The 10 Best T.V. Shows Of All Time - Number 3 - St. Elsewhere

St.Elsewhere,the television drama,has been off the air for more than 20 years. In the time since, it has pretty much been off the minds of most people. What is forgotten is that St. Elsewhere, from 1982 until 1988, was the best show on television. Unfortunately, most people new the show existed but did not watch. What was the reason? Too dark? Too edgy? Too much reality? Too clever? Yes, yes, yes and yes. In the 1980's people were craving light entertainment in the yuppie driven, materialistic decade. Heavy dramas had there place but in moderation. Dramas like Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere were deemed too pretentious by audiences. The story lines were drawn out over weeks (sometimes months) and most of the audience did not have the patience nor the attention span to follow the series. Couple this with St. Elsewhere's ever changing time slot, it never had a chance to find a large audience. The 1980's were the era of comedies like Family Ties, Cheers, Newhart, The Cosby Show and...Alf. T.J Hooker became a hit and if you wanted drama there were the prime time soap operas like Dallas, Falcon Crest or Dynasty. If that was not enough entertainment, you could watch The Love Boat or Fantasy Island. WOW. Rarely do people speak of St. Elsewhere when asked about '80's television. Well, I never forgot.

Unfortunately, St. Elsewhere was created in the wrong decade. If this was a series created in the mid '90's when reality and television were melding together, the series would have been remembered differently. Of course, critics loved St.Elsewhere. It won numerous Emmys for acting, writing and directing. Unfortunately, critics could not convince the masses that this was a show worth watching. Those who did follow the show religiously know what the critics new. That we were being exposed to a television classic that ages gracefully and does not seem dated, even today. I never forgot.

I never forgot Dr. Donald Westphall's (Ed Flanders) compassion and care towards patients and staff alike. Even though his personal life was in constant turmoil, Westphall's dedication to his profession and love for St. Eligius gave him strength and hope. When Westphall decides he's had enough of the corporate St. Eligius, he resigns on his own terms with his own personal touch; by mooning Dr. Gideon and telling him to "kiss his ***". Ironically, and sadly, the character that hoped and believed in a better world did not carry over into Flanders' personal life. Flanders would take his own life in 1995 after a battle with depression and personal conflict.

I never forgot Dr. Mark Craig, the brutish hot tempered heart surgeon that put fear in the hearts of interns and nurses at St. Eligius. Underneath the rough exterior of this brilliant surgeon lay an insecure yet caring man who secretly yearned for the ability to show compassion towards his patients. Craig and Westphall were polar opposites. When the two characters interacted, it created television magic.

I never forgot Dr. Victor Ehrlich (Ed Begley Jr.) and his impulse to blurt out whatever stupidity was on his mind. The "father/son" interactions between him and Dr. Craig was comedic and heartwarming all at once. Dr. Craig bellowing "EHRLICH! For the love of Mike!" became a regular feature of the show. What the characters represent is a role reversal for Craig; him becoming his own father, with all his perfectionism and sarcasm directed at his son and Ehrlich becoming the young Dr. Craig with all his perceived deficiencies and never living up to his fathers high expectations.

I never forgot when Doctors Westphall, Craig and Auschlander (Norman Lloyd) walked into Cheers (yes, the television Cheers) for a beer and were served by the abrasive Carla. This was one of the first times two television shows crossed over into one show.

I never forgot the "Time Heals" episodes where the story of St. Eligius and its main characters go back in time to the humble beginnings of the hospital. The story centers around Father Joseph McCabe and his dream of opening a hospital for the less privileged. We see a young rebellious Donald Westphall being disciplined and mentored by McCabe, who ultimately paves the way for Westphall's passion to help others. The use of black and white in these flashback episodes adds authenticity to the period (1930's) and genuine feel that the viewer is part of the memory.

I never forgot the controversial subject matter the producers dealt with. St. Elsewhere was the first series to have a character acquire AIDS ( Dr. Caldwell) and to expose the disease as not just homosexual related. Rape, drug addiction and prejudice were all subjects written in the story lines at a time when such topics were not commonly written into scripts.

Finally, I never forgot the final episode of St. Elsewhere. In the final surreal scene of the series, we see Donald Westphall arriving home from a long day work (on the construction site!?). Westphall asks "dad", Daniel Auschlander how his autistic son Tommy has been. Auschlander explains that the boy occupies all his time by staring into a snow globe of St. Eligius. "What does he think about?", asks Westphall, thinking out loud. The viewer is then shown a close up of the snow globe, symbolizing that the events of St. Eligius were all deep in Tommies imagination. Many fans were disappointed by this ending. Many felt that there was no closure to it. Whatever the fans main criticism was, give credit to the producers for ending the series the way every episode was conceived: To keep us wondering what will happen next...and wanting more!