alexanderdavies-99382
"Quincy M.E" was another television triumph for "Universal" after they were on a roll with one successful show after another. The episodes about a crusading coroner based in Los Angeles, quickly caught the interest of the public. The series made a household name of that fine character actor Jack Klugman, who made the main character his own. The show benefited from having some great writing, which guaranteed some classic episodes. Quincy was the kind of character who needed to complete a job regarding a suspicious death (his speciality), no matter that he inevitably rubbed certain people up the wrong way. Amongst these people, were a friend from the Los Angeles police department and Quincy's own boss. There were numerous times when Quincy would be facing some kind of disciplinary action or even being fired! To be fair to him though, he only wanted to do his job and not just because he was very good at it. Quincy genuinely cared about everything that went with his profession, including presenting bad news to someone's loved ones. He was overworked and underpaided but still liked his job. "Quincy M.E" became highly successful, the series ran from 1976 til 1983 and lasted 148 episodes. The theme tune is quite a catchy one. The show began with a season of episodes that lasted 75 minutes each. These episodes were the ideal way to introduce the main characters and the way they operated. It is seldom that I see any television show from today that could hold a single match stick, let alone a candle to classic shows like the above. The quality of actors and writers simply isn't in evidence any longer.
LauraAS
It has struck me that despite the implausible pairing of Quincy with much younger women, the clashes with the management and the police, this show covered some pretty controversial topics for a 30 year old mainstream show:- * Teenage alcoholism * Elder abuse * Mental health issues * Legislation for lief jackets on plains * Drunk driving *Public health issues such as food contamination/pollution Yes it can be cheesy but I still find many of them watchable and find the range of issues covered impressive for the times. I also think it's quite cool that Mark was actually a technician not an actor who is now a leading DNA expert!
roghache
I absolutely loved this series about a coroner's experiences, and have tried in recent years to find a TV replacement, all to no avail. Cold Case Files is bearable (but no Quincy) while CSI is both dark & stark and far too graphic. No opportunity is lost to display blood and guts, generally at the expense of character and plot. Why people view this as entertainment befuddles me. Crossing Jordan is yet another dark tale and generally as concerned with Jordan's sex life as with crime investigation.By contrast, Quincy is very engaging but also optimistic. Yes, Quincy has his 'relationships' with beautiful young women, but they are portrayed light heartedly, with humour and minimal focus. Jack Klugman is brilliant in the role of the smart & tough, kind hearted & principled, grumpy but charismatic coroner. He is always the underdog's champion, indignant at the crimes & cover ups of the wealthy and influential, and not hesitant to ruffle a few feathers. Quincy is always professional but also personally engaged in the victim's plight. Each episode sees him ferreting out some new case of foul play, aided by his faithful Oriental lab cohort, Sam, engagingly played by Robert Ito. The pair enjoy a touching friendship.The series gave us a glimpse into the forensic techniques and research of that era. (These may have improved during the intervening decades but alas, the TV series portraying them have not.) Also, many issues equally relevant today were explored, including child abuse, fad diets, alcoholism, child pornography, and so forth. Who cares whether aspects of the show are predictable or whether it is particularly realistic? I for one remain a great fan of the series. As I see it, all the forensic dramas of today pale by comparison.
Kaiya
For me Quincy was more laughable than a serious series, simply for the reason that Jack Klugman or should I say Quincy, exaggerated at almost every opportunity. The shouting, the OTT hand gestures and also the fact that he thought he was funny when he so blatantly was irritating. He fancied himself as a bit of a ladies man, which is OK but do viewers really want to see a middle aged, 50 - odd guy hitting on beautiful young girls? Why do I watch it then? Well, I don't really but when I do it's purely for the comedy, laughing at the fact that the show, however lovable, is awfully bad!