Medical Center

Not only were the topics that were discussed out near the edge, the weekly cast of guest stars were top notch. Many of those are on todays lists of entertainments "Who's Who". But one episode sticks out in my memory plainly as being way out beyond the edge for 1970's TV. The episode was " Ghetto Clinic", guest starring William Devane. In a scene where Chad Everette was scolding William Devane for not treating a street criminal mortally wounded in an altercation, allowing him to die, Devane explains simply "He was a scumbag"....I literally sat on my couch in shock. "Did I really hear that?" I thought. Friends at work the next day confirmed that I did'nt imagine it. To this day, I have yet to hear that term used on network TV. Medical Center raised the bar for TV drama. The stage was set for the next best, "St. Elsewhere"

I was rather young when this show ran and really do not remember a lot about it other than the tinted opening sequences featuring the actors in doctor's masks accompanied by the Wulitzer organ score. For some reason I found this to be unsettling and it made me quite afraid of hospitals. I eventual grew out of that but until then I used to leave the room when my mom had it on. Maybe not being able to completely see the actors was scary to me. Little kids get scared of some dubious things, right? I do remember the episode where Robert Reed wanted a sex change operation. I saw it years later rerun on TNT and I thought it was even funnier than I remembered. I am sure it was not supposed to be but the idea of Mike Brady wanting to be a women and the sight of him dressed like one was humorous.

I loved "Medical Center" as much as anyone else here. BUT... unless I missed an episode, it seems to me that everyone, every patient... survived and ended up walking out on their own two feet, more or less. I don't recall "Dr. Gannon" ever losing a patient. Unlike, say, on "ER", where they actually lose quite a few.

Also, "Dr. Gannon" is listed as "Professor of Surgery" at the fictional university medical center. And he did EVERYTHING. In one episode, he'd be doing General Surgery. In another, Neurosurgery. In another, Orthopedic... he was a Cardiovascular Surgeon, he was a Thoracic Surgeon! He even did Psychiatry (there was one episode involving a girl with what turned out to be "Hysterical Blindness"). This guy did EVERYTHING!!!!

Medical Center was a very popular drama doctor TV. series in the seventies, Chad Everett and James Daly did an super starring role as doctor Joe Gannon and chief of staff doctor Paul Lochner. It also starred most well known actors from those days in guest roles,for instance, Jodie foster, David Cassidy, Michael Douglas, Cid Charisse, Richard Thomas and many more,

every episode had it's own touching medical story, the script writers did do an excellent job, by writing such touching exiting medical story's,about people and their medical problems, and how the doctors helped them to cure,

but it was Chad Everett in his brilliant touching role as clever, kind ,great looking doctor Joe Gannon, who brought the show to the top! There has never been any medical Dr. show on TV who was so perfect done like this one was! Hope the entire series will be released on DVD or home video soon! A lot of medical center fans, would love this to happen! We would all love to see a remake movie of medical center with Chad Everett nowadays! this would be great!

Not only did this show have a top notch supporting cast, a handsome, charming leading man, and outstanding "guest star" performances, but it took on issues and subjects and issues that were taboo on television until that time (some are still quite controversial even now). Male impotence. A lesbian doctor. Witchcraft. Drug overdoses. Gangs. Sex changes. Mental illnesses. Doctors practicing with no training. Racial issues. Feminisim. Child abuse.I still remember many of the episodes and even some of the dialogue. The issues covered in this groundbreaking series are still relevant to audiences today. This is a series that deserves more attention and needs a DVD box set made!