Doc (TV series)
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Doc was a TV show starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York medical clinic. It ran from 2001 to 2004.
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[edit] Summary
Doc follows rural doctor Clint "Doc" Cassidy who has taken a position at Westbury Clinic, a small medical center in New York, New York. Doc is a young Christian bachelor from the mountains of Montana, who brings his small-town values and ideology to an environment that seems to lack familiarity with them.
Supporting characters include the doctors, nurses and other staff of Westbury Clinic; a 10-year-old orphan, Raul Garcia; and a young couple, Nate and Beverly Jackson, who live in the same apartment building as Clint.
[edit] Broadcast history
The show was broadcast on PAX TV (now ION Television) and had strong Christian undertones. It was written by Dave Alan Johnson and Gary R. Johnson. One of the other shows that come from the same producers and writers is Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. While it does not have as many Christian undertones as Doc, it is on a well-established Christian network.
It was rebroadcast throughout 2005 on Network Ten in Australia on Saturday mornings at 4:00am.
During 2006, Doc was shown on the Canadian Showcase Network, Monday through Friday at 10:00am and 6:00pm. It also aired in Spanish on Mexico's National Broadcast channel at 10:30PM Sunday trough Friday.
Showcase has also purchased 14 episodes for 2007, and depending on their success, SHowcase is considering buying more.
[edit] Major Characters
[edit] Westbury Clinic
- Billy Ray Cyrus plays Dr. Clint 'Doc' Cassidy (2001-2004) - a kindhearted doctor from Montana who has moved to New York to work at Westbury Clinic, a medical center adjacent to the local hospital. Doc has a love for God and for people, making him a popular doctor at the clinic. He often likes to insert little bits of wisdom from Montana into the clinic team's activity. He is the show's main character.
- Andrea C. Robinson plays Nurse Nancy Nichols (2001-2004) - a young nurse who is smart, witty, and a little bit vain. She possesses good bedside manners and common sense, but she isn't afraid to speak her mind. Nancy's parents divorced when she was twelve, and Nancy had a touching reunion with her mother, who had cancer at the time. This reunion, and the mother eventually succumbing to her cancer were the focuses of two episodes of the show.
- Derek McGrath plays Dr. Derek Hebert (2001-2004) - a slightly overweight, excitable, but insightful doctor who is a very good friend of Clint's. Despite his soft spoken personality, Derek is friends with all of the clinical team (with the exception of Dr. Crane) and never afraid to get involved in anything the clinic is involved in. Derek has a wife, Nellie, and a child, Gracie. He has a phobia of small rodents, especially rats and mice.
- Ruth Marshall plays Donna Dewitt (2001-2004) - Ms. Dewitt is the hospital administrator. Ms. Dewitt combines a warm heart with a focus on the bottom line. Her occasional role as an antagonist as a result of her goal of cutting costs contrasts with her warmth, approachability and unfailing support of the rest of the staff.
- Ron Lea plays Dr. Oliver Crane (2001-2004) - Dr. Crane is frequently the antagonist of the series. He is egotistical and selfish, and usually more concerned with his personal convenience and getting recognition from peers (especially outside of the clinic) than with his patients. He is also a schemer in a sense, trying to get money and compliments, but these almost always fail. But despite his mean and outspoken demeanor, Oliver has a soft side, which was revealed in the episode in which Nellie was pregnant with Gracie.
- Paula Boudreau plays Tippy Williams (later Tippy Doss) (2002-2004). Tippy appears in the pilot episode, and joins Westbury later in the first season. She thinks differently than most people, and often comes across as a bit of a dimwit. She keeps the team on their toes in a silly, geeky way. However, shining through Tippy's somewhat woolly mind is a heart of gold that loves, sacrifices, and longs to learn.
[edit] Jackson Family
- Richard Leacock plays Nate Jackson (2001-2004), an officer with the New York Police Department. Nate Jackson is initially skeptical of Clint's country ways, but the two become close friends quickly. Nate is also a building supervisor, and arranges an apartment for Clint.
- Tyler Posey - Raul Garcia (2001-2004)
- Tracy Shreve - Beverly Jackson (2001-2004)
[edit] Trivia
- During the pilot episode, the song Achy Breaky Heart, sung by Billy Ray Cyrus, was heard playing in the background. On hearing it, the character of Doc (Cyrus) said, "I hate that song."
[edit] Guest stars
- Actress Kim Poirier guest starred in the episode Second Time Around as Denise.
- Singer Jaci Velasquez appears in the season 5 episode Nip, Tuck & Die.
- Cyrus' real-life daughter, Miley, appeared as a character named Kylie.
- Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman appears in the season 2 episode Fearless, as Raul's music teacher, Daniel Parson.
[edit] Reactions
- Focus on the Family declared that "Doc has restored families’ hope that there are still TV programs they can watch together."[1]
- Parents Television Council declared "Episodes of Doc consistently reinforce family-friendly themes such as honesty, compassion, hope, and reconciliation, making it a perfect fit for its family-hour time slot."[2] Doc was also named the best show on TV in their 2001-2002 Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Network TV.[3]
