NBC series 'St. Elsewhere,' 80s forgotten masterpiece that paved the way for today's peak TV

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Dan C, Sep 11, 2020.

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  1. Hokeyboy

    Hokeyboy Nudnik of Dinobots

    Doris Roberts... was she the homeless lady crying, "They're gonna cut off my feet!"? If so I remember that all too well
     
  2. SteelyNJ

    SteelyNJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
  3. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I was a kid when it originally aired, so I'm watching it for the first time on Hulu. It's as good as what I've read here.
     
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  4. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Hmm, I thought ST. ELSEWHERE was HILL STREET BLUES set in a hospital. I'm not saying St. ELSEWHERE wasn't a great show, but IMO it had been made possible by the police show.
     
  5. Kyle B

    Kyle B Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    Certainly the HSB format of multiple overlapping stories, some serialized and some self-contained, influenced “St. Elsewhere.” And “LA Law.”
     
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  6. Jack Lord

    Jack Lord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I was drawn to St Elsewhere because one of the stars was featured in my college application packet (hint: Denzel). I thought it was amusing enough, but could never stick with it.

    Then I watched the whole thing in syndication and loved it. Damn good show- kind of quirky.
     
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  7. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Goodnight, Mrs. Hufnagel, wherever you are...
    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer Thread Starter

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  9. dolstein

    dolstein Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlingon, VA
    <<This show was unlike anything on network TV before. It had a specific cinematic look and design, weaved together dozens of complicated plot lines that challenged the viewer to pay attention week to week, and had one of the best ensemble casts in TV history.>>

    While I'm a big fan of St. Elsewhere and watched the complete run when it originally aired, I don't think it's accurate to say that the show was unlike anything on network TV before. Hill Street Blues, which premiered roughly a year and a half before St. Elsewhere, also featured a large - and exceptionally talented - cast and complicated plot lines. And like St. Elsewhere, it was critically acclaimed.
     
  10. Ken E.

    Ken E. Senior Member

    HSB and SE comprised one of best two hours of consecutive network TV ever IMO. When Dr. Auschlander (NL) started smoking marijuana to relieve chemo pain I was blown away. GRHS
     
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  11. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

    Location:
    Hawthorne CA
    94, and married to the lovely Bonnie Bartlett for seventy years!
     
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  12. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer Thread Starter

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  13. jimac51

    jimac51 A mythical beast.

    Location:
    Allentown,pa.
    One seemingly unique part of St. Elsewhere was its references that it was a TV show,set in a TV world. White Shadow references,the arc of Steve Allen & Co. appearances as parents to some of the St. Elsewhere characters,the appearance of ZZ Top during the band's MTV video success and ,of course,the final moments involving a snow globe,mocking what the viewer had witnessed over six seasons. Even the TV world was not part of a TV world,as much as the dreams of an autistic child. Unique.
     
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  14. JediJones

    JediJones Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Newsradio Season 3, Episode 7, Daydream ended with a parody of the St. Elsewhere snow globe ending. They really did it well. Doesn't appear the clip is out there anywhere for free viewing.

    I never saw St. Elsewhere, but my mom would always have it on when I was a kid and with what I would see going in and out of the room, the title, the theme song, William Daniels (who at the time people would point out was the voice of KITT) and Ed Begley, Jr. (who became one of those celebrities who would get routinely referenced by comedians) it always stayed really memorable to me over the years. So I'm surprised to hear it's forgotten. I never even watched an episode and I can remember it.

    I can't stand hospitals, so to this day I've never watched any series set in a hospital, except for the one episode of E.R. directed by Quentin Tarantino, which was a waste of my time, LOL.
     
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  15. Ken E.

    Ken E. Senior Member

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  16. Marcus Lusk

    Marcus Lusk Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Gadsden AL
    If anyone’s still looking for ST ELSEWHERE streaming, HULU has all six seasons, now in the proper order.
     
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