With today’s talk of health care, the show seems like out of another world. “Doctor’s making house calls? Dr. Welby carrying around a little black bag and diagnosing people at will without worrying about insurance? What kind of socialized conspiracy are we seeing here?”
The show had enough of a following that in its day it was one of the most popular shows. In its second season, it was the highest rated show on television.
It is now being released in a seven DVD set from Shout! Factory.
This set features all 26 episodes from the the 1969 to 1970 season. What should make this of particular interest for film fans is that one of the episodes was directed by Steven Spielberg.
The set opens with A MATTER OF HUMANITIES, the 2 hour pilot TV movie that set up the series, with Welby hiring Kiley to run his practice with him. This aired on March 26, 1969. The show would begin in September of 1969 and run for the next seven years.
The episodes are:
A MATTER OF HUMANITIES (3/26/69) - The pilot film.
HELLO, GOODBYE, HELLO (9/23/69) - A woman has only a few months left to live.
THE FOAL (9/30/69) - Welby helps an autistic child.
DON’T IGNORE THE MIRACLES (10/7/69) - A woman wants to have an abortion after finding out her husband is cheating on her.
SILKEN THREADS AND SILVER HOOKS (10/14/69) - A man wants to film a documentary on his wife who has had a stroke.
ALL FLAGS FLYING (10/21/69) - A veteran wants to take a life threatening voyage.
ECHO OF A BABY’S LAUGH (10/28/69) - A woman has a difficult pregnancy.
THE WHITE CANE 911/14/69) - A blind man gets his sight back.
THE VRAHNA’S DEMON (11/11/69) - A diver learns he has emphysema.
MADONNA WITH KNAPSACK AND FLUTE (11/18/69) - A pregnant woman has mono.
HOMECOMING (11/25/69) - The doctors treat an LSD user.
LET ERNEST COME OVER (12/9/69) - A policeman wants to keep his condition quiet.
THE CHEMISTRY OF HOPE (12/16/69) - A boy with leukemia doesn’t know of his condition due to his parents waning to keep it secret.
NEITHER PUNCH NOR JUDY (12/23/69) - A priest has asthma.
DIAGNOSIS: FEAR (12/30/69) - A man goes to a faith healer rather than a doctor.
THE SOFT PHRASE OF PEACE (1/6/70) - A man is injured in a demonstration.
FUN AND GAMES AND MICHAEL AMBROSE (1/13/70) - A diabetic refuses to take insulin.
THE LEGACY (1/27/70) - A woman has a tumor and has to deal with her roommate, a heart patient.
DANCE TO NO MUSIC (2/3/70) - A scientist may have a hereditary disease.
GO GET ‘EM TIGER (2/10/70) - Dr. Kiley has to give a physical to a friend.
NOBODY WANTS A FAT JOCKEY (2/17/70) - A jockey has to lose weight.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CHART (2/24/70) - Dr. Kiley has chicken pox.
THE MERELY SYNDROME (3/3/70) - A woman has seizures.
SEA OF SECURITY (3/10/70) - An oceanography student is told not to dive.
THE DAREDEVIL GESTURE (3/17/70) - Dr. Welby is told to keep a hemophiliac’s condition a secret. This is the episode directed by Steven Spielberg.
ENID (3/24/70) - A woman may be addicted to prescription drugs.
THE REBEL DOCTOR (4/14/70) - A doctor tries to keep his clinic open.
The only extra is a very nice booklet with an episode breakdown.
SHOULD I BUY IT?
While it may be dated by today’s standards, for those with memories of the show, this is a very nice set.
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