DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D.: DOOGIE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about teenage genius Doogie Howser, M.D., the youngest doctor in the country, who attempts to live his life as a normal adolescent. In this episode, Vinnie plans to make a movie, although he cannot quite manage to get the funds together. He hosts a yard sale and sells his belongings to raise the cash, but despite the Howsers’ assistance, his budget is still small. At the hospital, Doogie meets a young deaf woman, Julia, and communicates with her in American Sign Language, explaining how he learned it from a hospital roommate in his youth. He asks her out, and she agrees. While at an amusement park, Doogie asks her if she has considered cochlear implants, telling her about the recent technological advances. He attends a doctor’s appointment with her, where they learn that the devices may only provide her with a small amount of hearing. Julia seems unconcerned, but Doogie pushes her not to give up, and she grows annoyed, saying she is content with her life and does not feel that it needs improvement. Vinnie arrives in the midst of their argument and agrees that Doogie can be “pigheaded.” Talking with Julia privately, he recounts a childhood story and explains that Doogie sometimes pressures the people he cares about out of a desire to help them, without realizing that they may not share his opinions on the subject. He tells her about his difficulties in filmmaking, and she gives him “the idea of a lifetime.”
Sometime later, Vinnie screens his new film at school: a silent black-and-white comedy in the style of Charlie Chaplin, starring himself, Doogie, and Julia. His professor praises the work, saying it harkens back to the basics of filmmaking, and Vinnie thanks Julia in front of the crowd for her inspiration. Later, Doogie writes in his journal, admitting that he did not really “understand” Julia’s point of view, but thanks to Vinnie, now sees that her life is merely different, not lesser. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 11, 1992 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:29
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:60492
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Drama, medical
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1989-1993
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Corn Pops cereal
- TV - Commercials - Kool-Aid Island Twists drink products
- TV - Commercials - Nair hair removal cream
- TV - Commercials - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission association
CREDITS
- Vic Rauseo … Executive Producer
- Linda Morris … Executive Producer
- Steven Bochco … Executive Producer, Created by
- Stephen Cragg … Co-Executive Producer
- Ron Mitchell … Coordinating Producer
- Joe Ann Fogle … Senior Producer, Director
- Nat Bernstein … Supervising Producer
- Mitchel Lee Katlin … Supervising Producer
- Scott Goldstein … Supervising Producer
- Jeffrey A. Henry … Supervising Associate Producer
- Nick Harding … Producer
- Mark Horowitz … Producer
- Arturs Rusis … Associate Producer
- David E. Kelley … Created by
- Elaine Aronson … Co-Producer, Writer
- Mike Post … Music by
- Neil Patrick Harris … Cast, Dr. Doogie Howser
- Max Casella … Cast, Vinnie Delpino
- Belinda Montgomery … Cast, Katherine Howser
- Lawrence Pressman … Cast, Dr. Benjamin Canfield
- Kathryn Layng … Cast, Nurse Curly Spaulding
- Markus Redmond … Cast, Raymond Alexander
- James B. Sikking … Cast, Dr. David Howser
- Terrylene … Cast, Julia Myatt
- Joe Baker … Cast, Professor
- Arlene Malinowski … Cast, Dr. Montanya
- Tisha Putman … Cast, Film Student
- Ryan Holihan … Cast, Customer