Once upon a time there were doctors who would visit sick people in their houses instead of forcing them to hang out at an urgent care with every other hacking sicko in the waiting room. In the 21st century it’s rare that we see the doctor outside of a few minutes. The nurse does heavy work before the doctor’s brief time to do the heavy work. Who can blame the modern healers since they’re piled under the high cost of their educational loans, malpractice insurance, alimony payments and country club memberships. The concerned family doctor is becoming an American myth like the sexy tollbooth operator. But it is this role that Robert Young assumed in Marcus Welby, M.D. Nearly a decade after Father Knows Best, Young finally found a hit being the father figure to hundreds instead of merely three kids. Welby’s clinic is also his house. He doesn’t ever leave the job. Marcus Welby, M.D.: Season One takes us back to a simpler time in medicine before they could MRI you for a hangnail.
“A Matter of Humanities” is the 98 minute pilot movie that lets us believe a doctor can keep up with his patients without a computer print out. Marcus Welby has time to be a high school football team’s doctor since he had delivered most of the team. He does a faster treatment for a player’s concussion than most NFL team trainers in 1969. However in a case of physician heal thyself, Welby has a heart attack while rushing to treat a downed player. Luckily it’s minor enough for him to treat patients in his hospital room. The brush with mortality makes him realize that he needs another doctor to share his practice. He finds a young stud in Dr. Steven Kiley (James Brolin a.k.a. Mr. Barbra Streisand). The young and old medical professionals clash over treatment although it’s the older Welby that is more radical in his approach to medicine. The duo keep things interesting as they come up with alternate treatments. The pilot gives a little star power with Tom Bosley (Happy Days) as a shrink and Larry Linville as a physician shortly before becoming Dr. Frank Burns on M*A*S*H. This introduction pilot led to a seven season house call with America for Dr. Welby.
“All Flags Flying” gives us more of the post-Munsters Butch Patrick. He doesn’t want an old war vet to go on a long cruise. “Echo of a Baby’s Laugh” deals with Welby wanting a wife to tell her husband of her abortion before they met. Minorities did visit the doctor. “The Soft Phrase of Peace” gives an appointment to Kenneth Washington (Hogan’s Heroes) and Robert Guillaume (Benson). He has to patch one of them up after a riot with the cops. “Fun and Games and Michael Ambrose” counts down to when David Cassidy launched into stardom on The Partridge Family. David finally moves in with his estranged father. The kid isn’t feeling good at the airport so his dad takes him to see Welby. He suspects the boy is either a diabetic or addicted to root beer. David’s got an issue with his old man that’s made a fortune writing smutty novels. Can dad take a break from his showbiz career to care about his teenager? Soon David would suffer sugar overload from his Tiger Beat hit laden career.
“Nobody Wants a Fat Jockey” is true. Welby treats a jockey that’s hooked on diet pills in order to make the weight. Turns out that it’s not merely food ruining his career. He’s still growing. How far will he go to continue his career. “Enid” also features someone addicted to pills. This time it’s a counselor at an orphanage. Can she beat her habit for the sake of the kids? Guest star Rockne Tarkington had just finished up appearing as Morgan on The Danger Island segment of The Banana Splits. “The Daredevil Gesture” is best known as Steven Spielberg’s second directing gig at Universal. Frank Webb plays a student that wants to hide a secret from his new high school. He’s a hemophiliac. Welby won’t let him keep his secret to all. Frank doesn’t want to be treated as a special student and be mocked by his peers. Ultimately he jeopardizes his life to save another classmate. Far as Spielberg’s direction goes, this looks a little better and more active than most of the episodes this first season. He did his best to not just become a TV director.
There’s a nostalgic charm found on Marcus Welby, M.D.: Season One. The medicine tests aren’t nearly as intensive and high tech as today. Dr. Welby doesn’t spend most of his time with the patient discussing co-payments, deductibles and easy billing plans. Maybe Welby did take chickens from his patients? The tag team of Robert Young and James Brolin makes the series click. Young has that mature charm even when he badgers patients. James Brolin looks a bit like Christian Bale at this part of his life. What lady wouldn’t want to get her pelvic exam from them? Marcus Welby was such a simple and calm time for medicine on TV.
The Episodes
“A Matter of Humanities,” “Hello, Goodbye, Hello,” “The Foal,” “Don’t Ignore The Miracles,” “Silken Threads and Silver Hooks,” “All Flags Flying,” “Echo Of A Baby’s Laugh,” “The White Cane,” “The Vrahnas Demon,” “Madonna With Knapsack and Flute,” “Homecoming,” “Let Ernest Come Over,” “The Chemistry of Hope,” “Neither Punch nor Judy,” “Diagnosis: Fear,” “The Soft Phrase of Peace,” “Fun and Games and Michael Ambrose,” “The Legacy,” “Dance to No Music,” “Go Get ‘Em, Tiger,” “Nobody Wants a Fat Jockey,” “The Other Side of the Chart,” “The Merely Syndrome,” “Sea of Security,” “The Daredevil Gesture,” “Enid” and “The Rebel Doctor.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are slightly better than the versions currently running on Retro TV Network. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. The levels are adequate to get the prognosis from Dr. Welby.
None.
Marcus Welby, M.D.: Season One is the prescription for an ailing health care system. How joyful it was to have a family doctor who cared about your family during times that aren’t covered by your health insurance plan. Where has the spirit of Dr. Welby gone in a profession where most crave to be special consultants on the Today Show or have their own talk show? Maybe this DVD set can inspire a few to take up the cause of healing people they remember without looking at their charts.
Shout! Factory presents Marcus Welby, M.D.: Season One. Starring: Robert Young, Anne Baxter, James Brolin and Elena Verdugo. Boxset Contents: 26 Episodes on 7 DVDs. Released on DVD: May 4, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
