Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D. | |
---|---|
Created by | David Victor |
Starring | Robert Young James Brolin |
Theme music composer | Leonard Rosenman |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 7 |
No. of episodes | 170 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer | David Victor |
Producer | David J. O'Connell |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Production company | Universal Television |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | September 23, 1969 May 4, 1976 | –
Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television series that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to May 4, 1976. It starred Robert Young as the title character, a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, who made house calls and was on a first-name basis with many of his patients; James Brolin as his partner Steven Kiley, a younger doctor; and Elena Verdugo as Consuelo Lopez, Welby and Kiley's dedicated and caring nurse/office manager.
Marcus Welby, M.D. was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell through Universal Television, which was then an MCA company. The pilot, titled "A Matter of Humanities", had aired as an ABC Movie of the Week on March 26, 1969.
Overview
As with most medical dramas of the day, the plots often concerned a professional conflict between well-meaning physicians. Here, Welby's unorthodox way of treating patients was pitted against the more straight-laced methods of Kiley (Brolin). The catch with this particular program was that the roles were reversed in that Kiley was much younger than Welby. The opening credits of each episode reminded viewers of the generation gap between the two doctors, Welby driving his sedan and Kiley riding a motorcycle. Welby had served in the US Navy as a doctor during the war, and was a widower.
The doctors worked alongside each other in their private practice in Santa Monica, California, regularly working in conjunction with the nearby Lang Memorial Hospital. (This was later revealed in exterior shots to be the real-life Saint John's Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica.) At the office, their loyal secretary-nurse and friend was Consuelo Lopez (Verdugo). Other characters that appeared throughout the series included Dr. Welby's frequent girlfriend Myra Sherwood (Anne Baxter), his daughter Sandy (originally Christine Belford, and later Anne Schedeen) and her son Phil (Gavin Brendan), and Kathleen Faverty (Sharon Gless), an assistant program director at the hospital, who worked closely with Welby and Kiley. Kiley met and married public relations director Janet Blake (played by Pamela Hensley) in 1975, at the beginning of the show's final season on the air.
In the episode "Designs", which aired on March 12, 1974, Young was reunited with his
Medical features
Its handling of many varied medical cases – some common, some uncommon – made it an instant hit for ABC. Story lines included
Politics
The 1973 episode "
In addition, an episode dealing with abortion was refused by San Diego area ABC affiliate XETV, a station licensed to Tijuana across the border in Mexico, due to that country's stance on the practice at the time.[5]
Episodes
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
Pilot | March 26, 1969 | |||
1 | 26 | September 23, 1969 | April 14, 1970 | |
2 | 24 | September 22, 1970 | March 30, 1971 | |
3 | 24 | September 14, 1971 | March 14, 1972 | |
4 | 24 | September 12, 1972 | March 6, 1973 | |
5 | 24 | September 11, 1973 | March 12, 1974 | |
6 | 24 | September 10, 1974 | March 11, 1975 | |
7 | 24 | September 9, 1975 | May 4, 1976 | |
TV films | May 16, 1984 | December 19, 1988 |
Crossovers with Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law
During its run, Marcus Welby, M.D. had two crossover stories with its legal spin-off series, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law.
In "Men Who Care", Marshall defends the father of Welby's patient when the man is accused of murdering his daughter's boyfriend. In "I've Promised You a Father", Marshall defends Kiley in a paternity suit filed by a nurse claiming that Kiley is the father of her child.
Nielsen ratings
Season | Rank | Rating |
---|---|---|
1969–70 | #8[6] | 23.7 |
1970–71 | #1[7] | 29.6 |
1971–72 | #3[8] | 27.8 |
1972–73 | #13[9] | 22.9 |
1973–74 | #29 [10] | 19.5 |
1974–75 | #53 [11] | 16.6 |
1975–76 | #43[12] | N/A |
It was the first show in ABC's history to become the number-one show on television.
Ending of the series
By the mid-1970s, the popularity of medical dramas began to wane. Ratings for both Marcus Welby, M.D. and CBS's Medical Center began to drop, as did the ratings for daytime dramas
Television movies
In 1984, the reunion movie The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. aired, with Young and Verdugo reprising their roles. The major conflict, aside from interactions with patients, centered around Welby being accused of being too old to retain his medical license safely. Though Brolin was unavailable to reprise his role as Kiley, a statement described as being from him was read before the board that would decide Welby's fate. Another movie was made in 1988, Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair. This last made-for-television film was the last acting role of Robert Young's career.
Home media
Mill Creek Entertainment released a 10-episode best-of set entitled Marcus Welby, M.D.: The Best of Season One on March 22, 2011.[15]
DVD name | Ep # | Release date |
---|---|---|
Season 1 | 26 | May 4, 2010 |
Season 2 | 24 | October 12, 2010 |
References
- ^ Capsuto, p. 92
- ^ Capsuto, pp. 106–109
- ^ Tropiano, pp. 18–21
- ^ Alwood, p. 150
- ^ Becklund, Laurie (October 29, 1978). "Broadcasters' Battle of the Border – a Lucrative Market Is at Stake". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "TV Ratings > 1960's". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "TV Ratings > 1970's". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "TV Ratings > 1970's". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "TV Ratings > 1970's". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "1973-74 Ratings History". The TV Ratings Guide. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ "1974-75 Ratings History". The TV Ratings Guide. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ "1975-76 Ratings History". The TV Ratings Guide. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
- ^ "Marcus Welby, M.D. – Shout! Factory Newsletter Announces Spring DVD for Season 1". Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
- ^ "Marcus Welby, M.D. DVD news: Announcement for Marcus Welby, M.D. – Season 2". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "Marcus Welby, M.D. DVD news: Announcement for Marcus Welby, M.D.: The Best of Season 1". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
Bibliography
- Alwood, Edward (1998). Straight News: Gays, Lesbians and the News Media. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-08437-4.
- Capsuto, Steven (2000). Alternate Channels: The Uncensored Story of Gay and Lesbian Images on Radio and Television. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-41243-5.
- Tropiano, Stephen (2002). The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV. New York, Applause Theatre and Cinema Books. ISBN 1-55783-557-8.
External links
- Marcus Welby, M.D. at IMDb(TV Movie/Pilot)
- Marcus Welby, M.D. at IMDb
- The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. at IMDb
- Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair at IMDb
- Encyclopedia of Television: Marcus Welby, M.D. Archived August 3, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
- Marcus Welby, M.D. episode guide[permanent dead link]