The Doctors

[Paul Raven]

Around this time August 67 The Doctors was winning its time period up against Art Linkletter on CBS and Dream Girl 67 on ABC.

NBC must have been thrilled with Rita Lakin's work as that was the first time TD had beaten Linkletter.

As a result Dream Girl was dropped for something called 'The Baby Game'which began Jan 1st 68 and lasted until July 68.

Later in 68,CBS would drop Art Linkletter after 15 years in that slot and The Doctors would go up against The Guiding Light.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Paul Raven

[Paul Raven]

Al Hinckley as Ralph Anderson

Mary Jordan as Greta Powers

John Carpenter as Fred Harrison

[slick jones]

I've never seen Jordan in a list as Greta. I love that the credits cover the guest stars and short term characters.

Wet Blanket Werner needs to find that new place ASAP. I'm sure Althea's not interested in another roommate......

I guess it's time for her to take a ride on the community Lothario soon..

Does Matt need her to walk up to him naked to get the hint?? Geez, he's what I call "Book Smart People Stupid".

[amybrickwallace]

Yup, the most recent cast crawls have Bill, Ruth, and Danny Winters and (*sob*) Dr. John Rice gone, and the addition of the people Paul Raven mentioned.

I don't know what to make of these Anderson people so far. I wonder what Althea and then Matt will do about Lila's serious condition.

Finally, Nick Bellini has found a lab assistant with staying power (from what I read, they will be working together for the next several years and become confidantes). Good for Martha for not letting him get to her while still politely standing up for herself. I did have to laugh when he saw the curtains and plants and yelled, "What is this - a botanical garden?"

I'm sure the temperature in that clinic was about as cold as it is outside in Ohio right now with that exchange between Maggie and Karen. I love that Maggie isn't even trying to hide her hostility towards Karen anymore. The side eyes are now full (and narrowed) eyes that shoot out laser beams, she speaks in flat monosyllables and lets the occasional catty remark slip through.

Althea may be in the market for a new roommate after all - or two. Don't be surprised if a fed up Maggie packs up Greta and shows up at her best friend's doorstep.

Totally agreed about Matt. She could lie completely unclad on his office desk and say, "Take me, I'm yours" and he would say, "Karen, of course you can still stay in our house. Maggie was wrong."

Too bad Nathan Bunker isn't seeing all this going on. He'd sniff out Karen's motives in less than a second!!

Edited November 22, 2014 by amybrickwallace

[DRW50]

James Noble and Ann Whiteside are mentioned in TV PIcture Life material up to October 1968, so there's a decent chance we'll see them again.

[SoapDope]

The Lila Anderson story has me interested for some reason. I want to see how they handle this on 1968 daytime.

The husband Ralph seems like the sterotypical 60's husband that screams at his wife, thinks she's a ninny, knows whats best for her, tells her how to think and feel etc.....

[amybrickwallace]

Ralph and Lila Anderson make Bill and Ruth Winters' marriage look like all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, all the time!! (Before they made up and adopted Danny, that is.)

[amybrickwallace]

In today's episode, we finally meet Dr. Ed Stark, who already has an adversary (and you'll never guess who it is, LOL). It will be interesting to see how he fits into Hope Memorial. Does anyone know how long he stays on the show?

The second episode - oh boy. Steve and Liz could (and should) have gotten it a whole lot worse from Dr. Powers than they did. Actually, Liz probably did when Matt gave her a new assignment - where she will be working in the hospital from now on and most importantly, with whom. I'll bet the person(s) who are already working there will be thrilled!!

[jam6242]

I'm so upset about Bunker. He'd better be all right after all he's put us through, lol.

[Avatar610]

When I saw him on the floor I shouted "Oh my God- it's Nathan Bunker!"- who guessed that a few weeks ago any of us would have sympathy for the old codger? Did anyone get the Otis Redding reference in Ed's speech about squirrels and boats? He talked about 'watching the ships come in' or something similar, and I expected him to sing "Dock of the Bay"! I was so hoping to have Carolee walk in on Steve and Liz, but Dr. Powers did just enough damage. Why does Nick always manage to be such a jerk to new people at Hope Memorial: Karen, Steve, and now Ed Stark! I bet he was also rude when John Rice first came on the show.

BTW, just how did the show's hairdresser wind all that hair on Liz Hubbard's head? She had pretty long hair back then!

[amybrickwallace]

Liz Hubbard had a very beautiful blond mane!! I too wonder how the hair department managed it and got it always looking so good.

Maybe Nick being a jerk to all the newcomers is like an initiation of some kind. LOL But I had to laugh when he said he hoped that Karen would stay in Europe. No doubt much of the staff (and the audience!) feels the same way!!

I too felt bad for Nathan Bunker. Matt and Nick both seemed greatly troubled at the news that he had fallen. It's a testament to Rita Lakin's writing and especially House Jameson's portrayal that Nathan Bunker has transformed from most-hated character to someone so beloved by both the other characters and the audience.

[amybrickwallace]

Well, Dr. Ed Stark is officially on the staff of Hope Memorial. I look forward to seeing him and Nick work together, and have Martha fuss over him, too. Somehow I think he'll take it more in stride. LOL

Ed's talk with Matt in the first episode about the war, about life and the lack of hope he had is still sadly relevant today. It's also eerily prophetic that less than a week after this episode aired, Martin Luther King was killed.

I love how Nick confided in Nathan Bunker about Ed's outlook in the second episode. Nathan's response was incredible. Yet again, House Jameson knocked it out of the park.

Also in the second episode, watch Gerald Gordon flub a line and James Pritchett helps him out. Nick was supposed to say "are we supposed to spoon feed the guy?" and the line ended up coming out "spoon the guy?". You could tell James Pritchett was starting to crack up when he came to the rescue with "you mean, spoon feed?". Both men laughed - I would say both in and out of character. Yet, it made the scene seem so natural.

Dr. Steve, you bad, bad boy!! You owe Carolee three hundred dozen roses for her good deed.

[amybrickwallace]

Another irony that has cracked me up - Steve grumbling that John Rice owes him a million hours of sleep. Dr. "All Rich" (as Dr. Bellini has so eloquently called him) has led a very charmed life, while his cousin lived on practically no sleep and lots of coffee but still did his job efficiently. Now he is enjoying a well-deserved inheritance of a trip to Europe to have fun, with a certain pretty girl at his side. Apparently, Dr. Steve doesn't like the shoe on the other foot!! LOL

[Avatar610]

I loved when Carolee touched where Steve had touched her face- yes, she is definitely carrying a torch for the bad boy! About actor Conrad Roberts (who played Ed Stark- he is still alive!)- he was born in Antigua and spent time in England before coming to the US, which explains his accent. It's ironic that the show has just cast its first major black character within days of a major tragedy about to loom offscreen. And then, two months later.... Well, I wonder if the show was pre-empted in those dark days.

[amybrickwallace]

I was wondering about his accent. Thanks for sharing the info.

Also, I wonder if the daytime programming across the board was preempted for the funerals of MLK and RFK. I'm pretty sure they probably were.

On a lighter note, did anyone else giggle at the "spoon" line in today's second episode? But I am glad that Nick is willing to give Ed a chance.

Yup, Carolee still has it bad for the bad boy!! Actually, it's a good thing she found him instead of Liz. He'd probably try for a quickie right then and there!!