Medical Center (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Medical Center is a medical drama series
which aired on CBS
from 1969 to 1976.
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 as well as 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 actress Jayne Meadows
; and Nurse Murphy played by actress Jane Dulo) had basically served the same functions as Wilcox.
At the time the show was canceled, 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.
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 would later play 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, in order for his heart to 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 (MOD) 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 US. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Medical-Center-Operation-Heartbeat/13207
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...
which aired on 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...
from 1969 to 1976.
Synopsis
The show starred James Daly as Dr. Paul Lochner and Chad EverettChad Everett
Chad Everett is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and television series but is probably best known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the 1970s television drama Medical Center.-Early life:...
as Dr. Joe Gannon, surgeons working in an otherwise unnamed university hospital in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The show focused both on the lives of the doctors as well as 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
Audrey Totter
Audrey Mary Totter is an American actress and former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract star of Austrian-Slovene and Swedish descent...
. 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 actress Jayne Meadows
Jayne Meadows
-Early life:Jayne Meadows was born as Jayne Cotter in Wu-ch'ang, in Heilongjiang, China, to Episcopal missionary parents, the Rev. Francis James Meadows Cotter and his wife, the former Ida Miller Taylor, who had married in 1915. Meadows is the older sister of the late actress Audrey Meadows. She...
; and Nurse Murphy played by actress Jane Dulo) had basically served the same functions as Wilcox.
At the time the show was canceled, it tied with Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell...
(which also ran from 1969 to 1976) as the longest-running 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...
on television at that point.
Pilot
The series' pilotTelevision 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...
film, U.M.C., was televised on CBS on April 17, 1969, starring Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
as Dr. Lee Forestman and Richard Bradford
Richard Bradford
Richard Bradford was a novelist, best known for his 1968 novel Red Sky at Morning, a film version of which was released in 1971. He also wrote So Far from Heaven, a novel about the adventures of a disillusioned executive who flees his life in the city for a New Mexico cattle ranch. Mr...
as Dr. Joe Gannon, with Daly and Totter appearing in the roles they would later play in the series; the film also starred Kim Stanley
Kim Stanley
Kim Stanley was an American actress, primarily in television and theatre, but with occasional film performances....
, Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (actor)
Maurice Herbert Evans was an English actor noted for his interpretations of Shakespearean characters. In terms of his screen roles, he is probably best known as Dr...
, Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy
-Politicians:*Kevin McCarthy , United States Representative from California's 22nd congressional district*Kevin McCarthy , member of the Iowa House of Representatives...
and Shelley Fabares
Shelley Fabares
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares is an American actress and singer. Fabares is known for her roles as Donna Reed's oldest child, Mary Stone, on The Donna Reed Show , and as Craig T. Nelson's love interest and eventual wife, Christine Armstrong Fox, on the sitcom Coach. She also was Elvis...
. In the film, a widow accused Dr. Gannon of allowing her husband to die, in order for his heart to 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 (MOD) Warner Archive Collection from Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
on January 12, 2010, as Operation Heartbeat. Warner Archive titles are available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Medical-Center-Operation-Heartbeat/13207
Ratings
The show's Nielsen Ratings are as follows:| Season | Ranking |
|---|---|
| 1970-71 | #8 |
| 1971-72 | #13 |
| 1972-73 | #21 |
| 1974-75 | #27 |