Ryan's Four

I'm a tad confused at finding this entry here. It implies a TV series beginning and ending with its inaugural episode, whereas what I am reviewing is a TV film pilot for the eponymous series, but there isn't a separate entry for it. Granted the film I saw was approximately 70 minutes long, which I guess would probably have been allotted a 90-minute broadcast slot (ie with ad breaks) on original US transmission, so perhaps the listed running time here is a 'guesstimate'?

Anyway, as mentioned this is yet another TV series pilot, the title referring to the four doctors newly-appointed by head of interns Skerritt, who is himself having trouble from the pedantic hospital administrator. Par for the course, the medical action takes second place to the domestic drama of the central protagonists.

Skerritt aside, the only other recognisables here today are Elibacher, who very shortly afterwards coincidentally went onto play a nurse as Charles Bronson's daughter in that unlikeliest slice of homo-erotic heaven '10 to Midnight', featuring Adonis-like nude misogynist murderer Gene Davis. Talking of which, here we also have the delectable Tim Daly, also doing little more than looking very sexy in very little as a middle-class novitiate medic, forced to take up one of his own hospital's beds through unfortunate happenstance.

Overall, it's fairly engaging but ultimately short on substance - which, given the running time is hardly surprising; it's a good movie to put off the ironing to.