The Doctor is a half-hour American medical anthology series that aired Sunday evenings on the NBC television network from August 24, 1952, until June 28, 1953,[1] with a total of 44 episodes.[2]
The format had the viewer seeing patients "through the eyes of a general practitioner who makes house calls".[3] Hosted by Warner Anderson, the program revolved around emotional problems. Actors who appeared included Anne Jackson, Ernest Truex, Mildred Natwick, and Lee Marvin.[4] Beulah Bondi and Charles Bronson guest-starred in the episode "The Guest" (1952).[5] One especially well-received 1953 episode, "Treasure Island" (about "a lonely little boy whose reading inspires fictional heroes, and what happens to him when he is faced with their real-life counterparts"), boasted "excellent acting" by Russell Hardie, John Marley, Peg Hillias, and, as the boy, Joey Fallon.[6]
The Doctor replaced The Red Skelton Show on Sunday nights. Its competition included The Web on CBS.[7] The program was produced on film[8] by Marion Parsonnet. Some of the films were made in Hollywood, and others were made in New York.[9] When it went into syndication, it was re-titled The Visitor.[10] Robert Aldrich directed 17 episodes, three of which he also wrote.[2] Rod Serling wrote two episodes.[10]
Camay soap sponsored the program.[9]
- ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 223. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- ^ a b Silver, Alain (August 2004). What Ever Happened to Robert Aldrich?: His Life and His Films. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 323. ISBN 978-1-61780-165-5. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 268. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 317. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
- ^ Nissen, Axel (2021). Beulah Bondi: A Life on Stage and Screen. McFarland. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-4766-8188-7. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Scheuer, Steven H. (March 15, 1953). "TV Key". Brooklyn Eagle. p. 28. Retrieved February 19, 2025. "An affectionate cops and robbers story and one of the most appealing shows the Doctor's had in a great while. About a lonely little boy whose reading inspires fictional heroes, and what happens to him when he is faced with their real life counterparts. Some excellent acting by Russell Hardie, John Marley, Peg Hillias and Joey Fallon as the boy."
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (2004). A Critical History of Television's The Red Skelton Show, 1951-1971. McFarland. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-7864-1732-2. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ "All film show, The Doctor, hits basic problems". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 7, 1952. p. 86. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Film Report". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. September 21, 1952. p. 4. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Parisi, Nicholas (2018). Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781496819437. Retrieved November 10, 2019.