Medical Center: The Complete First Season (Remastered, 6 Disc)

It was a good TV show way back in the 60's.

We are thoroughly enjoying watching this show from the late 60s medical center

I bought this set for my wife who remembered watching the show as a kid with her family, like I watched "EMERGENCY!" with mine but I couldn't find it available anywhere but on Amazon. I had never seen the show so it so it's all new to me, and I actually am enjoying watching the available seasons with her.With this first season it is quite the social commentary of the "issues of the day", in this case 1969, as they relate to 2013. Some episodes are honestly hilarious at times looking back with todays standards in mind, as even Joe Gannon while probably a suave and fancy dresser for that era looks out of place with the dress and style of today. And the 'wild teens' of that era all wearing 'nice clothes'? Ties and sport coats abound but it is still a good show.Honestly this is better fare than so much of what's on TV now with so many 'reality shows'.So, after all this ramble, the 26 episodes look great with excellent transfers to DVD, the color is also great, actually better than I recall for color TV's back in that era, when I was about 12. There are no extras whatsoever just the episodes but you can like I did research the series on line and find out information about the show and stars. Oh and a lot of stars from the 1980s and beyond apparently got an early start with this series, it's interesting to see them before they became real stars, or villains in the case of O.J. Simpson in the premiere episode.

I was very pleased to see that the full first season of "Medical Center" was released on DVD and I scooped it right up. Chad Everett is in fine form as the highly regarded, passionate and humanistic physician, Dr. Joe Gannon. Gannon is a constant advocate for his patients and ensures they get the care and treatment that is best for them. As drama would have it, Gannon runs up against an antagonist in almost every episode. Dr. Gannon almost always wins out. His older boss, Dr. Paul Lochner, is earnest but not as talented medically as Dr. Gannon. Lochner is more of a bureaucratic administrator who ensures that he reins in Dr. Gannon just enough to ensure he doesn't get into trouble. The storylines are ground-breaking for the time and are compelling and well-written. This was when television used highly professional, mature writers who could deliver the material without dumbing it down for the audience. The guest actors and actresses are also top-notch and add greatly to the success of this show. As always, Chad Everett delivers outstanding performances in every episode. I noted that in the first season, the dynamic opening theme and sequence is not yet around. I think it started in the second season. It really gets one in the mood for the show. Also, I should add my profound condolences to Chad Everett who lost his lovely wife Shelby earlier this year in Westlake Village. Chad, I'm sure your wife was proud of your terrific work in this series.

Obviously being from the 70's, the show in some respects is very dated, from the music, dress, and even some of the storylines and sub-plots.....but make no mistake, Medical Center was cutting edge for it's time with regard to most topics it hit on, from child abuse to homosexuality to transgenderism to V.D....you name it. Also in most cases the medical conditions that were discussed were done so accurately and at least in some clinical detail. James Daly as Paul Lochner played a perfect conservative foil to Joe Gannon's "no-holds-barred" personality. And there were so many great guest stars....William Shatner, Lois Nettleton, Martin Sheen, Lee Grant, Ed Asner, Jack Carter, the list goes on and on.I noticed most of the reviewers here seem to be women and almost all have something to say about Chad Everett's sex appeal. OK.... we get it. Hopefully the positive reviews are based on more substance than that! For the record, we men weren't entirely cheated out of eye candy on the show either....for one example, Sheila Larken, who played a nurse/psychologist on a number of episodes, was more than easy on the eyes! But nostalgia-wise this is a great series, and season 1 has a very clean video transfer as well. I plan on getting all the rest of the series in the near future, these are a treat.