Dr. Finlay's Casebook

I first saw this when I was a trainee nurse in Timaru Public Hospital in the 60s.I think I learned more watching the series than I did in the class room!There was a particularly memorable episode in which Dr Cameron is poisoned from mouldy Rye and hallucinates.The three principal actors are consistently brilliant and the memory of this series is so strong that I have been unable to watch the remake.If you can get to see any episodes don't miss them! The tension between Cameron and Findlay over the emerging new science of Psychiatry is wonderful, as the series is set before and then during WW2. The title music and the accents and voices of the principals are firmly in my memory although I have not see an episode for 30yrs.This is classic BBc and as relevant today as it was 40yrs ago.

I had the good luck to see a number of episodes of this series when it aired on the CBC as a summer replacement when I first moved to Canada. It jumped out at me, as being so superior to any drama series that I had ever seen on American television at the time. The series featured a very slim cast of an elderly doctor, his young partner, the landlady in their house/surgery, and the outsider whose medical condition was the subject of that particular drama. Not unlike "All Creatures Great and Small", with a smaller, interior budget, and more articulate patients. Or, at least, as articulate as rural Scots are likely to be to the North American ear.

I don't think I will ever forget Janet's sweet voice as she answered the telephone, 'Arden Hoos". Not to mention the theme music. Great scripts and superb acting from the three main players.

I agree that for those of us with such fond memories of the original, the more recent remake was unwatchable. Much as I admire Ian Bannen, he could not compare with Andrew Cruikschank in the role of Dr. Cameron.

What is wrong with the BBC that, firstly, they didn't take care of the original tapes, and secondly, they don't allow us to see the rest by releasing them on DVD? Thank you, whoever suggested youtube--I'm on my way there now!

I've lost the DVD of Series 1 and 2! I'm so upset! How I love this series. I'm not a Scotsman but an Australian, but I remember this show, watched when I was just a young whipper-snapper. And even then I could appreciate it's sheer quality. I'm a shift worker so I need to be relaxed when I go to bed for a very early start at 3AM, so I drag out a 'Dr. Finlay' and my blood pressure drops immediately. And the show itself? ... No exploding cars or convoluted romances, just civilising entertainment. OK, the production is dated, but who cares! The sheer quality of acting and story lines is what makes this old classic serial so engaging. Better still, there are heaps and heaps of episodes, all unconnected and independent. We watch one episode every second night just to counteract the mindless modern nonsense served up nightly on TV, or even on streaming services. You know, exploding cars, weirdly dead bodies, absurd story lines and banal scripts. Oh yes, lot's of guns avoided. In fact, hardly no guns at all! ... Relax and enjoy. ... Be human again. Executive summary? Zero exploding cars! Just decent, civilising entertainment. Enjoy! PS. Andrew Cruikshank was also the doctor in 'The Cruel Sea'.

For all those 40+ who lived in the UK in the 1960's, this series will be remembered. Much better than the re-make of the 1990's. Release on DVD? - probably not, but oh what a shame. Dr Finlay, Dr Cameron and Janet the housekeeper - with other characters such as Dr Snoddie. Just to hear the signature tune brings back happy memories of a time where there were better values than we experience in society today. One can view episodes of this series on YouTube. The Scottish accents may make some ex pats home sick - but what's wrong with that? Andrew Cruikshank, who played Dr Cameron appeared in several films during that era - including Miss Marple "Murder She Said" - alongside another good actor - Margaret Rutherford.