| Nominated | Best Dramatic Series | |
|
||
| Nominated | Best Actress in a Single Performance | Beverly Garland | |
||
| Nominated | Best Actor Starring in a Regular Series | Richard Boone | |
||
| Won | Best Direction of Photography | Lester Shorr | For episode "I Climb the Stairs" | ||
| 1956 | Nominated | Best Producer - Film Series | Frank La Tourette | |
|
| Won | Best Cinematography for Television | William A. Sickner | For episode "Black Friday" | ||
| 1957 | Nominated | Best Musical Contribution for Television | Sidney Fine | For orchestration of Victor Young's music | |
| 1956 | Directors Guild of America Award | Nominated | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television | Ted Post | For episode "Mercy Wears an Apron" |