St. Elsewhere

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This article is about the television drama. For the album by Gnarls Barkley, see St. Elsewhere (album).
St. Elsewhere
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Genre Soap opera
Medical Drama
Created by Joshua Brand
John Falsey
Developed by Mark Tinker
John Masius
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Theme music composer Dave Grusin
Composer(s) Dave Grusin
J.A.C. Redford
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 6
No. of episodes 137 (list of episodes)
Production
Production location(s) CBS Studio Center
Studio City, Los Angeles, California
Running time 45–48 minutes
Production company(s) MTM Enterprises
Distributor 20th Television
Release
Original network NBC
Audio format Monaural (seasons 1–5)
Stereo (season 6)
Original release October 26, 1982 (1982-10-26) –
May 25, 1988 (1988-05-25)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series starred Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels as teaching doctors at an aging, underrated Boston hospital who gave 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; both 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"). St. Elsewhere was filmed at CBS/MTM Studios, which was known as CBS/Fox Studios when the show began; coincidentally, 20th Century Fox owns the rights to the series when it bought MTM Enterprises in the 1990s.

Known for its combination of gritty, realistic drama, St. Elsewhere gained a small yet loyal following (the series did not rank higher than 49th place in the yearly Nielsen ratings) over its six-season, 137-episode run; the series also found a strong audience in Nielsen's 18-49 age demographic, a young demo later known for a young, affluent audience that TV advertisers were eager to reach.[1] The series also earned critical acclaim during its run, earning 13 Emmy Awards for its writing, acting, and directing. St. Elsewhere was ranked #20 on TV Guide's 2002 list of "The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time",[2] with the magazine also selecting it as the best drama series of the 1980s in a 1993 issue.[3] In 2013, TV Guide ranked the series #51 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.[4]

Overview

St. Elsewhere was set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood. (The Franklin Square House Apartments in Boston stood in for the hospital in establishing shots, including the series' opening sequence.) (Before becoming apartments it was originally the St. James Hotel in Boston.) The hospital's nickname, "St. Elsewhere," is a slang term used in the medical industry 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 (to the further detriment of St. Eligius's reputation). In the pilot episode, surgeon Dr. Mark Craig (William Daniels's character) informed 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, and is passingly referred to by Dr. Wayne Fiscus as "the patron saint of longshoremen and bowlers." (Eligius is neither; he is patron saint of numismatists, metalworkers, and horses.)

Just as in Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere employed a large ensemble cast; a gritty, "realistic" visual style; and a profusion of interlocking serialized stories, many of which continued over the course of several episodes, if not multiple seasons. In the same way Hill Street was regarded as a groundbreaking police drama, St. Elsewhere would also break new ground in medical dramas, creating a template that would influence ER, Chicago Hope, and other later shows in the genre. St. Elsewhere portrayed the medical profession as an admirable but less-than-perfect endeavor; the St. Eligius staff, while mostly having good intentions in serving their patients, all had their own personal and professional problems, with the two often intertwining. The staff's problems, and those of their patients (some of whom didn't survive), were often contemporary in nature, with storylines involving breast cancer, AIDS, and addiction. Though the series dealt with serious issues of life, death, the medical profession, and the human effects of all three, a substantial amount of black comedic moments and inside jokes and references to TV history were included, as well as tender moments of humanity.[5]

The producers for the series were Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Masius, Tom Fontana, John Falsey and Abby Singer. Tinker, Masius, Fontana, and Paltrow wrote a number of episodes as well; other writers included John Tinker, John Ford Noonan, Charles H. Eglee, Eric Overmyer, Channing Gibson, and Aram Saroyan.

The show's main and end title theme was composed by famed jazz musician and composer Dave Grusin. Noted film and TV composer J.A.C. Redford wrote the music for the series (except for the pilot, which was scored by Grusin). No soundtrack was ever released, but the theme was released in two different versions: the original TV mix and edit appeared on TVT Records' compilation Television's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3: 70s & 80s, and Grusin recorded a full-length version (4:13) for inclusion on his Night Lines album, released in 1983.

Cast and characters

File:St Elsewhere.jpg
The cast of St. Elsewhere (first season, 1982–1983)

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See also: List of St. Elsewhere characters

Along with established actors Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels, St. Elsewhere's ensemble cast included David Morse, Alfre Woodard, Bruce Greenwood, Christina Pickles, Kyle Secor, Ed Begley, Jr., Stephen Furst, Howie Mandel, Mark Harmon, Denzel Washington and Helen Hunt. Notable guest stars included Tim Robbins, whose first major role was in the series' first three episodes (as domestic terrorist Andrew Reinhardt), and Doris Roberts and James Coco, who both earned Emmy Awards for their season-one appearance as, respectively, a bag lady and her mentally challenged husband.

Episodes

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Main article: List of St. Elsewhere 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 28, 1988

St. Elsewhere ran for six seasons and 137 episodes; the first season (1982–1983) 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:

"Newheart"

Original air date: November 9, 1983

Dr. Morrison learns of the death of his wife, Nina (with whom he had an argument in an early scene of this episode), 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 crossover that found Drs. Westphall, Auschlander, and Craig getting together at that other Boston TV institution, the namesake setting of the comedy series Cheers. The scene, which was filmed on the main Cheers soundstage (Stage 25 at the Paramount Studios lot) and not entirely done for laughs, finds the bar's hypochondriac know-it-all Cliff Clavin, trying and failing to gain free medical advice from the doctors; Auschlander confronting his former accountant, Norm Peterson; and barmaid Carla Tortelli voicing her displeasure with the doctors regarding her stay in St. Eligius two years earlier for the birth of her baby. The scene ends with Westphall announcing to his two colleagues that he has decided to leave St. Eligius and medicine, a short-lived departure as Westphall would return in the Season 4 premiere.

"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 Edward Herrmann), the arrivals of Dr. Auschlander and Nurse Rosenthal, the early struggles of Mark Craig and his relationship with his mentor (which mirrored Craig's later mentoring of Dr. Ehrlich), the death of Dr. Westphall's wife, and Dr. Morrison simultaneously dealing with an overdose patient and the disappearance of his son. TV Guide ranked "Time Heals" #44 on its 1997 list of "100 Greatest Episodes of All Time", calling the episode "a masterwork of dramatic writing."[6]

"After Life"

Original air date: November 26, 1986

This episode deals with the shooting of Dr. Wayne Fiscus, who is critically wounded while trying to capture fireflies in the park across from St. Eligius during a break from rounds. 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 managed health care concern. (The use of "Ecumena" garnered some real-life controversy, as Humana thought the use of that name sounded too much like its own; the protest prompted NBC to begin airing post-episode disclaimers stating that Ecumena was indeed fictional.).[7] Ecumena's choice to head St. Eligius, Dr. John Gideon, would mix like oil and water with the St. Eligius staff, especially Dr. Westphall, who, in the final scene of this episode (and Ed Flanders's last moment as a St. Elsewhere series regular), delivers his resignation "in terms you can understand" — by dropping his pants and exposing his bare buttocks to Gideon ("You can kiss my ass, pal"). This scene, which would normally be considered controversial, was preserved by NBC's censors as they did not consider Westphall's display to be erotic in nature.[8]

"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 Last One"

File:TommyWestphall-TheLastOne-1988.jpg
Tommy holds the St. Eligius snow globe in the final moments of "The Last One."

Original air date: May 25, 1988

St. Elsewhere's series finale featured momentous changes for several main characters, including the departure of Dr. Morrison and the death of Dr. Auschlander, as well as the return of Donald Westphall to an active leadership role at St. Eligius after Ecumena agrees to sell the hospital back to the Boston archdiocese. The finale is more known for its provocative final scene: Westphall and his son Tommy Westphall (played by Chad Allen), who has autism, are seen in his office watching snow falling outside. The image cuts to an exterior shot of the hospital. At that moment, Tommy and Daniel Auschlander are seen in an apartment building, with Tommy playing with a snow globe. Donald arrives home from a day of work, and it is clear from the uniform he wears and the dialog in this scene that he works in construction. "Auschlander" is revealed to be Donald's father, and thus Tommy's grandfather. Donald laments to his father, "I don't understand this autism thing, Pop. Here's my son. I talk to him. I don't even know if he can hear me, because he sits there, all day long, in his own world, staring at that toy. What's he thinking about?" As Tommy shakes the snow globe, he is told by his father to come and wash his hands for dinner. Donald places the snow globe on the family's television set and walks into the kitchen with Tommy and Auschlander; as they leave the room, the camera closes in on the snow globe—which holds a replica of St. Eligius.[9]

The most common interpretation of this scene is that the entire series of events in the series St. Elsewhere had been a product of Tommy Westphall's imagination, with elements of the above scene used as its own evidence.[10][11] One of the results of this has been an attempt by individuals to determine how many television shows are also products of Tommy Westphall's mind because of shared fictional characters: the "Tommy Westphall Universe".

"The Last One's" closing credits differed from those of the rest of the series. In all other episodes, the credits appeared over a still image of an ongoing surgical operation, followed by the traditional MTM Productions black-backgrounded logo, featuring Mimsie the cat in a cartoon surgical cap and mask; here, the credits appeared on a black background, flanked by an electrocardiogram and other medical equipment, with Mimsie lying on her side at the top of the screen; at the end of the credits, the heart monitor flatlines, marking Mimsie's death and the end of St. Elsewhere. Ironically, Mimsie the Cat would pass away shortly after the airing of the "The Last One" at the age of 20, in 1988.

"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.[12] In 2011, the finale was ranked #12 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales.[13]

Allusions, crossovers, and homages

St. Elsewhere was known for the insertion of several allusions, large and small, to classic movie, 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 would periodically summon 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 one episode, Coolidge passed guest star Timothy Van Patten (another Shadow alumnus) in an elevator and called out "Salami! It's me, Warren Coolidge!"; Van Patten, playing a different character, didn't recognize him.
  • Another episode saw Amnesiac John Doe #6, a recurring character played by Oliver Clark, watching an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show on a hospital TV and started believing himself to be that series' lead character Mary Richards; during the episode, Doe greeted a visiting Naval officer (from a concurrent storyline) as Moore's Sue Anne Nivens; the officer, played by Betty White (who played Sue Anne) responds, "I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else."
  • In the same episode in which John Doe believed he was Mary Richards, he 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 "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".

St. Elsewhere was also host to one crossover, served as the source material for two others, and has been paid homage to in several ways:

  • 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; the episode saw the actors not reprising their St. Elsewhere characters but rather guest as a quartet of doctors that fell sick at a medical convention. The episode was part of a week-long series of events honoring NBC's 75th Anniversary.[14]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
1986 American Cinema Editors' Eddie Award Best Edited Episode from a Television Series Robert P. Seppey (For episode "Haunted") Won
1987 John Heath (For episode "Afterlife") Nominated
1988 Robert P. Seppey (For episode "The Idiot and the Odyssey") Won
1985 Casting Society of America's Artios Award Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Episodic Eugene Blythe Nominated
1986 Won
1987 Nominated
1988 Nominated
1985 Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directing – Drama Series David Anspaugh (For episode "Fade to White") Nominated
Mark Tinker (For episode "Sweet Dreams") Nominated
1987 Mark Tinker (For episode "Afterlife") Nominated
1988 Mark Tinker (For episode "Weigh In, Way Out") Nominated
1989 Mark Tinker (For episode "The Last One") Nominated
1985 Golden Globe Award Best Television Series – Drama Nominated
1986 Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Ed Begley Jr. Nominated
1987 Best Television Series – Drama Nominated
1988 Nominated
1983 Humanitas Prize 60 Minute Category Tom Fontana, John Falsey and Joshua Brand (For episode "Rain") Nominated
1984 John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "All About Eve") Nominated
John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Ties That Bind") Nominated
1985 John Masius and Tom Fontana Won
1986 Channing Gibson, John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Sancturary") Nominated
1987 Channing Gibson, John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "A Room with a View") Nominated
John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Where There's Hope, There's Crosby") Nominated
1985 Peabody Award NBC Television and MTM Enterprises Won
1983 People's Choice Award Favorite New TV Dramatic Program Won
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Masius, John Falsey and Joshua Brand Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series William Daniels Nominated
Ed Flanders Won
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Ed Begley Jr. Nominated
James Coco Won
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Christina Pickles Nominated
Doris Roberts Won
Outstanding Art Direction for a Series James Hulsey, Jacqueline Webber, Ernie Bishop and Michele Guiol (For the pilot episode) Nominated
Outstanding Film Sound Editing for a Series Sam Horta, Donald W. Ernst, Jerelyn J. Harding, Avram D. Gold, Constance A. Kazmer and Gary Krivacek (For episode "Working") Nominated
Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series Dean Vernon, John Asman, Bill Nicholson and Ken S. Polk (For episode "The Count") Nominated
1984 Outstanding Drama Series Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Masius, Tom Fontana and Abby Singer Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series William Daniels Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Ed Begley Jr. Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Piper Laurie Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "All About Eve") Nominated
John Masius, Tom Fontana, Garn Stephens and Emilie R. Small (For episode "Newheart") Nominated
Mark Tinker, John Tinker, John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Qui Transulit Sustinet") Nominated
John Ford Noonan, John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "The Women") Won
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) J.A.C. Redford (For episode "In Sickness and in Health") Nominated
Outstanding Art Direction for a Series Jacqueline Webber (For episode "After Dark") Nominated
1985 Outstanding Drama Series Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Masius, Tom Fontana and Abby Singer Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series William Daniels Won
Ed Flanders Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Ed Begley Jr. Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Christina Pickles Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series John Masius, Tom Fontana and Steve Bello (For episode "Murder, She Rote") Nominated
John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Sweet Dreams") Nominated
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) J.A.C. Redford (For episode "Fade to White") Nominated
Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series Dean Vernon, John Asman, Bill Nicholson and Ken S. Polk (For episode "Sweet Dreams") Nominated
1986 Outstanding Drama Series Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Masius, Tom Fontana and Abby Singer Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series William Daniels Won
Ed Flanders Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Alfre Woodard Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Ed Begley Jr. Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Bonnie Bartlett Won
Christina Pickles Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Charles H. Eglee, John Tinker, Channing Gibson, John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Haunted") Nominated
Tom Fontana, John Tinker and John Masius (For episode "Time Heals") Won
Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series Edward Herrmann Nominated
Outstanding Art Direction for a Series Jacqueline Webber and Norman Rockett (For episode "Time Heals") Won
Outstanding Costuming for a Series Susan Smith, Robert M. Moore, Charles Drayman, Anne Hartley and Kathy O'Rear (For episode "Time Heals") Won
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Kevin Spears, Mark R. Crookston, Andrea Horta, Constance A. Kazmer, Brian F. Mars, John O. Robinson III and Dan Garde (For episode "Time Heals: Part I") Nominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series William Gazecki, Andy MacDonald, Bill Nicholson and Blake Wilcox (For episode "Time Heals: Part II") Won
1987 Outstanding Drama Series Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Masius, Tom Fontana and Abby Singer Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series William Daniels Nominated
Ed Flanders Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Ed Begley Jr. Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Bonnie Bartlett Won
Christina Pickles Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series John Tinker, Tom Fontana and John Masius (For episode "Afterlife") Nominated
Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series Steve Allen Nominated
Edward Herrmann Nominated
Jayne Meadows Nominated
Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production John Heath (For episode "Afterlife") Nominated
1988 Outstanding Drama Series Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Tinker, Channing Gibson and Abby Singer Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Ed Begley Jr. Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Bonnie Bartlett Nominated
Christina Pickles Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, Tom Fontana, John Tinker and Channing Gibson (For episode "The Last One") Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Mark Tinker (For episode "Weigh In, Way Out") Won
Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series Lainie Kazan Nominated
Alfre Woodard Nominated
1985 Television Critics Association Award Program of the Year Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Drama Nominated
1986 Nominated
1987 Program of the Year Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Drama Nominated
1988 Program of the Year Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Drama Won
1986 Viewers for Quality Television Award Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series William Daniels Won
1987 Won
Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series Bonnie Bartlett Won
1984 Writers Guild of America Award Episodic Drama John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Addiction") Nominated
1985 John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Hello and Goodbye") Nominated
John Ford Noonan, John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "The Women") Nominated
1986 John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "Sweet Dreams") Nominated
1987 John Masius, Bruce Paltrow and Tom Fontana (For episode "Remembrance of Things Past") Won
1988 Channing Gibson, John Masius and Tom Fontana (For episode "A Room with a View") Nominated
1989 Tom Fontana, John Tinker and Channing Gibson (For episode "A Moon for the Misbegotten") Nominated

Film adaptation

In May 2003, Walden Media announced a partnership with Roth Films to create a film adaptation of the television series. The film would be re-designed to be similar to Walden's project, Holes.

Reruns

After its initial run, reruns of St. Elsewhere aired for a time in syndication, with later runs on Nick at Nite, TV Land, Bravo and AmericanLife TV. Also a popular series in the United Kingdom, St. Elsewhere has been aired twice by two independent British broadcasters. Channel 4 aired the series between 1983 and 1989, with Sky One later airing repeats in a daily Midday timeslot during 1992–93. In 2009, Channel 4 began showing the series again, usually at around 03:30AM, and have repeated the entire series several times since then. All 137 episodes are also available to view online at 4OD.

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 orogramming block called Nick at Nite's TV Land Sampler. St. Elsewhere was among 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 would air 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.[15]

DVD releases

On November 28, 2006, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the complete first season of St. Elsewhere on DVD in Region 1.[16] It is unknown if the remaining five seasons will be released at some point.

In Region 2, Channel 4 DVD released the first season on DVD in the UK on April 2, 2007.[17] All episodes have been made available on Channel 4's UK on-demand internet stream 4OD (4 On-Demand) in the UK and Ireland, though these episodes are edited versions for syndication and not as they were originally aired.

Currently, episodes from season 1 are available on Hulu.

References and further reading

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "100 Episodes: St. Elsewhere," essay from The AV Club, 3/12/2012
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. ↑ "NBC's Stylish 'St. Elsewhere,'" review from The New York Times, 11/16/1982
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ "'St. Elsewhere' Told to Carry Disclaimer" from The New York Times, October 2, 1987
  8. ↑ Source: "St. Elsewhere: A Moon for the Misbegotten," from IMDB
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ TV's Most Unforgettable Finales – Aired May 22, 2011 on TV Guide Network
  14. ↑ Scrubs: "My Sacrificial Clam", from IMDB.com
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Robert J. Thompson, Television's Second Golden Age (1996)
  • David Bianculli, Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously (1992)
  • David Bianculli, Dictionary of Teleliteracy: Television's 500 Biggest Hits, Misses, and Events (1997)
  • Joseph Turow, Playing Doctor: Television, Storytelling, and Medical Power (1989)

External links

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