What Might've Been: Medic (1954)

In a way, Medic was a branch off the Jack Webb creative tree.

Writer-creator James Moser had been a writer for both the radio & television incarnations of Webb's seminal procedural, Dragnet, as well as the radio version of Dr. Kildare. What Moser sought to do was inform his audience about various medical maladies, such as lukemia and diabetes, in this anthology series.

However, Medic lasted just two seasons (1954-6), due likely to declining ratings. Richard Boone served as the series host & narrator (and occasionally involved in stories) as Dr. Konrad Styner. I recall seeing reruns of Medic airing on WSMW out of Worcester, Ma., back in the 80's. At the time, it was the only station in my market carrying the show, as it wasn't running locally.

From season 2, a young John Saxon stars in a tale of a prize fighter trying to make ends meet, unaware of his contracting type 1 diabetes. Here's "Walk With Lions".



14 years later, Saxon would himself play a doctor on The Bold Ones. Boone would, of course, become more of an icon with CBS' Have Gun...Will Travel, and would work for Webb in the 70's in the short-lived Hec Ramsey.

Rating: A.