Posts by Gino Sassani

Dr. Mark Sloan first appeared in The It Never Entered My Mind episode of Jake And The Fat Man. In that episode Sloan was accused of a murder, and it was up to Jake and Jason to prove his innocence. The character had a certain charm that appeared to carry with audiences, and two years later Sloan had his own show, Diagnosis Murder. Dick Van Dyke did for doctors what his good friend Andy Griffith did for lawyers as Matlock. Both traded on their earlier careers in trademark comedies to reimagine dramatic roles in their twilight years. For Dick Van Dyke, Diagnosis Murder was more like a family affair. Almost every member of the Van Dyke clan arrived to play characters on the show that mirrored their real life connections. Jerry Van Dyke made numerous appearances as Sloan’s brother, while all of his children at one time or another played children of Sloan’s. Most notable, of course, was Barry Van Dyke, who costarred along with father. He played an L.A. Detective who often went to his father with his vast medical knowledge to solve crimes. Dr. Sloan had his own group of helpers who often either helped solve the crime or got themselves into danger, requiring doctor and son to rescue them, of course, just in the nick of time. Charlie Schlatter played Dr. Jesse Travis. Travis was a young ambitious resident who looked up to Sloan and would do almost anything for him. Victoria Rowell was Dr. Amanda Bentley who played the hospital’s real-life Quincy. She was the resident medical examiner and an important cog in Sloan’s crime fighting machine. Sloan was a combination Quincy and Columbo. Like Quincy, he had a knack for making medical discoveries no one else could find. His Columbo personality was brought out in his innocent simple nature that he relied on to lure criminals into a false sense of security.

It was in the second year that the format of Mission:Impossible became what we all remember today. By this third year the show was running on all cylinders and full speed ahead. By now the formula was tight, so the audience knew exactly what to expect. They weren’t disappointed. The third year was also a very successful year in the ratings as the show began to come into its own. Mission:Impossible was a companion show to Star Trek. Both were produced at the Desilu Studios and often shared guest stars. If anything changed, it could be said there was a little more action in the third season. A few more fights and gunfights were added without compromising on the style or traditions of the series. A lot of time is still given to show the team performing some elaborate setup, often without any dialog for rather extended periods at a time. The scams were entertaining enough that somehow the audience stuck around for what many broadcast professionals would have called dead air.