Diagnosis Murder (1993-2001)

This detective show involves a doctor working as a consultant for the police, including his detective son

Summary

-Dr. Mark Sloane (Dick Van Dyke) is a doctor at Community General Hospital who helps his detective son solve crimes

Cast

-Dick Van Dyke: Dr. Mark Slone

-Barry Van Dyke: Steve Sloane

-Victoria Rowell: Amanda Bentley-Livingston

-Charlie Schlatter: Dr. Jesse Travis

-Michael Tucci: Norman Briggs

-Scott Baio: Dr. Jack Stewart

-Delores Hall: Delores Mitchell

-Shane Van Dyke: Alex Smith

-Kim Little: Nurse Susan Hilliard

Did You Know?

-The series was only renewed a few episodes at a time, according to Dick Van Dyke

-There was one episode that required a motorcycle stunt. Since the production team didn't have enough money in the budget to perform it, Dick Van Dyke used LightWave 3-D software on his home computer to create the visual effects, since he is a computer animation enthusiast. They were used on the show and he was paid $200 for creating this sequence

-Some were concerned that Dick Van Dyke was considered too old to play a still-working doctor when the series began

-When the series started, Dick Van Dyke was already 67 years old

-Dick Van Dyke decided to retire from the role, so the series only lasted 8 seasons

-When Victoria Rowell was pregnant, between seasons 2 and 3, her pregnancy was written into the role. It was said Amanda was married to a serviceman never seen on the program

-When Scott Baio left the show, it was explained that his character, Dr. Jack Stewart, had left Community General Hospital to start his own practice in Colorado

-To prepare for their roles, Dick Van Duke, Victoria Powell, Scott Baio and Charlie Schlatter all had to use medical dictionaries to pronounce the medical terminology

-In the episode "Gangland", it was said that Amanda was a foster child. In real life, Victoria Rowell, who played Amanda, was a foster child

-Victoria Rowell is a second cousin of singer / actress Beyonce Knowles-Carter

-Prior to becoming Chief of Internal Medicine and doing consulting work with the police, Dr. Mark Sloan was a doctor who worked with the MASH Unit

-This show helped launch the careers of Barry Van Dyke, Dick's son and Charlie Schlatter

-Dr. Mark Sloan served in the US Army, in a medical unit during the Korean War. Dick Van Dyke spent his time in the US Army Air Force during WWII in real life