Top TV Doctors of All Time

10. Dr. Ben Casey. Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity signaled the start of every show with the ultra handsome Vince Edwards, in the title role, as neurosurgeon Ben Casey. This was gritty drama for the sixties and if you were old enough to stay up and watch, you know that Clooney and McDreamy had nothing on the original steamy Dr. Casey. Vince was tall, dark, handsome and capable. He also wore enough hair gel to create an oil spill. No worries as this was the 60's and we didnt know back then that neurosurgeons wore a lot of slick gunk in their hair to ward off brain tumors.

9. Dr. Kildare. Richard Chamberlin as a young intern under the stern tutelage of the gruff Dr. Gillespie. Kildare was idealistic and steadfast in his work, although he sometimes did cross the line and become personally involved with his patients. (Yes in the 1960s these blurred relationship boundaries were somewhat allowed). Everyone tuned into see this show and women of a certain age all dreamed of James Kildare. I was never permitted to stay up late enough to see this show. Once, when my grandmother was babysitting me, I made her swear to wake me up to see Dr. Kildare so I could see what all the hype was about. She tried her best, but my six year old brain was too sleepy to awaken.

8. Dr. Bombay. Bewitched, Tabitha and Passions. Dr. Bombay! Calling Dr. Bombay! Dr. Bombay come right away! Bernard Fox was the wonderful and prompt Dr. Bombay the best witch doctor ever. He was so great that whenever a kid fell on a playground during this era you would hear a chorus of kids shouting for him. He was a hoot and he had strange names for diseases and equally bizarre cures. He was a distinguished doctor and he would interrupt any activity to respond. Now a days where do you find a doc who will zip back from Safari just for you?

7. Dr. Joe Gannon. Medical Center was cutting edge medical drama in the sixties and early seventies. Starring Chad Everett as the compassionate Dr. Gannon, the show tackled some pretty timely issues and also boasted a huge cast of special guests whom were pretty talented players in their own rights. For its time it was one of the best on television.

6. Marcus Welby, MD. Not only did you get fatherly Robert Young as the wonderful Dr. Welby, James Brolin played his young and very handsome protogee, Dr. Steven Kiley. You loved Marcus because he treated his patients as people and not cases. He was the one really feeling and compassionate doctor of the era. I bet a lot of people called the network when they got sick and asked for a Marcus Welby consultation. He was so believeable you forgot all about the Andersons and Bud, Princess and Kitten, didn't you?

5. Quincy, ME. Okay its not like Quincy treated living people, but he was a doctor and he was on tv, so he gets mentioned. Jack Klugman as part doctor, part dectective knew not to take anything at face value and even if it took an entire television hour (and it always did) he would get to the bottom of whatever got his patients,. The show was all about Jack, but Jack was great in this role and no other medical examiner since has been quite as interesting or quite as passionate. I bet he trained all those csi people anyway.

4. Dr. Daniel Craig and all the other docs at St. Elsewhere. The problem with the ensemble shows of the 80's is that it is not possible to pick out one actor above all the rest. This is the case with the incredible St. Elsewhere that had a crop of docs at all stages of training who were just so great individually and as part of the bigger picture. Dr. Craig, however, was surely the quintessential doc for the day. He was stiffer than the starch in his white coat, smarter than a whip and demanding as all get go. We may not have liked him as a person so very much, but you wanted to be sure that if you were admitted to St. Elsewhere this doctor was called in on your consultation.

3. House. Yes I know a lot of people think Hugh Laurie's Gregory House should be further up the list but House is really only good at diagnosing exotic and strange illnesses and he can never get it right on the frist try. Just once it would be great if he figured out what was wrong on the first shot. Then we could wrap things up and get through the commercials and onto late night programming without falling asleep with the TV set on. House is a compelling character and Laurie deserves every award he is nominated to for bringing this character to life.

2. Doug Ross and all the docs at E.R. Yes, all those ER docs are good and attractive and they deserve our attention, but Clooney's Dr. Ross was the break out character of that show. Even the finale had to show Dr. Ross in the present. As a rebellious and commitment phobe pediatrician, Clooney had all the right moves for this show. There are some who consider it his best week even when considering some of the oscar rated work he has done in films.

1. Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce. Hawkeye and all the docs over at the 4077 were for 11 seasons some of the best that television ever had to offer. Its closing episode is still the record winner for most viewers of any television show. We liked and laughed along with all the crew at MASH and today, in syndication, these TV docs have won over a whole new generation of fans. Who could forget their antics? Even when your ribs were sore from laughter there would be the poignant twist that would leave you teary eyed and reflective. MASH was the best in television comedy and drama for a decade and its characters are indelibly seared in our collective psyche.