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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24455 in VHS
• Released on: 1998-06-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 4
• Running time: 400 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

The best television has offered
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).

Why is there no complete DVD box set ?
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.

TV's Best Dramatic Series, but new 'score' rings false
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.