Quincy

In the beginning, the show was usually about a crime that Quincy solves using his skills as a medical examiner., sometimes officially, sometimes not so officially, as he did when he was on jury duty on one episode. Honestly, who would allow a medical examiner to sit on a jury in a criminal trial? But I digress. These whodunnit based episodes were interesting, and Quincy is one of the first of the CSI style shows that I can recall - it really was ahead of its time. But, especially in the last couple of years of the show, there was a shift and Klugman started doing lots of issue shows with lots of pontificating. This was probably partially due to the changing times, partially a reaction to the Reagan administration. You can see the same kind of thing happen to the show Lou Grant and its star Edward Asner during the same time frame.

Of course, crime scene investigation techniques have changed a lot over the years, and the ability to analyze DNA evidence was a ground breaker that was far in the future when this show debuted, but it is still worth it for the acting and the amazing Jack Klugman.

This show was more influential than most shows of its genre on TV. In many ways, it was the predecessor to the current CSI and CSI: Miami, with its emphasis on science and the forensic approach. In fact, many of the episodes dealt with forensic methods which were just coming into being in the 70's, and for the first time let the audience of the series see these new techniques and research, including the build-up of a skeletal face to what the person could have looked like, looking for evidence of where a person has been by looking at the residue on a person's shoes and other forensic methods we take for granted nowadays.

What's even more interesting is that many of the topics of these episodes, some 25 years old, show a great amount of relevance even now. Such things as airplane safety, epidemics, political influence, riots, runaways and child pornography, post traumatic stress disorder as a result of a war experience, migrant workers, crash diets, child abuse, and much, much more.

This show was and is a great forerunner to many other shows over the past twenty-five years. In many ways, the current resurgence in shows about forensic science can be attributed to this show. Not only the commercial successes of CSI and CSI:Miami, but shows like "Forensic Files," "Cold Case Files" and other such shows. With the amount of technology which we presently have available to us now, it's amazing that a lot of it has only been available since Quincy debuted on television, less than 25 years ago.

I have enjoyed Quincy for years--both when it first came on TV and in the years following its wide-spread syndication. Despite enjoying the show very much, I must, however, admit that the show was very formulaic and predictable. In 90% of the episodes, they stuck one of two very well-established plot outlines:

1. There is a death and it's assumed that it was by natural causes. In most of these cases, it's actually murder.

2. To Dr. Quincy, the case "just doesn't seem right" and he won't close the case--wanting to take more time with the autopsy or do some investigating on his own.

3. His boss, Dr. Asten, argues with Quincy to just wrap it all up due to either time constraints or pressure from outside sources. In essence, Asten is a bureaucratic weenie and Quincy a crusader for truth.

4. Quincy's friend, Lt. Monahan, wants to close the case because he KNOWS that it either wasn't a murder or he's blaming some innocent guy for the crime. Oddly, despite the Los Angeles Police Department being one of the largest ones in the world, somehow Monahan is almost always on the case--he's apparently a very, very busy guy--as is Quincy!

5. In the end, Quincy is vindicated. Yet, despite this, by the time they do the next episode, they once again begin this same process!

6. They all end up at Danny's and someone says something funny.

OR:

1. A death occurs.

2. Dr. Quincy becomes angry because the death was caused by some social issue such as spousal abuse, sexual abuse or poorly staffed emergency care centers, so he goes on a rampage and annoys practically everyone.

3. Quincy grandstands, makes speeches and preaches not just to the folks in the show but AT the audience.

4. Folks FINALLY listen to Quincy and they all end up at Danny's restaurant. But because it's a social issue program, they may or may not say something funny to end the show.

So why, despite the predictability of the show did I and so many others like it? Well, perhaps it was because although you knew what to expect in general, the shows were very creative in how they thought out the murders. Also, in a few cases, there weren't murders but the show managed to bring up excellent public health issues (though occasionally they were VERY preachy). Plus, over the years, the show evolved into a likable cast. Heck, after a while, you even grew to like Asten--especially since he mellowed and was less of a paper-pushing bureaucrat in later episodes.

Excellent writing, a likable cast and great imagination, this show has stood up well over time.

UPDATE: I just finished re-watching the entire series and think I should update my review. As the show progressed, the quality of the shows began to decline. The decline was slow at first but by season eight, the shows were just awful. I assume they ran out of ideas for crimes to solve, as more and more as the show progressed the shows became soapboxes for social ills NOT shows about forensic science. And, soapbox shows, while perhaps important, are far, far less entertaining.

I watched "Quincy" when it was on the first time round with my mum, dad & sister. I didn't quite get it the first time around as I was a young lady in those days. However I was fortunate to see it on digital TV in England, and have realized the true, raw, emotion that is Quincy, coroner & all-round good guy.

Quincy is insightful. Before all these "CSI" & "Cold Case" programmes, there was Quincy. Was he one step ahead? Let's just say he was on the ball. He knew the truth behind the lies, the evil from the good and the down-right guilty from the innocent. When he had a hunch, you'd better believe he was right. Had a crime to solve? Quincy was your guy.

Quincy get what he wants. If there was someone who was holding something back, Quincy had enough on them to solve the case & get the job done.

Quincy was a man's man. With soul. He lived & loved like a man who's time was almost up, and it showed. He solved the case when no one else thought it could be done. He felt for the deceased & gave them a voice when everyone else thought it had fallen silent.

Quincy has charisma. There was no other man on television who had a hand that was as good with a woman as it was with a dead body.

Quincy cares. Sure, Quincy was a man's man; he would be at the bar buying a round for the guys, but he hurts like the rest of us. He just kept it all inside.

So there you have it - the man & the myth that is Quincy. There will never be another... all those copy-cats? Well the men want to be him, & the women want to be WITH him. Quincy, you're the best.

So every episode seemed the same? Every episode of I Love Lucy was the same too, and that's a classic. Heck, 90% of TV is the same episode over and over again. This show is great. Before a couple years ago, I wasn't a huge fan of 70s TV, especially dramas, but I'm hooked on this show. The cast is great, the characters delightfully predictable and occasionally over-the-top, and the storylines intriguing. Great stuff. And I got a huge kick out of the fact that Garry Walberg (Lt. Monahan) was also Speed on The Odd Couple. Guess he and Jack followed each other around. LOL