Product Details

• Actors: Ed Begley Jr., William Daniels, Howie Mandel, David Morse, Christina Pickles
• Directors: Allan Arkush
• Writers: Emily Potter, John Falsey, Joshua Brand
• Producers: Channing Gibson, John Tinker
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 4
• Studio: Mtm Video
• VHS Release Date: June 30, 1998
• Run Time: 400 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0767010019
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,138 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Long before the angst-ridden tension of ER and Chicago Hope, television audiences tuned in to St. Elsewhere for their weekly dose of hospital hijinks. From 1982 to 1988, this Boston-based NBC series shared the spotlight with Hill Street Blues as cutting-edge TV drama, paving the way for shows as diverse as Northern Exposure and L.A. Law.

Once dubbed by TV Guide as "the greatest dramatic series of all time," St. Elsewhere wears this accolade remarkably well, as evidenced by this four-tape boxed set. For example, many dramatic series now incorporate humor as a vital element, but St. Elsewhere may be the first long-running dramatic series to consistently use intelligent humor in a compelling, off-beat manner. Each of the eight episodes in this boxed set demonstrates this nuanced humor.

Representing the most highly acclaimed shows from each season, The Very Best of St. Elsewhere showcases the work of several cast members who continued their careers after the series' demise, including Mark Harmon, Howie Mandel, Helen Hunt, Alfre Woodard, and of course, Denzel Washington. St. Elsewhere lent a much-needed human element to the never-ending trials of a frenetic, big-city hospital, and the drama was made real with the pioneering use of handheld cameras, looping story line episodes, and overlapping dialogue. The show's fresh urban edge revitalized a genre long stale with the likes of Marcus Welby, M.D. and Medical Center. Garnering 13 Emmy Awards and a fiercely loyal following, the show endured a five-year run, despite increasingly poor ratings. Finally, on May 25, 1988, St. Elsewhere closed its doors to the public, as well as network television. --Stephan Magcosta

Product Description

For six memorable years, St. Elsewhere proved how good TV can be. Exquisitely written, directed and performed, the series’ unique mix of hard-hitting drama and heartfelt humor garnered 13 Emmy® awards and the coveted Peabody® and Humanitas awards. Many

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best television has offered, March 24, 2002

By 

A reader (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very Best of St. Elsewhere - Four Tape Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)

To paraphrase some dialogue from the final episode, it was a privilege to live in the time that St. Elsewhere aired. The show took more chances than any other show in the history of television, and while there certainly times that the show's reach exceeded its grasp, the show as a whole succeeded admirably throughout its run. The show boasted perhaps the largest recurring cast of characters in the history of prime time television, and an amazing group of actors (and even a few non-actors) brought these characters to life - Williams Daniels, Ed Begley, Jr., Denzel Washington, Alfre Woodard, David Morse, Ed Flanders, Stephen Furst, Helen Hunt, Bruce Greenwood, Ronny Cox, Patricia Wettig, Bonnie Bartlett... the list goes on and on. The stories that the show told over its 5+ year run fit together in an unprecented combination of the silliness, drudgeries and horrors of life. The best of the series always had somewhat of an epic feel as the result of the range of plots and characters (as well as the constant in-jokes, ironically), and the extraordinary two-part episode Time Flies, which is featured in this videocasette set, is the apotheosis of that tendency, as the show brilliantly weaves the 50 year history of the fictional St. Eligius, its staff, its patients, and its neighborhood into a magnificent two hour tapestry.

The only negative comments I can make concern the soundtrack changes on the videotape editions described by a previous reviewer and the lack of other episodes on video. Hopefully, someday, this series will someday appear on DVD, with commentary from the series' writers, producers and directors (if ever a television series needed that kind of commentary, this is the one).

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars TV's Best Dramatic Series, but new 'score' rings false, April 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Very Best of St. Elsewhere - Four Tape Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)

St. Elsewhere has always been my favorite television series. This set is a fine representation of its humor, emotional depth and exemplary ensemble of actors. The writers should be given especial credit for the show's success, as well. Unfortunately, the last two tapes in collection contain 'new' overdubbed music for some scenes. For example, during the 'Time Heals' 50-year retrospective episode, Edward Herrmann (Fr. Joseph McCabe) is supposed to be dancing to 'Ain't Misbehavin' piped through the address system. Instead, the viewer must endure an awful, static-filled muzak version of a 30s song. It would seem that rights were too expensive to secure the popular music which was used so effectively in the broadcast version. The aria in the penultimate scene of the final episode is also sorely missed. These are great disappointments in an otherwise superlative collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Television's Finest Hour, January 27, 2001

By 

Christian Milin "yowsa007" (Woodside, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Very Best of St. Elsewhere - Four Tape Set [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Unfortunately, I was a little young when "St. Elsewhere" orginally aired on NBC, but I catch the re-runs now on BRAVO. In this age of "Temptation Island" and "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire," it is almost impossible to believe that a show such as "St. Elsewhere" ever existed. The fact that the show was never in the Nielsen top forty is (unfortunately) a testament to how good and underappreciated it was. Characters are the focus for many of today's shows, but "St. Elsewhere" might be the last show that sacrificed its characters for a story. God bless Bruce Paltrow, Tom Fontana, John Masius and the rest of the show's behind the scenes staff for fighting NBC year after year and making the show so complex and fascinating. Every episode I watch leaves me thinking after words, "What did that mean?" or "What did that symbolize?" "St. Elsewhere" was far ahead of its time. This is evidenced by "ER"'s popularity. People just weren't ready (and didn't want) to hear about AIDS, rape, and other trajedies, but they are now. "St. Elsewhere" not only leaves you thinking, but it makes you laugh as well. It is black humor at its very best. Although I would add a few episodes to this collection to make it truly the "Very Best," the episodes included are great. "Time Heals" can only be truly appreciated if you are familiar with the characters beforehand. Still, the episodes here are among the best, and they are proof that television can actually be thought provoking and entertaining at the same time.