Rafferty is an American drama series starring Patrick McGoohan[1] that aired on CBS[2] from September 28 until November 28, 1977. McGoohan played a former army doctor named Sid Rafferty who has retired and moved into private practice. Also seen regularly were John Getz as Rafferty's junior partner, Dr. Daniel Gentry, and Millie Slavin as the medical office's nurse, Vera Wales. Episodes often dealt with the gruff, egotistical and driven Rafferty, a brilliant diagnostician with almost no social skills or bedside manner, working to identify his patients' unusual and life-threatening ailments. One reviewer considers this series a forerunner to House, M.D.[3]
| Rafferty | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Medical drama |
| Created by | James Lee |
| Starring | Patrick McGoohan John Getz Millie Slavin |
| Theme music composer | Leonard Rosenman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (3 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jerry Thorpe |
| Producers | Norman S. Powell Robert van Scoyk |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Bros. Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 5 – November 28, 1977 |
It only lasted one season for 10 out of 13 episodes, and McGoohan was apparently very unhappy with the series, reportedly saying: "...a disaster ... the most miserable job I've ever done in my life ... a total frustration from start to finish.."[4]
Cast edit
- Patrick McGoohan as Dr. Sid Rafferty[5]
- John Getz as Dr. Daniel Gentry
- Millie Slavin as Nurse Vera Wales
Episodes edit
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Barry Crane | James Lee | September 5, 1977 |
| 2 | "Brothers & Sons" | Barry Crane | S : Jerry De Bono T : Arthur Heinemann & James Lee | September 12, 1977 |
| 3 | "A Point of View" | Alexander Singer | James Lee | September 19, 1977 |
| 4 | "The Cutting Edge" | Barry Crane | John Meredyth Lucas | September 26, 1977 |
| 5 | "The Narrow Thread" | Barry Crane | Unknown | October 3, 1977 |
| 6 | "The Epidemic" | Barry Crane | David P. Lewis | October 17, 1977 |
| 7 | "The Wild Child" | Patrick McGoohan | Sue Milburn | October 31, 1977 |
| 8 | "The Will to Live" | Edward H. Feldman | S : Arthur Joel Katz S/T : Sue Milburn | November 7, 1977 |
| 9 | "Walking Wounded" | Arnold Laven | James Lee | November 14, 1977 |
| 10 | "Death Out of a Blue Sky" | Barry Crane | Robert Van Scoyk | November 28, 1977 |
| 11 | "No Yesterday and No Tomorrow" | Arnold Laven | S : Rift Fournier T : James Menzies | N/A |
| 12 | "The Price of Pain" | Arnold Laven | S : Rift Fournier T : James Menzies & John Meredyth Lucas | N/A |
| 13 | "The Burning Man" | Barry Crane | Sue Milburn | N/A |
Cultural impact edit
The lyrics of the single "Sleeping Gas" by the post-punk band The Teardrop Explodes express displeasure at the series: "You can watch Rafferty turn into a serial / Just like a cartoon by AAP".[6]
References edit
- ^ "An MD with a new form of fee-splitting". Newsday. September 5, 1977. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "An Old Format, The TV Doctor, Gets New Life With McGoohan". The Tampa Tribune. September 18, 1977. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ TV.com: Rafferty
- ^ Patrick McGoohan biography page,IMDB
- ^ Witbeck, Charles (September 18, 1977). "McGoohan has Rafferty down pat". Sunday News. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/4474623/The+Teardrop+Explodes
External links edit
- Rafferty at IMDb
- Opening & Sponsorship Sequence for Rafferty at The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (www.FuzzyMemories.TV)
- Summary of the Show from TV.com
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