St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Created by | |
Developed by | |
Starring |
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Theme music composer | Dave Grusin |
Composers | |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 137 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Producers |
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Production locations | |
Running time | 45–48 minutes |
Production company | MTM Enterprises |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | October 26, 1982 May 25, 1988 | –
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as teaching doctors at an aging, rundown Boston hospital who give interns a promising future in making critical medical and life decisions. The series was produced by MTM Enterprises, which had success with a similar NBC series, the police drama Hill Street Blues, during that same time. The series were often compared to each other for their use of ensemble casts and overlapping serialized storylines (an original ad for St. Elsewhere quoted a critic that called the series "Hill Street Blues in a hospital").
Recognized for its gritty, realistic drama, St. Elsewhere gained a small yet loyal following (the series never ranked higher than 47th place in the yearly
Overview
St. Elsewhere was set at the fictional St. Eligius Hospital, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood. (The South End's Franklin Square House Apartments, formerly known as the St. James Hotel and located next to Franklin and Blackstone Squares, stood in for the hospital in establishing shots, including the series' opening sequence.)[6] The hospital's nickname, "St. Elsewhere", is a slang term used in the medical field to refer to lesser-equipped hospitals that serve patients turned away by more prestigious institutions; it is also used in medical academia to refer to teaching hospitals in general.[citation needed]
In the pilot episode, surgeon Dr. Mark Craig (William Daniels) informs his colleagues that the local Boston media had bestowed the derogatory nickname upon St. Eligius since they perceived the hospital as "a dumping ground, a place you wouldn't want to send your mother-in-law." In fact, the hospital was so poorly regarded that its shrine to Saint Eligius was commonly defiled by the hospital's visitors and staff. Despite the hospital's reputation, they employed some first-rate doctors—including Craig, a world-class heart surgeon. As well, their administrative staff was shown to care deeply about the hospital's mission, even as they dealt with a lack of up-to-date equipment, funding, and experienced personnel.
Just as in
The producers for the series were
.The show's main and end title theme was composed by famed jazz musician and composer
Main cast
Along with established actors
Actor | Character | Seasons | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
Starring | |||||||
Ed Flanders | Dr. Donald Westphall | Main | |||||
David Birney | Dr. Ben Samuels | Main | |||||
Norman Lloyd | Dr. Daniel Auschlander | Recurring | Main | ||||
Ronny Cox | Dr. John Gideon | Main | |||||
William Daniels | Dr. Mark Craig | Main | |||||
Also Starring | |||||||
G.W. Bailey
|
Dr. Hugh Beale | Main | |||||
Ed Begley Jr. | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | Main | |||||
Terence Knox | Dr. Peter White | Main | Guest | ||||
Howie Mandel | Dr. Wayne Fiscus | Main | |||||
David Morse | Dr. Jack Morrison | Main | |||||
Christina Pickles | Nurse Helen Rosenthal | Main | |||||
Kavi Raz | Dr. Vijay Kochar | Main | Recurring | Guest | |||
Cynthia Sikes
|
Dr. Annie Cavanero | Main | |||||
Denzel Washington | Dr. Phillip Chandler | Main | |||||
Ellen Bry | Nurse Shirley Daniels | Recurring | Main | Guest | |||
Mark Harmon | Dr. Robert Caldwell | Main | |||||
Eric Laneuville | Luther Hawkins | Recurring | Main | ||||
Kim Miyori | Dr. Wendy Armstrong | Recurring | Main | ||||
Nancy Stafford | Joan Halloran | Main | Recurring | Guest | |||
Stephen Furst | Dr. Elliot Axelrod | Recurring | Main | ||||
Bonnie Bartlett | Ellen Craig | Recurring | Main | ||||
Bruce Greenwood | Dr. Seth Griffin | Main | |||||
Cindy Pickett | Dr. Carol Novino | Recurring | Main | ||||
Sagan Lewis | Dr. Jacqueline Wade | Recurring | Main | ||||
France Nuyen | Dr. Paulette Kiem | Recurring | Main | ||||
Jennifer Savidge | Nurse Lucy Papandreo | Recurring | Main | ||||
Recurring | |||||||
Barbara Whinnery | Dr. Cathy Martin | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Byron Stewart | Warren Coolidge | Guest | Recurring | ||||
Alfre Woodard | Dr. Roxanne Turner | Recurring | Guest |
Episodes
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 22 | October 26, 1982 | May 3, 1983 | |
2 | 22 | October 26, 1983 | May 16, 1984 | |
3 | 24 | September 19, 1984 | March 27, 1985 | |
4 | 24 | September 18, 1985 | May 7, 1986 | |
5 | 23 | September 24, 1986 | May 27, 1987 | |
6 | 22 | September 16, 1987 | May 25, 1988 |
St. Elsewhere ran for six seasons and 137 episodes; the first season (1982–83) aired Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET), with remaining seasons airing Wednesdays at 10 p.m.
St. Elsewhere was noteworthy for featuring episodes with unusual aspects or significant changes to the series' status quo. Some of those episodes included:
"Qui Transtulit Sustinet"
Original air date: November 16, 1983
Dr. Morrison learns of the death of his wife, Nina (with whom he had an argument midway through the previous episode, which was the last time he saw her alive), after slipping and hitting her head. Nina's heart is donated to a heart transplant patient—a patient of Dr. Craig. The poignant final scene of the episode finds Morrison entering the patient's room and, with a stethoscope, hearing the patient's new heart—Nina's heart—steadily beating.
"Cheers"
Original air date: March 27, 1985
St. Elsewhere ended its 3rd season with this TV
The merger of Cheers' and St. Elsewhere's universes created a discontinuity with the second season finale, "Hello, Goodbye", in which Dr. Morrison and his young son spend a day on the town and visit the real-world Bull and Finch Pub, the banners out front celebrating it as the inspiration for (and exterior view of) Cheers.
"Time Heals"
Original air date: February 19 and 20, 1986
This two-part episode featured storylines that fleshed out the 50-year history of St. Eligius, each sequence taped in a different style (i.e. black-and-white for the 1930s setting, muted colors for the 1940s). The storylines included the hospital's 1936 founding by Fr. Joseph McCabe (played by
"After Life"
Original air date: November 26, 1986
This episode deals with the shooting of Dr. Wayne Fiscus, who is critically wounded after being shot by the vengeful wife of a patient he is treating in the ER. As the staff frantically try to save him, Fiscus ventures back-and-forth between Hell (where he meets former colleague, and rapist, Peter White), Purgatory, and Heaven, where he has a conversation with God, who presents Himself as a spitting image of Fiscus. Just as Fiscus shakes hands with Lou Gehrig, his colleagues successfully revive him back to Earth.
"Last Dance at the Wrecker's Ball"
Original air date: May 27, 1987
In the season-five finale, all attempts to save St. Eligius from closing seem to have failed. As demolition begins, a frail Dr. Auschlander, accidentally left in the hospital after a relapse, attempts to escape.
"A Moon For the Misbegotten"
Original air date: September 30, 1987
St. Eligius is saved (and any damage from the above-mentioned "Wrecker's Ball" repaired), but it falls under the new ownership of Ecumena Corporation, a national
"Their Town"
Original air date: April 20, 1988
In a somewhat change-of-pace episode, Drs. Craig and Novino, Ellen Craig, and Lizzie Westphall visit Donald and Tommy Westphall (Lizzie's father and brother, respectively), who appear to be enjoying the quiet life in small town New Hampshire. The episode features Dr. Westphall occasionally breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the viewer, a la the "Stage Manager" character in Our Town (the episode title and its location are nods to the Thornton Wilder play). The teleplay for "Their Town" was written by St. Elsewhere cast member Sagan Lewis (as "S.J. Lewis"), although her character of Dr. Wade does not appear.
"The Last One"
Original air date: May 25, 1988
St. Elsewhere's series finale features momentous changes for several main characters, including the departures of Drs. Fiscus and Morrison and the death of Dr. Auschlander, as well as the return of Dr. Westphall to an active leadership role at St. Eligius after Weigert agrees to sell the hospital back to the Boston archdiocese, as Dr. Gideon is set to move on to another hospital in San Jose, California.
The finale is more known for its provocative final scene: Westphall and his son
The most common interpretation of this scene is that the entire series of events in the series St. Elsewhere has been a product of Tommy Westphall's imagination, with elements of the above scene used as its own evidence.
"The Last One"'s closing credits differ from those of the rest of the series. In all other episodes, the credits appear over a still image of an ongoing surgical operation, followed by the traditional
"The Last One" brought in 22.5 million viewers, ranking 7th out of 68 programs that week and attracting a 17.0/29 rating/share, and ranking as the most watched episode of the series.
Broadcast history and Nielsen ratings
Season | Time slot (ET) | Rank | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
1982–83 | Tuesdays 10 p.m. | #87 | N/A |
1983–84 | Wednesdays 10 p.m. | #70 | 13.2 |
1984–85 | Wednesdays 10 p.m. | #49 | 13.4 |
1985–86 | Wednesdays 10 p.m. | #53 | 13.8 |
1986–87 | Wednesdays 10 p.m. | #55 | 13.4 |
1987–88 | Wednesdays 10 p.m. | #47 | 13.3 |
Allusions, crossovers, and homages
St. Elsewhere was known for the insertion of several allusions both large and small to classic movies, pop culture, and television events (the latter especially) throughout its run, including other shows that were produced by MTM Enterprises.[1] Some of the more noteworthy allusions have included:
- The St. Eligius public address loudspeakers periodically summoned characters from other television series, often going unnoticed by the show's characters.
- The character of hospital orderly Warren Coolidge (played by Byron Stewart) was carried over from The White Shadow, where Coolidge had been a student at Carver High. (Before St. Elsewhere, Bruce Paltrow served as Shadow's showrunner.) Coolidge occasionally sported a Carver High T-shirt while working at St. Eligius. In third-season episode "Any Portrait in a Storm", Coolidge sees guest star Timothy Van Patten (another Shadow alumnus) in an elevator and calls out "Hey! Salami!," to which Van Patten, playing an unrelated character (named Dean, in a three episode story arc), replies "You got the wrong guy, pal," leaving Coolidge trying to plead his case with a confused "No – it's Warren," as the elevator doors close.
- In the third season episode "Playing God, Part 2", the Craigs are in their bedroom and Mrs. Craig says she wants to see who is on The Merv Griffin Show. Dr. Craig says, "Probably some stupid comic." She turns on the TV and Howie Mandel, the actor/comedian who played Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the show, can be heard. Dr. Craig says, "What is he wearing, a hand?" (a reference to Mandel's routine that involved wearing a surgical glove on his head).
- The third season episode "Sweet Dreams" features a recreation of the music video for the ZZ Top song "Legs". It features the Eliminator car, but the band was played by members of the cast.[19]
- The fourth season episode "Close Encounters" has numerous crossovers.
- In the psychiatric ward, patients watch various MTM-produced shows on television – MTM (headed by Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker) was the company that produced St. Elsewhere.
- The patients briefly watch MTM's The White Shadow, produced by St. Elsewhere showrunner Bruce Paltrow. It is seen here as fictional, even though orderly Warren Coolidge is a carryover from The White Shadow (see above). (In the previous season, the bar from Cheers is seen as both fictional and part of the St. Elsewhere universe.)
- The amnesiac patient John Doe #6, a recurring character played by Oliver Clark, while watching an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show on a hospital TV, believes himself to be that series' lead character Mary Richards. He then mistakes guest star Betty Whitefor Sue Anne (the character White had played on that same show). She responds, "I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else."
- John Doe #6 is verbally disparaged by another patient in the psychiatric ward — Elliott Carlin, the resident neurotic from The Bob Newhart Show played by Jack Riley. Carlin's treatment of Doe mirrored his behavior toward Oliver Clark's Bob Newhart Show character, Mr. Herd. Mr. Carlin subsequently appeared on an episode of Newhart, still uncured from the damage caused by "some quack in Chicago."
- In the psychiatric ward, patients watch various MTM-produced shows on television – MTM (headed by Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker) was the company that produced St. Elsewhere.
- In "Santa Claus is Dead", Dr. Craig mentions serving in Korea with his drinking buddy, B.J. Hunnicutt, implying that Dr. Hunnicutt was reassigned to another unit in Korea following the July 1953 deactivation of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at the end of M*A*S*H’s finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen".
- The crew filled the series finale, "The Fugitive, when orderly Coolidge catches a "One-Armed Man", on a water tower, for "Dr. Kimble". A patient appears to get his hair cut by (The Andy Griffith Show's) Floyd the Barber, including his first name, face and clothing. There is a call over the public address system for a Code Blue (someone has reached their "end") in Room 222. There is a direct reference to the 1977 series finale of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, including a group hug, a group shuffle to get tissues and a suggestion that they sing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary". The finale for the character Dr. Henry Blake in a 1975 episode of M*A*S*H is referred to when cadaver "4077" is autopsied after a "helicopter crash". There are numerous song references, including Dr. Fiscus saying "It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine", and Dr. Auschlander exclaiming "Jumpin' Jack, what was that flash?"[20]
St. Elsewhere was also host to one
- The third season's finale featured Drs. Westphall, Auschlander, and Craig visiting the eponymous pub of Cheers (also set in Boston) for a drink. During the second season of Cheers, barmaid Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) gave birth to a child at St. Eligius, and here expresses her displeasure about her hospitalization there, even getting into a verbal altercation with Dr. Craig.
- Two St. Elsewhere characters were carried over to the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street, which was executive produced by St. Elsewhere alumnus Tom Fontana. In an episode in season six entitled "Mercy", Alfre Woodard reprises her role of Dr. Roxanne Turner, who is accused of illegally euthanizing a cancer patient. Woodard was nominated for an Emmy Award as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance. In other Homicide episodes, the character of Detective Tim Bayliss (played by Kyle Secor) develops a bad back and is treated by an offscreen "Dr. Ehrlich". In the Homicide: The Movie finale, Ed Begley Jr., makes an uncredited appearance as Dr. Victor Ehrlich.
- Ed Begley Jr., William Daniels, Stephen Furst, and Eric Laneuville reunited to appear in a season-one episode of Scrubs where the actors, rather than reprising their St. Elsewhere roles, play a quartet of doctors that fall sick at a medical convention. The episode was part of a week-long series of events honoring NBC's 75th Anniversary.[21]
- Episode 7 ("There Are No F**king Sides") of Season 1 of Showtime's series City on a Hill (based in early 1990s Boston) includes an establishing shot of the exterior of St. Eligius, along with hospital scenes in which Dr. Morrison is referenced by a character, and in which Drs. Axelrod, Wade, Westphall, and Fiscus and Nurse Papandreau are paged in the background on the hospital's PA system. In S01E08, St. Eligius was mentioned by name.
- In Oz, the company Weigert (which played a major role in St. Elsewhere's final season) takes over the prison's medical ward after the company makes a deal with Governor Devlin in Season 3. During the final season, nurse and angel of mercy serial killer is mentioned as having been fired from numerous hospitals prior to joining Oz's medical staff, including St. Elsewhere.
- In the 2023 Rock N Roll Biographies comic book on King Diamond from Ten Ton Press, the ending is a direct homage to the final episode which writer Spike Steffenhagen has called "The greatest ending to any television show." The final panel features a couple looking at their two black cats (who have appeared as giants throughout the story) staring into a snow globe with a haunted house in it.
Awards and nominations
St. Elsewhere won 24 out of 106 award nominations. The series garnered 62
Film adaptation
In May 2003, Walden Media announced a partnership with Roth Films to create a film adaptation of the television series.[citation needed] It was never made.
Syndication
After its initial run, reruns of St. Elsewhere aired for a time in syndication, with later runs on
Also a popular series in the
Nick at Nite first added St. Elsewhere to its regular lineup on April 29, 1996, as part of an all-night sneak peek of sister network TV Land. After the sneak peek, Nick at Nite aired St. Elsewhere regularly from May 4 until July 6, 1996, every Saturday night as part of a short-lived programming block called Nick at Nite's TV Land Sampler. St. Elsewhere was one of many rotating shows airing Saturday nights as part of Nick at Nite's TV Land Sampler, which included (among other shows) Petticoat Junction, That Girl and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour along with past Nick at Nite Classics Mister Ed and Green Acres. Nick at Nite aired reruns of St. Elsewhere once again from June 30 until July 4, 1997, as part of the week-long event The 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[27] Theme music-- St. Elsewhere/Music composed by Dave Grusin. Robert David Grusin, an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader, has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy Award and 10 Grammy Awards.
Home media
On November 28, 2006,
In Region 2, Channel 4 DVD released the first season on DVD in the UK on April 2, 2007.[29] All episodes have been made available on Channel 4's UK on-demand internet stream All 4 in the UK and Ireland, though these episodes are edited versions for syndication and not as they were originally aired.
As of June 2021, all six seasons of the series are available for streaming on Hulu.
References
- ^ a b Emily VanDerWerff (March 12, 2012). "St. Elsewhere". Retrieved June 10, 2019.
Shows like St. Elsewhere, which pulled in a solid number of younger viewers—indeed, a larger number of younger viewers than some shows in the top 30—could be monetized in that fashion. Advertisers who wanted to reach younger viewers would advertise on St. Elsewhere.
- ^ "TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows". CBS News. April 26, 2002. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
- ^ TV Guide April 17-23, 1993. 1993. p. 11.
- ^ "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time". TV Guide.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Variety. December 20, 2023.
- ^ Entry for Franklin Square House on VirtualGlobetrotting.com
- ^ "NBC's Stylish 'St. Elsewhere,'" review from The New York Times, 11/16/1982
- ^ "Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time". TV Guide (June 28–July 4). 1997.
- ^ "'St. Elsewhere' Told to Carry Disclaimer" from The New York Times, October 2, 1987
- ^ "St. Name Change" from The Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1987
- ^ Source: "St. Elsewhere: A Moon for the Misbegotten," from IMDb.
- ^ "TV ACRES: Quotations > Signoffs > Classic Series Finales > St. Elsewhere". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
- ^ Gallagher, William (May 30, 2003). "TV's strangest endings". BBC News. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ^ Feder, Robert (May 26, 1988). "Chicago Sun-Times:: Search". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ProQuest 873898276.
- ^ "TV Honcho Grant Tinker, Ex-Husband Of Mary Tyler Moore Dies At 90". November 30, 2016.
- ^ "Star-News – Google News Archive Search". Retrieved August 9, 2015.
- ^ TV's Most Unforgettable Finales – aired May 22, 2011, on TV Guide Network
- ^ SPIN Media LLC (February 1986). SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. pp. 40–.
- Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the originalon May 31, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ Scrubs: "My Sacrificial Clam", from IMDB.com[unreliable source?]
- ^ "St. Elsewhere". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
- ^ "St. Elsewhere". GoldenGlobes.com. Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- ^ "Television Critics Association Awards (1988)". IMDb. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
- ^ "St. Elsewhere". Peabody Awards. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
- ^ "1983 People's Choice Awards – Nominees & Winners". PeoplesChoice.com. One Three Digital, LLC. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ "The Nick at Nite Log: 1985–present – Sitcoms Online Message Boards – Forums". Retrieved August 9, 2015.
- ^ "St. Elsewhere – Washington, Morse and Mandel – Artwork inside". Archived from the original on December 14, 2012.
- ^ "St Elsewhere – Series 1 [DVD]". Amazon UK. April 2, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-0826409010.
- Bianculli, David (1992). Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously. ISBN 978-0815606536.
- Bianculli, David (1997). Dictionary of Teleliteracy: Television's 500 Biggest Hits, Misses, and Events. ISBN 978-0826405777.
- Turow, Joseph (1989). Playing Doctor: Television, Storytelling, and Medical Power. ISBN 9780-195044904.
External links
- St. Elsewhere at IMDb
- Cast list and links
- St. Elsewhere at epguides.com
- St. Elsewhere in the Encyclopedia of Television Archived June 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- The Tommy Westphall Universe