A college grid star, potential Heisman trophy recipient and big pro football draft choice, is plagued by a mysterious ailment, but refuses treatment in fear of jeopardizing his career.A college grid star, potential Heisman trophy recipient and big pro football draft choice, is plagued by a mysterious ailment, but refuses treatment in fear of jeopardizing his career.A college grid star, potential Heisman trophy recipient and big pro football draft choice, is plagued by a mysterious ailment, but refuses treatment in fear of jeopardizing his career.
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Did you know
- TriviaThis pilot film for the popular medical drama turned out to be the only shared credit of Edward G. Robinson, who was originally cast to play Dr. Zaius in the preceding year's Planet of the Apes (1968), and Maurice Evans who ended up playing the role in the finished film and its first sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). Test footage had even been shot with Robinson in an early version of the simian makeup, acting opposite Charlton Heston who would be the film's star and also appear in that next installment, Linda Harrison who would play Nova in those same two first films of the saga (in the test footage as the originally intended Zira) and James Brolin (as the originally intended Cornelius) who would not finally appear in any of the "Apes" films although he would go on to play Dr. Steven Kiley in this series' main rival medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969). Also present in this pilot, the original "Apes" film would also star James Daly who would continue his role here as Dr. Paul Lochner throughout the "Medical Center" series. And another actor here, William Windom, would appear in the third "Apes" film Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) playing the President of the United States.
- ConnectionsFollows Medical Center (1969)
Featured review
Why did they choose Chad Everett to replace Richard Bradford in "Medical Center"?
Richard Bradford played Dr. Joe Gannon in this pilot for "Medical Center". Richard Bradford had previously starred as loner private detective McGill in the cult private eye series "Man in a Suitcase". Bradford put on a bit of weight after making this pilot and went on to a distinguished career as character actor. Chad Everett was an enormous success in the series that followed this pilot, but I wonder if producer Frank Glicksman could have done even better. My choice would have been Roy Thinnes (who worked for Glicksman in "The Long, Hot Summer"). To me, Roy projected more depth, intelligence, and compassion than Chad. James Daly, who played Gannon's boss Dr. Lochner, was a fine actor, but they didn't give him much to work with in terms of character or screen time. (It was in Everett's contract that he had to be in virtually every scene.) I would have made Dr. Lochner a stronger, more volatile character-an equal to Dr. Gannon rather than a mild father figure. My choice for Dr. Lochner would have been Robert Lansing (who worked for producer Glicksman in "12 O'Clock High"). Maybe Lansing's character could have been a burnout similar to George C. Scott in "The Hospital". Thinnes and Lansing going at each other could have given this show much more dramatic tension, if their characters were strongly written. As it was, "Medical Center" was a watchable, entertaining show. But I think Frank Glicksman was much more shrewd in casting Pernell Roberts as "Trapper John, M.D.". That's casting I won't second guess.
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- Cheyenne-Bodie
- Mar 11, 2006
Details
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 4:3
- 1.33 : 1
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