bbewnylorac
This show was one of my favourite all-time American TV dramas. It was the medical equivalent of Hill Street Blues, and it inspired many comedy-tinged future dramas, including Northern Exposure, ER, and even today's Nurse Jackie. One of the best things was the acting, and with Ed Begley Junior, Howie Mandel, William Daniels, Mark Harmon, and Denzel Washington, what a fantastic cast. But even the hospital orderlies, minor nurses and even patients were outstanding, and not just footnotes in the drama. St Elsewhere sadly never drew very high ratings, but the most extraordinary thing about it was that it had real heart. The plots drew you in, and the characters had a bit of depth; they weren't just hastily sketched. I used to hang out for every episode, and I was sad when it finished. A truly successful, wonderful TV series.
MarieGabrielle
I do not agree that this series was "soap-opera" like, although certainly one must care about the characters, identify with them and want to tune in (then again, I do not watch soap operas).Ed Flanders, as Dr. Westphal, is the indelible favorite; an empathic, non-egotistical doctor who cares about the patients, not profits. Bruce Paltrow deserves credit for the show; the likes of which I have never seen equaled ever again, on television.Dr. Daniel Craig (William Daniels) is excellent as the self-absorbed heart surgeon, Howie Mandel, Ed Begley, Mark Harmon, Terence Knox,Paul Sand, W.George Bailey and a well-varied cast each season made for an ever-changing theme; having not been a fan of hospital shows before (or after) this series, I would have to say is representative of its superiority, and creative story lines.While the show dealt with both sad and humorous medical issues, the stories were well-written, and actually gave the audience something to think about. One standout episode concerned Dr. Craig's heart transplant patient, Eve Layton, and her affect on the stalwart doctor. Howie Mandel and Ed Begley are the comic relief.Unfortunately at the end of the series, Ronny Cox portrayed the Chief of Medical Services, when the hospital is taken over by a conglomerate, at the expense of patient care. The sets of the hospital began to crumble (literally) representing the state of health care in the US which we have today. A brilliant analogy which was before its time. 10/10
james-1546
Very simply the most provocative, intelligent, most well written, well casted and best acted drama in American television. Each character is defined, nuanced and consistently portrayed. The relationships between the characters are so real that it is like eavesdroping on real life...just witness Dr. Erlich and his relationship with Dr. Craig or Fiscus and anyone he comes in contact with. The subtle back-stories (like in the first year when in the first five episodes a nurse or orderly would make a comment about things missing from the supply room and by episode 6, the Bird man appears sitting in a nest that he had built from the missing supplies from the cabinet) are brilliant. And who could forget Dr. Morrison's face when he bent over to listen to his wife's heart (who died tragically without warning) in the body of the transplant patient after the surgery in the recovery room . I still get choked up at the thought of that heart wrenching moment. St. Elsewhere set the bar for ensemble drama's and the ER's and Grey's Anatomy's of the world are sophomoric by comparison. I had the good sense to tape every episode by the middle of the first year...so I have St. Elsewhere at my beck and call. I urge anyone who demands quality and intelligence in television drama to find St. Elsewhere in syndication or on DVD (if available.) It defies the norm, tackles subject that are still being avoided on television today. Hopefully it will be acknowledged as one of the best television has (had) to offer.
buchan1965
As groundbreaking as it was for the early 80s, unfortunately, St. Elsewhere hasn't aged well, especially compared to ER. Viewing them side by side, St. Elsewhere is quite a cheesy-type soap opera (yeah, ER has soap-like aspects, but it's a TON more realistic than St. Elsewhere ever was), with stilted, cliched plots.Too bad, though, that they can't work a way to get Dr. Craig to transfer to Chicago to replace Romano on ER -- that was one character worth saving :)