The Doctors

[FrenchFan]

Thanks saynotoursoap, you should write an history book about soaps, I would certainly buy it

Carl, Tom Carroll was M.J.'s husband. He was the guy who molested M.J.'s nephew she was taking care of after her relatives died on her wedding day.

[MichaelGL]

Thanks so much saynotoursoap for this information, it was very well needed by me.

Interesting I dind't know Luke owned a club across from the hospital named Andre's. I just learned of this today from FrenchFan's recaps from the 70s(Thank you so much for those!).

In regards to Marland's tenure, I can see where having Maggie physically cheat on Matt was a little too much to take for older viewers. Emotional affair; okay, but to sleep with Kyle, who was also married was quite a leap of faith for fans.

A few questions:

What about the Medicine Man, what was it?

What happened to Barney, did he die as well?

What happened to Nick? Was he still alive when the show went off the air?

What was the story of Erich's bio mom, Karen? How did she exit the show?

Edited July 25, 2010 by MichaelGL

[DRW50]

Here's the SOD recap from their December 1978 issue.

Greta's baby, LeeAnn, is doing well but Greta is not. She has contracted an infection of the uterus and has a very high fever. As usual, Matt and Maggie are blaming Carolee, saying she did not use sterile equipment at the cabin when Greta's baby was being born. Matt and Maggie feel that, had Greta been attended by a physician instead of a midwife, she never would have been ill in the first place. Also par for the course, is Matt and Maggie's not bothering to tell Billy how ill Greta is. When he shows up at the hospital with flowers for Greta and a teddy bear for the baby, he learns of the seriousness of her condition. He is furious. How dare Matt and Maggie continue to try and exclude him? Billy also wonders where his mother Carolee is and is astounded to learn from his father Steve that he asked Carolee not to be present. Steve explains Matt and Maggie's feelings about Carolee and intimates that on some level he agrees with them.

DOREEN DOES IT AGAIN

Doreen continues to go after her ex-husband Jason Aldrich. She feels that because she is dying of leukemia, she has a right to do whatever she wants with whomever she wants and damn who gets hurt. In this case, Doreen has decided that since Jason's new wife Nola is young and reasonably attractive, she can find another man, whereas Doreen believes her time on this earth is limited.

The death of Colin's patient will not soon be forgotten. Colin will not forgive Mike Powers for fighting with him and causing a hand injury; thus making it impossible for Colin to operate. Colin tells his nurse and would-be-lover M.J. that he plains to bring Mike up on charges before the hospital board and ask that his license be revoked. M.J. pleads with Colin to let bygones be bygones but Colin says he must do what he must do.

Later that evening Colin stops by M.J.'s apartment for dinner...but would much rather make love first. M.J. confesses that she, too, would like to make love, but just doesn't feel right. Colin leaves in an angry huff, not understanding that M.J. is still mourning the loss of her husband Tom.

Doreen wants Jason to accompany her to New York for the weekend to buy some kitchen equipment for the restaurant they jointly own, The Medicine Man. Jason refuses to go until Doreen suggests that his wife Nola join then. Doreen tells Nola that she has no designs on Jason whatsoever and to prove it would like very much for Nola to join them this weekend. Nola agrees and Doreen begins to carry out her plot.

She tells Jason to go on ahead and tells Nola the two of them should meet at the airport at 5 P.M.. Then Doreen goes to the airport at 3 P.M.. When Nola arrives at 5, the plane is booked and Doreen is gone!

Nola is in a dither. She tries to buy a ticket but the 5 P.M. flight is all booked. She calls the hotel in New York Doreen was to have made reservations at, only to find they have no information. Nola is furious, she feels she has been had. She believes Jason and Doreen planned to go to New York without her and she leaves the airport in a huff. She decides to bury her problems in liquor at The Medicine Man.

BAD MOVE, NOLA

While Nola is on her way to The Medicine Man, Colin is too. After being told by M.J. that she is not prepared to have a sexual relationship with him, Colin decides to drown his anger in drink at The Medicine Man also. So...the two pride-damaged people wind up at the same table and Nola winds up becoming quite drunk. Colin invites her to his hotel room and she goes. When they arrive there, he invites her to his bed and she goes.

M.J. is in her apartment telling Carolee about what happened with Colin. Carolee suggests that M.J. not give up on Colin and try to patch things up. While they are talking, Carolee finds out just how serious Greta's illness is and becomes quite upset. She doesn't understand why no one told her; she doesn't understand why she had to hear the news from M.J.

There is a new nurses' aide at Hope Memorial, Missy Palmer. She has met Luke and there seems to be a mutual attraction.

When Jason, in New York, realized that his wife was not there, he became very concerned. Doreen tried to make him believe that Nola had stopped off at a bar somewhere and was probably drunk. Doreen tried to seduce Jason into forgetting about his wife but he wasn't interested in Doreen. He took the next plane out of New York City, much to Doreen's upset.

When Steve Aldrich, Jason's brother hearts about the New York fiasco, he suspects Doreen. He later has an opportunity to speak with Doreen and he warns her not to interfere with Jason's life. Doreen ignores his advice.

Colin has made true his threat. He has filed his complaint with every member of the hospital board calling for the immediate removal of Dr. Mike Powers.

CAUGHT!

Nola makes a second mistake. After sleeping with Dr. Wakefield once, she decides she wants to do it again...despite the fact that her husband is home and despite the fact that he has reassured her of his fidelity. Nola calls Colin and arranges to meet with him later promising to call and confirm. Colin is a wee bit hesitant but Nola insists. Once her plans are finalized, she leaves word for Colin at the hotel desk. Mistake Number Three. (Colin Wakefield and Doreen Aldrich both have suites at the Madison Arms Hotel.)

It just so happens that when Doreen leaves the hotel, the desk clerk mentions that Dr. Wakefield has not yet picked up her note. Her note? She has no idea what the clerk is talking about. He reads her the message...the message that says Mrs. Aldrich will meet with Dr. Wakefield in his suite at 7 P.M." It is a bright day for the devious Doreen. She can't wait to tell Jason the news of his wife's activities. She hurries to The Medicine Man and tells Jason of Nola's whereabouts. Jason defends his wife and remarks about Doreen's malicious ways. She goads him further. "Well then why don't you come with me to Colin's suite and see for yourself?" Jason agrees to do so saying he only wants to prove to himself how mean and nasty she is. They arrive at Colin's suite and Doreen feigns illness outside Colin's door, yelling "Doctor, doctor. Is there a doctor in the house?" Instinctively, Colin removes himself from Nola's warm arms and opens the door...Doreen smugly pushes her way in, with an angry and hurt Jason following behind. Nola is shocked...embarrassed...and thoroughly bewildered. Jason is through. He tells Nola how wrong she's been about his affections for Doreen and how he has spent his every waking moment looking for ways to please her. Jason is leaving...Nola and Madison. He goes home to pack his bags and return to Dallas...for good.

The news of Jason's departure send reverbrations throughout Madison.

Jason's mother Mona is heartbroken, sister-in-law Carolee is stunned. Jason resigns his post as the hospital attorney and the hospital personnel are all shocked by his decision. Nola pleads, begs, cries, cajoles...She offers love, sex, children, undying devotion, anything...Jason says no. He packs and he leaves. The marriage is ended and his life in Madison is ended.

Before leaving Madison, Jason paid Doreen a visit. She donned a black negligee, poured some of her most expensive wine and waited for the arrival of her (she thought) lover-to-be) But Jason had another thing in mind all together. When he arrived, Doreen was all prepared for a long night of loving. Jason surprised her. He told her exactly what he thought of her; of all her lying and treachery. He wondered about kind of "thing" she had become and then he left. Doreen is not used to being treated that way. She will not have it. She decides to punish Jason; to punish all those who are not dying as she believes she is. Doreen's next move will be towards Steve. She will punish Jason by having an affair with Steve!

Mona has taken the departure of her eldest son, her first born, harder than anyone imagined. She begins to wonder why everyone leaves her, and what good her life is now that she is alone. She wonders if she should even bother to continue her life. As if by osmosis, her despair seems transferred to her bodily functions. She experiences shortness of breath and severe pains...As she falls to the floor, she is able to call Steve for help.

STEVE AND DOREEN

Steve is doing his level best to nip Doreen's intentions in the bud. He politely tells her he has more important things to do than to be available for her and her every whim. TO Doreen, though, Steve's rebuff is merely his way of hiding his true feelings. She vows to show everyone that she can get a man; despite her age and despite her health. Will Steve be able to survive the onslaught?

When Nola's father hears that his daughter's marriage is ended, he is heartbroken. He visits with Nola in an effort to cheer her up. To Nola, it is not just a broken marriage she faces, but a broken life. She wonders whether she should return to drinking...Her father gives her a good piece of advice. He tells her his interest is not in how low she can fall, but in how tall she stands. To date, Nola hasn't told anyone Jason found her half dressed in Colin Wakefield's apartment. What will happen if the news gets out?

Edited July 25, 2010 by CarlD2

[saynotoursoap]

What about the Medicine Man, what was it?

After the fire at Andre’s, Luke reopened the club with Doreen Aldrich as a partner, and they christened it The Medicine Man.

What happened to Barney, did he die as well?

Barney had hepatitis. He suffered a heart attack. He was burned when a gas stove at the Medicine Man exploded, but no, he did not die. I believe he moved away to retire, though actor Larry Weber continued to appear as a recurring character until he was hired to play Burton Canfield on Texas in 1982.

What happened to Nick? Was he still alive when the show went off the air?

I assume you mean Nick Bellini. To the best of my knowledge Nick was alive when The Doctors ended. Gerry Gordon left in 1975 to try his luck in Hollywood. The writers had Nick move to Arizona. A year later, the producers lured Gordon back for a brief run, when Carolee Campbell was exiting her part as Carolee Aldrich. In March 1976, The Doctors aired a 90 minute special. Althea fell off a ladder and plunged through a window. Nick returned from Arizona to perform surgery and ended up staying several months. He and Althea almost rekindled their romance, but in the end, they decided that they were too different and would never make a go of it. Nick returned to Arizona at the end of the summer. Then in May of 1977, Althea and Penny moved to Japan. I don’t recall if Nick was ever mentioned when Liz Hubbard finally returned to the show, but I think he remained alive offscreen.

What was the story of Erich's bio mom, Karen? How did she exit the show?

Karen first appeared in the late 60's. She was a fellow doctor at Hope Memorial, a neurotic, insecure woman who came from Germany. Steve Aldrich seduced her for the fun of it and made her pregnant. He married her, but she knew that he did it out of propriety rather than love. Their marriage was very unhappy and complicated by Steve’s interest in Carolee. Karen divorced Steve, kidnapped their son Erich, and flew back to Germany, but the plane crashed, apparently killing everyone on board except for Erich.

In the summer of 1974, Dr. Rolf Trilling came to Madison to visit Carolee and Steve. Trilling had cared for Erich after the plane crash two years earlier. Trilling’s visit prompted Carolee and Steve to tell Erich that Carolee was not his natural mother (Erich had been too young at the time of the accident to remember Karen). Many years before, Trilling had been in love with Karen in Germany. Trilling had a secretary named Ingrid, whose father was also a doctor. Ingrid’s father had treated an amnesia victim. He named the woman Erica Brandt. Erica was sent to Berlin to stay with Ingrid and try to build a life. Erica Brandt was in fact Karen Werner, who had survived the crash. Back in Germany, Trilling phoned Steve and broke the news to him. At first Steve agreed to take Erich to Germany, for doctors thought the sight of her son might trigger Karen’s memory, but Carolee feared that if Karen decided to keep Erich, German law would prevent Steve from taking the child back to the States. Steve went alone, but Karen did not remember him or Erich. She was obsessed with getting her memory back and meeting her son, so she flew to Madison.

Erich was confused by the idea of having two mothers, and Karen’s presence caused him to become withdrawn, agitated, and fearful. Carolee and Steve had instigated legal proceedings to have Carolee declared Erich’s legal mother, and it was decreed. Karen decided to return to Germany, but as the plane was leaving Madison, it hit an icy patch and skidded off the runaway. Karen hit her head, and when she awoke in Hope Memorial, she had regained her memory.

Karen hired an attorney to overturn Carolee’s adoption and sued for custody of Erich. The judge gave Karen three months of full temporary custody to see how Erich would adjust. Erich hated living with her. Karen attempted to win him over with gifts and permissiveness, but when he rejected her, she punished him for not returning her affection. He ran away back to Steve and Carolee, who were forced to send him home with Karen again because of the custody agreement. As the end of the three month probation was nearing, Erich insisted he wanted to live with the Aldrich family permanently. Karen and Mona had an altercation with Karen admitting that the judge would most certainly give Steve and Carolee custody of the son that was rightfully hers. That same night, Karen reported Erich as missing.

The FBI found that the window outside Erich’s room at Karen’s had been tampered, but Mona suggested that Karen had hired someone to fake the kidnapping and was secretly planning to spirit Erich back to Germany. Steve and Carolee tended to side with Mona. It turned out that Erich had been kidnapped by a woman Karen treated. The woman had questioned Karen about her relationship with wealthy Mona Croft, Karen’s former mother-in-law. Karen convinced Carolee to help her prove it. They went to the patient’s home, where Erich was bound and gagged in a bedroom. When he heard Carolee’s voice, he managed to break free. The woman’s husband, her accomplice pulled a gun. She instructed him to kill Carolee and Karen, and then they would murder Erich after getting ransom money from Mona. In the end, the husband could not do it, and Carolee called for help.

Karen realized how much Carolee really loved Erich, and how her own actions had nearly gotten him killed twice. Karen dropped the custody suit and agreed that it would be better for Erich not to see her. She begged him to say that he didn’t hate her, but the child refused. Erich returned to the Aldrich home. There was a welcome home party for him just before Karen was to return to Germany. She stopped to wish Steve and Carolee well and asked that they not tell Erich she was there. She quietly slipped into his room to watch him sleep and said goodbye to him in German. Erich awoke. Karen told him that whatever he felt for her did not matter because she would always love him. As she started to leave, he put his arms around her and kissed her goodbye.

Edited July 26, 2010 by saynotoursoap

[Bright Eyes]

Oh my God, that Erich/Karen story sounds great. Very heartbreaking. Poor Karen.

[DRW50]

Thank you so much for answering those questions. I know someone who watched The Doctors at the time of the original story with Karen's pregnancy (didn't Althea or someone figure out the pregnancy because she spoke German?) and had wondered what happened.

Erich was later played by Ian Ziering wasn't he?

[MichaelGL]

Again...why is General Hospital on air and The Doctors is not?

Of course I'm joking, but it's stories like those that prove that The Doctors was the medical drama that was far superior than it's rival GH in the 70s.

[Bright Eyes]

I shake my head furiously in agreement. What is the census of the amount of episodes that are available, in terms of not being ruined?

[MichaelGL]

To answer for saynotoursoap, yes Ian Ziering did play Erich in the early 80s.

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for all those posts.Some great stuff there.

What happened to Ricky.MJ's nephew? Was he sent off to one of her siblings?

So,Karen was alive...had the show continued that connection could have been played again.Also,Steve's child with Ann Larimer.Just before the show was cancelled Erich was aged and so was Stephie. Despite all the changes,the show still had a solid core.

It was a mistake to kill off Billy.

I have asked before but does anyone know anything about James Langley,Mona's other son who turned up after her death?

I remember John Kelly Genovese's review of The Doctors in Afternoon TV.He gave high marks to Marland's work,but his observation was that very little of the story was taking place at the hospital and that The Doctors was no longer living up to it's title. YThis may have been intentional as perhaps TPTB felt the hospital setting had been played out.

[saynotoursoap]

Ricky was sent to live with M.J.'s sister in Vermont.

I agree that it was a mistake to kill off Billy, but Morgenroth and Kantor had written the character into a corner. Turning him into a drug pushing grave robber was also a mistake. I question their decision to kill Mona Croft, as well. Had the series not been canceled, it would have proved unpleasant for the audience to have lost those core characters, particularly as The Doctors had such a small cast.

I do not know much about James Langley. By 1982, I was married and had an infant son, so my soap knowledge of this time is the most limited. I do have a few episodes in which James appears. As you wrote, Paul Raven, I believe James turned up shortly after Mona's death in October 1982. James had a wife named Marilyn and a daughter Gail who was to attend Madison University with Erich. James appeared warm, affable, and a decent guy. Considering the bizarre plot twists Morgenroth and Kantor devised, I wonder if James would have been revealed as some monster -either figuratively (perhaps he was the "Mr. Big" behind drugs being shipped out of the Omega labs) or maybe he was a literal monster like a werewolf. Nothing those writers came up with would have surprised me. James was played by Richard Colla, who had been the first Tony Merritt in the premiere of Days of our Lives, and is married in real life to Denise Alexander.

Edited July 28, 2010 by saynotoursoap

[saynotoursoap]

MichaelGL, I just watched a number of episodes. In the deep recesses of my mind, I knew some mention had been made of Barney. Barney was written out in March 1982 by Harding Lemay. In one episode, Mona inquires about Barney. Luke told her that he and Barney had a disagreement over the renovation of The Medicine Man and walked out. This was around the time the storyline of T.J. trying to win back Ashley on Texas: The New Generation. T.J. was the father of Ashley's son Gregory. Larry Weber (who played Barney on The Doctors) became T.J.'s father Burton Canfield. Because Barney was more or less recurring, I imagine Weber moved over to Texas of his own accord, rather than Lemay disposing of the character.

I also noticed that Nick Bellini was referred to by Althea. We had discussed this topic earlier.

[FrenchFan]

Reading my summaries from 1982, I don't find any mention of James of his family. Weird.

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for the reply.

As regards the Langleys,how was the twist explained? Did James only find out his parentage after Mona's death? Or had he known previously?

Bringing in this new family seemed a good idea as it would give Steve & Carolee something new to react to.Killing off Mona,however,meant that whole angle could not be explored.

SOD reported at the time that John Rixey Moore was playing James.Did both actors play the role?

Who played Marilyn and Gail?

[saynotoursoap]

You may be right about James. I am going from memory, which is not a good thing at my age. I remembered that Colla, who had become more of a director at this point, did a short term soap role back East, but John Rixey Moore does resemble him. Maybe I am confusing the two. I will pull those tapes and see. I always enjoy watching The Doctors. Even when it was the silliest, the acting by Pritchett, Bruce, Hubbard, Rowland, and O'Brien is so good that the show is grounded.

I believe that James only found out about his parentage after Mona died. I remember clearly, I know that I am not confusing this, Mona confessed to Steve on her deathbed that she had given birth to another son. This was during the plague storyline. James appeared only in the last several weeks of the series. I never saw Marilyn nor Gail. I am not even certain they appeared on the show. I know that they are not in the episodes I have.

Having the Langley tie to the Aldrich family was a good idea, after the deaths of Billy, Mona, and Jason. Jason should not have been killed either, which is indicative of the poor story choices made by the revolving door of writers in the last years. However, one can only speculate what Morgenroth and Kantor would have done with James and his family. I would like to track them down and see if they would reveal what they had in store for The Doctors. Viewing the episodes from early 1982 last night, I realized how much life was left in the series and the regrettable manner in which NBC just disposed of it.