Later this week, we will take a look at Medical Center, which was one of the linchpins of CBS' freshman class of 1969. Like its immediate contemporary, ABC's Marcus Welby, MD, Medical Center ran for 7 seasons (1969-76), but what if Chad Everett never got to star in the show?
Five months before the series launched, MGM had released a pilot, originally titled "UMC" (University Medical Center), which was later reshot as the series opener. The pilot was later released on Warner Archive's MOD (Manufactured-on-Demand) service in 2010 under the title, "Operation: Heartbeat". Richard Bradford (ex-Man in a Suitcase) was the original choice to play Dr. Joe Gannon, fronting an ensemble that also included James Daly, Edward G. Robinson, J. D. Cannon (later of McCloud), Maurice Evans ("Planet of The Apes", Bewitched), and, while not shown in the following trailer, in one of his first acting jobs, O. J. Simpson. Somewhere along the way, MGM decided to recast the role of Gannon, making him younger. Exit Bradford, enter Everett.
Here's the trailer:
Bradford would never get the opportunity to headline a series again, and instead did a lot of guest roles.
No rating.
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