My Current Interest

It’s funny how one cast change can completely alter the dynamics of a show. Sometimes it is for the better. Sometimes it is for the worse. In the case of Diagnosis Murder , it was for the better. Diagnosis Murder Barry Van Dyke, Dick Van Dyke Goodbye, Dr. Stewart; Hello, Dr. Travis Dr. Jack Stewart (Scott Baio) has moved to Colorado. Because of the move, Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke) and Dr. Amanda Livingston (Victoria Rowell) no longer have their third partner for investigating criminal cases. These three were a trio for criminal investigations during the first two seasons. Now with the third season, it’s just the two of them. Except it’s not. Dr. Jesse Travis (Charlie Schlatter), a resident at Community General Hospital, is eager to jump in and help investigate whatever needs investigating. He’s also very enthusiastic to help with whatever medical cases come his way. Another person who left after season two is Mark’s secretary, Delores Mitchell (Delores Hall). Where she went, I don’...

I f you want to watch something nice and simple without too much blood, gore, and explosions, you have to go back to shows of the past. This may get you laughed at. Or at least have someone shake their head at you, but who cares! As long as you enjoy the show, that is what matters. Laughter and headshaking are the reactions I get when talking about Murder, She Wrote , and I’m sure I’ll get them with Diagnosis Murder . But scoff all you want, because I’m enjoying this show. Diagnosis Murder Dick Van Dyke We all need a doctor like Mark Sloan Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke) is a well-respected doctor at L.A.’s Community General Hospital. He’s the one everyone turns to when there is a medical concern or mystery. His patients love him, and they know he always has their best interests at heart. It is Mark’s participation in solving murders that gets him into trouble. His son, Steve (Barry Van Dyke), an LAPD detective, wants his father to stay out of the cases Mark insists on looking into. Hos...

     The third season of The Heart Guy ( Doctor Doctor ) is the best season so far.   Pretty much all the characters have improved to some extent.   All of them have gone through difficult situations and made important decisions in their lives.   This season is also more serious than previous ones, but there is humor too.   All this together is what makes season three the best so far.      The Knight family will never be the same.   Watching the stars with his wife Meryl (Tina Bursill), Jim Knight (Steve Bisley) has a heart attack and dies.   Meryl is filled with grief and guilt because she could not save him.   The only glimmer of comfort she has is when her heart surgeon son, Hugh ( Rodger Corser ), tells her even he would not have been able to save his father.      With Jim’s death, Hugh inherits the farm, along with the debt.   Hugh has no interest in the farm.   He has plans to leave the...

     Season two of The Heart Guy was hard for me to get through.  After watching the first disc, I was not excited to go on with the rest of the season.  But I did, and the season improved.  Until a specific character showed up, making me question my continuing with the series at all.      Life at the hospital in Whyhope has not been easy since Hospital Administrator Penny Cartwright (Hayley McElhinney) left.   The new administrator, Nora (Helen Thomson), is mean, conniving, insulting, and a bad doctor.   She is a malpractice suit waiting to happen.   Actually, I’m surprised there wasn’t a malpractice suit after she gives Dr. Hugh Knight’s ( Rodger Corser ) father the wrong blood, permanently damaging his kidneys.      Wanting to get rid of Nora, hospital employees Ken Liu (Charles Wu) and Betty Bell (Belinda Bromilow) ask Hugh to help them come up with a plan.   Hugh agrees, but ends up being blackmail...

Image provided by Acorn TV.     I’ve known about The Heart Guy ( Doctor Doctor in some parts of the world) for a while, but it wasn’t until recently my local library system had the DVDs for me to borrow.  I would check every now and then, not fully expecting them to appear.  Then one day they were there.  I requested the first season immediately, and was put on a waiting list.  Others must have been looking for this series too.  It wasn’t a big deal, though, as I had already been waiting for years and had accepted the possibility I would never see this show.  Now that I have watched the first season, I am glad to say I have and it was worth the wait.  Even with it making me greatly question the behavior and mindset of people working in the medical profession.      Life has finally caught up to heart surgeon Dr. Hugh Knight ( Rodger Corser ).   His womanizing, alcoholic, drug using, and partying ways have drawn the at...

Image provided by Acorn TV.             It’s season three!   So much happens in these six episodes, it’s best I just get started.           Dr. Ruby Walker (Amrita Acharia) has been away from The Good Karma Hospital, living on her father’s estate.   Now she has returned because of concerns about her sister’s pregnancy.   Her visit is supposed to only be about being a supportive relative, but Ruby has a hard time not getting involved with the other patients.   Once she does, and remembers what it is like to work at the hospital, Ruby decides to come back to work for good.    Image provided by Acorn TV.                 Working at the hospital means she will have to interact with Dr. Gabriel Varma (James Floyd).   At the end of season two Ruby asked Gabriel to wait for her to figure things out before they got ...

             When I first watched season four of The Doctor Blake Mysteries , I really didn’t think I would be writing about it.   The storylines felt rushed and scattered.   One of the main characters was missing for half the season.   Other characters left and ones I’m not so sure about came in.   The overdone ploy of a spouse long-thought to be dead turning up alive was used.   Plus, once again, two people who should be together ended up separated.   All in all, I was not happy with season four.                       With all that said, you are probably wondering why I am writing about season four of The Doctor Blake Mysteries .   That credit needs to go to my local PBS stations.   For awhile PBS had two different seasons of The Doctor Blake Mysteries airing on two different station...