DIAGNOSIS: MURDER SEASON 1(1993)
A pretty good vehicle for Dick Van Dyke and his son, Barry!
Also in this is Victoria Rowell, Charlie Schlatter, Michael
Toucci, Scott Baio & Delores Hall!
Dick plays a doctor who also solves crimes, ala Quincy!
SEASON 1:
EPISODES 1: MIRACLE CURE(Sept. 23, 1970):
A man of the cloth is blackmailed by another!
Sylvia Sidney makes this episode!!!
Guest Starring: Robert Guillaume(Soap, Benson, Spy
Hard), Sylvia Sidney(Sabotage, Madame Butterfly)!! A
EPISODE 2: AMNESIA(Sept. 30, 1970):
A woman gets his by a car in front of Dr. Sloan and
he takes her to their hospital! BAAAAADDD move!!! B+
EPISODE 3: MURDER AT THE TELETHON(Oct. 07, 1970):
Sloan gets pegged for a telethon by the aministrator
where the host gets killed
Guest starring here is Dom Delouise(Blazing Saddles, The
Cannonball Run, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, Space Balls,
The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas), Dick Martin(Of
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In), Dick Van Patton(Eight Is
Enough)!! B-
EPISODE 4: INHERITANCE OF DEATH(Oct. 14, 1970):
A rich dude who is quit old tells his inheritors that he
plans on giving the money to the hospital!!
Dick plays 5 different characters here and does a great
job!! A
EPISODE 5: IN THE EYES OF GOD(Oct. 21, 1970):
Again, a man dies and leaves his lottery winning ticket to
Dr. Sloan to "do good" with the money!! A
EPISODE 6: VANISHING ACT(PART 1)(Oct. 28, 1970):
A man from IA is killed and all the clues point to
Steve!
Continued in the next episode! A
EPISODE 7: VANISHING ACT(PART 2)(Nov. 04, 1970):
Continued from the previous episode! A
EPISODE 8: SHANDA'S SONG(Nov. 11, 1970):
A crazed fan is out to kill a popular singer?!
I dropped the rating on this one because, to me, it
was too obvious who the perp was! B
EPISODE 9: THE RESTLESS REMAINS(Nov. 18, 1970):
A man pushing a get-rich-quick scheme calls mark at home
and says he's dying! He shows up, Mark tries to help him,
Mark calls an ambulance and his son, and the body disappears!! B
EPISODE 10: MURDER WITH MIRRORS(Nov. 25, 1970):
A magician is killed on stage, and the assistant is
the obvious culprit!!
Guest starring: Roland Howard(3 episodes of Babylon 5.
father of Clint and Ron)!! A
EPISODE 11: FLASHDANCE WITH DEATH(Dec. 02, 1970):
A dance studio owner gets offed!!
Guest starring: William Katt(Greatest America Hero, 9
of the Perry Mason TV movies as Paul Drake Jr.)! B+
EPISODE 12: REUNION WITH MURDER(Dec. 16, 1970):
A classmate of Amanda's from college writes a book telling
all and she winds up dead! A
EPISODE 13: LILY(Dec. 30, 1970):
A call girl gets offed after making it known to several
of her clients that she's wanting money to keep quiet!!
Guest starring: Gerold MacCraney(Simon And Simon, The
NeverEnding Story, Major Dad)! A
EPISODE 14: GUARDIAN ANGEL(Jan. 07, 1971):
A mayor gets killed and another person is the main suspect!
Starring: James McEachen(Several Perry Mason movies),
Cathrine Hicks(Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Poison
Ivy 4: The Secret Society)! B
EPISODE 15: NIRVANA(Jan. 21, 1971):
A man who's friends with Jack borrows his car and the
police find it a few hours later crashed in a ravine! A
EPISODE 16: BROADCAST BLUES(Jan. 28, 1971):
A prisoner is tanken to the hospital for medical reasons
and promptly gains control of a gun and takes hosages,
demanding that a well known newsman comes to talk with him! A
EPISODE 17: SHAKER(Feb. 04, 1971):
After an earthquake, a rich man is found dead!! A
EPISODE 18: THE PLAGUE(Feb. 11, 1971):
A dude that is being watched by Steve suddenly callapses
and it turns out he has bubonic plague!!
Guest starring: Andreas Katsulas(Babylon 5, The Fugitive[1993])! A
EPISODE 19: SISTER MICHAEL WANTS YOU(Feb. 18, 1971):
A man runs into a church, runs around a while, then gets
shot and killed! A
SPECIALS:
Jake And The Fatman(S4E18: It Never Entered My Mind)
This episode introduces Dr. Mark Sloan of Diagnosis:
Murder fame!
Fatman's doctor(Dr. Mark Sloan[Dick Van Dyke]) is one of
three doctors who are the main suspects in the murder of
the administrator of the hospital! B+
Cast:
William Conrad ... Jason Lochinvar 'Fatman' McCabe
Joe Penny ... Jake Styles
Alan Campbell ... Derek Mitchell
Dick Van Dyke ... Dr. Mark Sloan
Carol Bruce ... Mrs. Clark
James Cromwell ... Russell Havilland
Steven Eckholdt ... Richard
Sam Hennings ... Dr. Locke
Gregory Itzin ... Dr. Mike Summers
Margaret Reed ... Nurse Blair
Kristoff St. John ... Thad
Mark L. Taylor ... Dr. Morgan
Ally Walker ... Josie
Elisabeth Brooks ... Mrs. Murphy
Ellen Dunning ... Alice Williams
Una Kim ... Betsy
Mary Margaret Lewis ... Mrs. Rollins(as Mary-Margaret Lewis)
Peter Marx ... Anesthesiologist(as Peter Slutsker)
Dierk Torsek ... Baker
Virginia Watson ... Nurse #1
Jeff Witzeman ... Student #1
From another reviewer at IMDb.com:
Take one part Columbo, one part E.R. and one part the Dick
Van Dyke Show and you get this great show. Dick Van Dyke
proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is one of the most
versatile actors in the history of television. I think that
this is most definitely his best role since Rob Petrie.
Also, like the Dick Van Dyke Show, this show relied on a
great ensemble. Victoria Rowell, Barry Van Dyke and Charlie
Schlatter were great supporting characters in this great
show. Too bad its not on the air anymore, I miss seeing it
and its wonderful cast. - Sargebri