Diagnosis Murder courtesy Paramount, St. Elsewhere courtesy 20th Century Fox, ER by Paul Drinkwater/NBC
Wanna play doctor? ‘Cause a whole bunch of our TV favorites have and scored big time. On screen, of course. And seeing how I have seen way too many doctors in the last week — two friends had babies and I had a checkup all within four days — I decided that it was the perfect time to examine some of the best medical shows on DVD. So turn your head, cough and please find someone to call me in the morning!Becker — Before Ted Danson got his creep on for Damages, he was a nasty Harvard-educated House in the Bronx from ’98 to ’04 in this surprisingly tart CBS comedy. A merciful far cry from the Tiffany network’s insult-coms of the last few years, the first season is finally available and totally worth the coin. To sweeten the deal, I’ll just add that Star Trek deliciousness Terry Farrell is on deck as the diner boss who wants to both fork Dr. Jerk and do something to him that sort of sounds like fork. Got it? Good.Buy Becker on Amazon.comER — Do...
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Ted Danson as Becker courtesy CBS
New releases announced today, January 8:Becker - The 1st Season will be coming out April 1Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete 4th Season will be coming out April 29 Cheers - Season 9 will be coming out April 29 Laverne & Shirley - The Complete 4th Season will be coming out April 22Martin - The Complete 4th Season will be coming out April 1Matlock - The 1st Season will be coming out April 8Perry Mason - 50th Anniversary Edition will be coming out April 8Young Indiana Jones Chronicles - Volume 3: The Years of Change will be coming out April 29Visit TVShowsOnDVD.com for the complete stories on these and other news items.
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Question: Without a doubt, last year’s My Name Is Earl was the breakthrough comedy of the season. But what about this year? I heard positive things about The Class, but it does remind me too much of Friends, primarily because of the ridiculously waspy cast. Then I saw a preview for ABC’s Help Me Help You. At first, the name sounded terrible to me, and it didn't help that I don't care for Ted Danson (I hated Becker). But the supporting characters, like the promiscuous Asian woman and the guy who refuses to accept he’s gay, seem to make this show really funny. What do you think? Should I bother with this one, or are the previews misleading?
Answer: Too soon to tell. The patients are the funniest thing about Help Me Help You, though Danson’s scenes with his character's ex-wife (Jane Kaczmarek, a recurring guest star) show promise. But is it a breakthrough/breakout hit, even on the modest scale of Earl (my fave new comedy of last season)? Not likely. The Class seems to me a terrific fit for
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Last summer, Becker was brought back from the dead with an eleventh-hour renewal for a sixth season. But don't expect it to happen again, even though CBS hasn't officially canned the series. "They never really cancel things," says star Ted Danson. "They just let them disappear. I think canceling is bad juju, so [series] just don't show up again."
The Becker finale airs tonight at 9:30 pm/ET, and the episode title is "DNR" — as in "Do Not Resuscitate." He admits it's a not-so-subtle message to the network that the Becker set is closed for good. In it, grumpy Dr. Becker finds happiness. "But," Danson says, "he's morose over the fact that he's happy. I love that."
Danson's grateful for the chance to end the show "with some degree of grace," even though the cast and crew knew, going into Season 6, that they "weren't the flavor of the week" and would be gone by mid-season. As for shooting the wrap-up, he says it was "very sweet.
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