Customer Reviews

The Very Best of St. Elsewhere - Four Tape Set [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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).

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.

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.

This really was one of the best of all time. This 'Best Of' box set is very good, though it probably would have been better to stick to the first few seasons. That's the proble with the MTM box sets: they go for an overview, and most series get worse over time (The Mary Tyler Moore Show was probably the only television series ever to retain the same high quality). Still, this set is the best chance to catch a great show.

The truly shocking thing is it never won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Whilst Lou Grant, Hill Street Blues and Thirtysomething rightly did, St. Elsewhere missed out. And you know what won it both years when St. Elegias should have won? Cagney and Lacey!! Probably the biggest mistake the Emmies made - that forgettable cop show looks trifling and mediocre now.

St. Elsewhere was intelligent television that's hard to come by these days. They were innovative, literate, funny, and challenging. The excellent acting was matched by terrific writing. The first two or three seasons were the best; it was the kind of tv that was so good it could give you a high, like the first few years of The West Wing. If you haven't seen it in a while, get the box set of St. Elsewhere (on eBay if it's out of print on Amazon).

As an aspiring surgeon during my college years, I viewed St. Elsewhere with a critical eye. The dialogue, the case scenarios, the arrogance within academe, ad infinitum... precociously, St. Elsewhere captured it all during a time when most of the US was proverbially asleep--a condition not too unlike today wherein millions tune in to mindless fodder as The Bachelor, The Apprentice, Real World, etc... A DVD collection would truly be awesome... but I seriously doubt Hollywood would comply.

I just wanted to write to agree with the review entitled Television's Finest Hour. It certainly was, and it IS still amazing to think such television was made. As so much tv is forgettable pop, people forget to take television seriously - but the best episodes of Taxi, the British series A Very Peculiar Practice, and St Elsewhere show how rich and satisfying it can be. Bravo to the makers, the NBC of the time, and Robert J. Thompson for compiling this collection and writing a book about it.

Robert J. Thompson of Syracuse University compiled this collection of episodes from the innovative television show. Though often cited after Hill Street Blues as a genre defining show, St. Elsewhere was often more daring in it's subject matter and it's style.

Does anyone (out there or at Amazon) know why all the episodes of St. Elsewhere have never been released on DVD? I have sent several E-mails to both NBC and MTM productions asking this but never get a response. In doing internet searches, it seems like there are alot of people out there who grew up with the show and would be more than happy to pay for the box set. Is it some type of ownership or copyright issue? These "Best of...." series are ok, but I would much rather own the complete series. With all of the other series currently being released on DVD (Friends, ER, The West Wing, etc.), why not some of the great ground breaking series such as St. Elsewhere and Hill Street Blues? It just seems very strange that the owners of these old great series are turning down what (to me at least) would seem to be a very profitable venture. Does anyone know what is behind the lack of release of these two great series? Thanks.

I Love Saint Elsewhere and we were tickled to finally get this video, although a DVD with all the series would be better.