Ex-military surgeon Dr Sidney Rafferty (Patrick McGoohan) had just retired as a colonel after 23 years in the army and had now brought his rigid army ways and short temper to the more casual environment at City General Hospital.
He also maintained a practice as a family doctor with carefree, young Dr Dan Gentry (John Getz) while remaining oblivious to the affections of his ardently devoted nurse-receptionist Vera Wales (Millie Slavin).
McGoohan was superb as cantankerous, grouchy widower Dr Rafferty, who meddled in the private lives of his patients and antagonised colleagues who didn’t live up to his exacting standards.
Rafferty was a brilliant diagnostician and most of the episodes were more like detective stories than medical soap operas, as he tried to figure out what was wrong with his patient – as Dr Gregory House would do several years later.
McGoohan hated this CBS show and was understandably frustrated at not being a producer after the brilliant job he did as executive producer of The Prisoner. “A disaster . . . the most miserable job I’ve ever done in my life,” the actor later reflected.
Dr Sidney Rafferty
Patrick McGoohan Dr Dan Gentry
John Getz Nurse Vera Wales
Millie Slavin Dr Prud’homme
Michael C. Gwynne Dr Calvin
David Clennon Nurse Koscinski
Anne-Marie Martin Nurse Keynes
Joan Pringle
McGoohan was superb as cantankerous, grouchy widower Dr Rafferty, who meddled in the private lives of his patients and antagonised colleagues who didn’t live up to his exacting standards.
