St. Elsewhere Season 1 DVD to Be Released on December 12

The show that makes ER look like Ben Casey and defined postmodernism on American televisino is at long last coming to DVD. On September 12, the first season of St. Elsewhere will be released on DVD. Of course, season one was St. Elsewhere’s weakest season, but the fact that it is being released should mean that the great seasons will not be far behind.

St. Elsewhere did everything that you enjoy about your favorite hour long drama either first or better than any other show. Yes, HIll St. Blues kicked off the continuing-story structure, but St. Elsewhere improved on that show by offering a wider array of supporting characters and, frankly, by not having Daniel J. Travanti, always a good thing to avoid. St. Elsewhere perfected the dream sequences that pervaded late 80s/early 90s television. And the word play! “Dr. Lingus to the operating room. Dr. Connie Lingus to the operating room.”

What is considered edgy on those FX shows is really just pornography. St. Elsewhere delivered edginess while still being constrained by the Reagan view of what television should. This show featured the single greatest performance by an actor over the length of a show ever: William Daniels as Dr. Craig. When it finally is released, I urge you to watch the Christmas episode where Dr. Craig throws his first Christmas party since the death of his child. You WILL RARELY witness more powerful acting – whether on television, in a movie or on stage – than the performance given by Daniels here.

This is one series that doesn’t require extras. The strength of the show is enough. In many ways St. Elsewhere is similar to The Simpsons. Just as you can watch any episode of The Simpsons many times and catch things you never saw before, so can you find little inside jokes and puns on multiple viewings of St. Elsewhere.