Diagnosis: Unknown
Diagnosis: Unknown is an American medical drama that aired on CBS from July 5 to September 20, 1960. Produced by Bob Banner, the series aired as a summer replacement for The Garry Moore Show, a variety program.
| Diagnosis: Unknown | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Medical drama |
| Created by | Alan Woods James A. Bank, based on "Diagnosis: Homicide" by Lawrence G. Blochman |
| Written by | Joel Carpenter Arnold Manoff Bill S. Ballinger Elliott Norman Steven Gethers Theodore Apstein Alvin Boretz Ernest Kinoy |
| Directed by | Fielder Cook Paul Stanley William Corrigan |
| Starring | Patrick O'Neal Phyllis Newman Chester Morris Martin Huston Cal Bellini |
| Theme music composer | Irwin Kostal Edward Scott Joe Hamilton |
| Opening theme | "Diagnosis: Unknown" (aka "Coffee's Theme") |
| Composer(s) | Irwin Kostal |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Bob Banner |
| Producer(s) | Leo Davis |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Bob Banner Associates, Inc. Red Wing Productions, Inc. CBS Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | Black-and-white videotape |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | July 5 – September 20, 1960 |
Synopsis
The series stars Patrick O'Neal as pathologist Dr. Daniel Coffee,[1] who works at a metropolitan hospital and uses forensic medicine to assist the police in solving unconventional murders. The co-stars were Phyllis Newman, as Doris Hudson; Cal Bellini, a native of Singapore, as Dr. Motilal Mookerji; Chester Morris, the former star of Boston Blackie, as detective Lieutenant Max Ritter, and Martin Huston as Link, the young handyman. The characters were originally featured in a series of short stories written by Lawrence Blochman, initially published in Collier's magazine.
Diagnosis: Unknown aired at 10 p.m. Eastern time, and was preempted twice in July by the major party national conventions.[1]
In 1993, thirty-three years after Diagnosis: Unknown ended its brief run, CBS launched the successful Diagnosis Murder series, starring Dick Van Dyke and his son, Barry Van Dyke, as a physician, Dr. Mark Sloan and a police detective, Steve Sloan, respectively, who collaborate in the solving of difficult crimes. The Van Dyke series was similar in title, theme, and plot to Diagnosis: Unknown.
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Guest stars | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "The Case of the Radiant Wine" | Tom Bosley, Larry Hagman, Patricia Barry, Murray Matheson | July 5, 1960 |
| 1-2 | "Main Course -- Murder " | Jack Carter | August 2, 1960 |
| 1-3 | "A Sudden Stillness" | Gretchen Wyler | August 9, 1960 |
| 1-4 | "Final Performance" | Philip Abbott | August 16, 1960 |
| 1-5 | "The Case of the Elder " | Joan Hotchkis and Judith Lowry | August 23, 1960 |
| 1-6 | "The Curse of the Gypsy" | Michael Tolan and Jessica Walter | August 30, 1960 |
| 1-7 | "Gina, Gina" | Tim O'Connor and Telly Savalas | September 6, 1960 |
| 1-8 | "The Parasite" | Jeanne Bal and Biff McGuire | September 13, 1960 |
| 1-9 | "The Red Death" | September 20, 1960 | |
References
- "Diagnosis: Unknown". Classic Television Archives. Retrieved February 5, 2010.