Based on a long running and popular movie series of the 1940’s (that starred Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore) Dr Kildare helped propel Richard Chamberlain to stardom. The show, a medical drama obviously, followed Dr James Kildare as he rose from a fresh faced intern to (by season three) a resident doctor at Blair General Hospital.
Dr Kildare had a mentor helping him along his way in the form of the often cantankerous Dr Leonard Gillespie. Popular with the female viewing public who found Kildare very ‘swoonsome’ the show moved from hour long episodes to twice weekly half hour ones during the 1965-66 season giving the show more of a soapy feel as stories were often now carried over several episodes.
There was a brief syndicated revival in 1972 called Young Dr Kildare with Mark Jenkins as Kildare and Gary Merrill as Gillespie.
production details
USA | NBC | x50 minutes | Broadcast Thursday 28 September 1961 – Tuesday 30 August 1966
Producer: Norman Felton
cast
Richard Chamberlain as Dr. Kildare
Raymond Massey as Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie
Cynthia Stone as Mrs. Salt
Eddie Ryder as Dr. Simon Agurski
Jud Taylor as Dr. Thomas Gerson
Ken Berry as Dr. John Kapish
Jean Inness as Nurse Beatrice Fain
Jack Nicholson as Jaime Angel
Margaret Leighton as Chris Becker
