ST. ELSEWHERE: GETTING AHEAD (TV)
Summary
One in this medical drama series set in St. Eligius hospital in Boston. In this episode, Bill Belvedere narrates his thoughts in voiceover as he lies in a hospital bed, and Craig is stunned to find Morrison reading a bestselling novel, apparently written by an anonymous doctor, that sounds suspiciously like his own stolen manuscript. Lizzie surprises Griffin and invites him over for dinner, assuring him that her father will be tolerant of his presence, and he hesitantly accepts. Chandler treats a woman, Debbie, who is suffering from stomach pains, and Novino is upset to find that Mr. Belvedere has unexpectedly died. Auschlander urges Craig to attend the next board members' meeting, at which the important results of the feasibility study will be discussed, though Craig is distracted by the novel, which he determines to be his own work. Novino talks to the Belvederes, asking their permission to perform an autopsy and assuring them that Bill will be fit for an open-casket funeral. Fiscus finds Westphall and awkwardly confesses that Lizzie is pregnant, obviously by Griffin. Novino heads to the morgue to perform the autopsy, though Bedder dismisses the cause of death as a simple heart attack, and Novino is stunned to find that Bill's head is missing.
Debbie's private family physician, Dr. Arrowsmith, arrives in search of her and argues with Chandler about his "casual" treatment of her ulcer, feeling that he is too young and inexperienced to have done a thorough job. Bedder admits that he sometimes sells cadavers' body parts for money and realizes that the head has been misplaced, and Craig angrily watches a television interview with the "author," clearly John Doe #6 in disguise, and declares to Ellen that he will "get his masterpiece back" at an upcoming book-signing event. At dinner, Westphall finds himself unable to be cordial with Griffin and berates him for mistreating Lizzie, and Griffin quickly deduces the truth. He immediately suggests that she terminate the pregnancy, pointing out that he is not ready for marriage, and Lizzie takes offense and sends him away when he questions if he is truly the father. Later, Lizzie tells an uncertain Westphall that she has decided not to have the baby after all, and Craig gives Luther a box containing an urn to be shipped to a certain disliked relative of his. Novino tells the Belvederes that Bill must have been predisposed to heart attacks, as he ate well and frequently exercised, though she avoids mention of the other problem.
Chandler refuses to apologize to Arrowsmith, though Kiem reveals that in not talking to him, Chandler missed an important piece of Debbie's family medical history. As Lizzie undergoes the abortion, Helen reassures a worried Westphall that he has not failed as a parent, adding that his reaction to her decision now matters more. Kiem prepares to operate on Debbie, though Debbie notes that Arrowsmith has always exaggerated her family members' ailments, and Auschlander learns about the missing head and frets that the hospital could face criminal charges. John Doe #6 is offended when "bibliophobe" Craig confronts him at the bookstore, and Craig ends up getting arrested after the two have a fight. He runs into an old classmate from Penn in the holding cell before Ellen comes to collect him, and Novino is forced to find a similar-looking body for the funeral when the head does not turn up. Auschlander argues with Judge Farnham about the feasibility study, strongly opposed to closing or selling the hospital, and Arrowsmith apologizes to Chandler, admitting that he "pre-judged" him unfairly but is now impressed with his compassion and knowledge. Luther accidentally smashes the urn as he takes out the trash, meaning that he shipped something very different indeed to Craig's relative, and John Doe tracks down Craig and apologizes for stealing the manuscript and promising to publicly admit the ruse. Craig, however, concludes that the smutty novel will hurt his respectability with patients and agrees that John Doe can maintain the identity – as long as he receives a cut of the profits. Novino attends Bill's funeral, where his wife notes that he "never looked better," and Westphall cares for a recovering Lizzie, still clearly upset by his own mistakes. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: January 28, 1987 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:49
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:14411
- GENRE: Drama, medical
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; Drama, medical
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1982-1988
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer
- Abby Singer … Coordinating Producer
- Mark Tinker … Supervising Producer, Developed by
- John Masius … Producer, Developed by, Writer
- Tom Fontana … Producer, Writer
- Beth Hillshafer … Associate Producer
- Allan Arkush … Director
- Joshua Brand … Created by
- John Falsey … Created by
- Eric Overmyer … Writer
- J.A.C. Redford … Music by
- Dave Grusin … Theme Music by
- Ed Flanders … Cast, Dr. Donald Westphall
- Norman Lloyd … Cast, Dr. Daniel Auschlander
- Bonnie Bartlett … Cast, Ellen Craig
- Ed Begley, Jr. … Cast, Dr. Victor Ehrlich
- Steven Furst … Cast, Dr. Elliot Axelrod
- Bruce Greenwood … Cast, Dr. Seth Griffin
- Eric Laneuville … Cast, Luther Hawkins
- Howie Mandel … Cast, Dr. Wayne Fiscus
- David Morse … Cast, Dr. Jack Morrison
- Cindy Pickett … Cast, Dr. Carol Novino
- Christina Pickles … Cast, Nurse Helen Rosenthal
- Denzel Washington … Cast, Dr. Phillip Chandler
- William Daniels … Cast, Dr. Mark Craig
- Ray Walston … Cast, Dr. Arrowsmith
- France Nuyen … Cast, Dr. Paulette Kiem
- Oliver Clark … Cast, John Doe #6
- Joanna Miles … Cast, Mrs. Belvedere
- Caitlin O'Heaney … Cast, Debbie Hoffman
- Robb Weller … Cast, Himself
- Gerald Hiken … Cast, Robin Baskins
- Jack Dodson … Cast, Judge Farnham
- Dana Short … Cast, Elizabeth Westphall
- Christie Houser … Cast, Mary Ann Belvedere
- Shelley Berman … Cast, Voice of Bill Belvedere
- Dierk Torsek … Cast, Dr. Ronald Bedder
- Stephen Gregory … Cast, Biff Belvedere
- James Haskins … Cast, Bookstore Manager
- Richard Domeier … Cast, Mailroom Clerk