The show was a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman. Dr. Mark Sloan made his first appearance in Jake and the Fatman's episode 4.19, "It Never Entered My Mind". Afterwards, three TV movies aired prior to the start of the series.
Based on the popular 1980spolice drama of the same name, the regular series debuted on CBS on October 29th, 1993, and became a rapid success, airing in many countries around the world. Almost canceled at the end of the second season, it returned as a midseason replacement in the third season. 178 episodes were made and aired in the show's eight seasons on the CBS network in the United States and two more TV movies aired after the series' cancellation on May 11th, 2001. Since 1997, the popular show used to air in reruns on ABC Family (formerly The Family Channel), and today, the show is currently airing on both ION Television (formerly i: Independent Television and PAX TV) and Hallmark Channel.
Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke), Chief of Internal Medicine at Community General Hospital. Son of a cop and father of another, in whose cases he often got involved. He has a great eye for detail. Dick Van Dyke was considered for the lead role after the positive reviews he received from his dramatic role in the 1990 movie Dick Tracy (although the character he played in the movie was villainous and very different from the role of Mark Sloan).
Dr. Amanda Bentley, later Bentley-Livingston (Victoria Rowell), resident Pathologist at Community General Hospital and assistant County Medical Examiner, who is also Dr. Mark Sloan's straightwoman and medical partner. During the series, she married a military man, and had a son named C.J. Depending on the episode, she divorced him or he was killed in a plane crash. Later in the series, she adopted another boy, Deon.
Dr. Jack Stewart (Scott Baio, 1993-1995, seasons 1-2), a doctor at Community General Hospital and Steve's best friend, whom he often helped in his cases. He left to open his own practice in Colorado.
Dr. Jesse Travis (Charlie Schlatter, 1995-2001, seasons 3-8), a resident at Community General Hospital who Mark took under his wing. He often got involved in Mark and Steve's cases, with good intentions but not always good results.
Norman Briggs (Michael Tucci, 1993-1997, seasons 1-4), administrator at Community General Hospital and a close friend of Dr. Mark Sloan, even though he is often exasperated by him.
Jack Klugman also guest starred in season 4 episode "Physician, Murder Thyself", as a character very similar to his famous role in Quincy (he guest-starred again, in season 6 episode "Voices Carry" as a police Detective).
The episode "Must Kill TV" features a number of small cameos by TV personalities like Eric Estrada and Dr. Joyce Brothers playing themselves and a bigger one from Stephen J. Cannell as an over-the-top persiflage of a producer of action TV. The role is reprised in the two-parter "Trash TV".
Barry's children: Carey Van Dyke, Shane Van Dyke, Wes Van Dyke, and Taryn Van Dyke.
Smaller Reoccuring Roles
Joanna Cassidy (Season 7) plays Madison Wesley, a doctor friend of Mark Sloan, and Dean of Community General's Medical School. She is in 8 episodes.
Kim Little (Season 6) plays Susan Hillard, Jesse's long time girlfriend, for 11 episodes.
Susan Gibney (Seasons 5-7) plays Detective Tanis Archer, Steve's partner in over 7 episodes.
Charmin Lee (Seasons 7-8) is Steve's second partner Cheryl, who is in 7 episodes between seasons 7 and 8.
Martin Kove (Seasons 6-7) is Captain Newman, for 5 episodes.
Shane Van Dyke (Seasons 4-8) is Alex Smith, the third year medical student, who appears in 14 episodes. He is also seen as a boxing student in Never Say Die and an actor in Frontier Dad. (Both these episodes star the rest of Barry Van Dyke's children also.)
Carey Van Dyke (Seasons 4-8) plays various characters: Mr. Kelso, Terry Marshall, Kyle Lewis, Brendan Kelly, Carl Simpson, and Craig Wilson.
Kevin McNally (Seasons 3-8) as the ubiquitous EMT in 19 episodes.
Tim Conway plays Tim Conrad, an old friend of Mark's. Also a comedian in over 4 episodes.
Harry J. Lennix (Seasons 5-6) stars Agent Ron Wagner, in 6 episodes.
Since 2003, seven original novels have been released based on the TV series. All of them are written by Lee Goldberg, a former executive producer and writer on the TV series. According to his website,[1] he's working on the eighth and last one. The books are, in order:
Diagnosis Murder: The Silent Partner,
Diagnosis Murder: The Death Merchant,
Diagnosis Murder: The Shooting Script,
Diagnosis Murder: The Waking Nightmare,
Diagnosis Murder: The Past Tense,
Diagnosis Murder: The Dead Letter,
Diagnosis Murder: The Double Life,
Diagnosis Murder: The Last Word(coming in May 2007)
Paramount Home Entertainment has released Season 1 of Diagnosis: Murder on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Season 2 is scheduled to be released on June 12, 2007.
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