St. Elsewhere isn't only one of television's all-time best dramas, but is arguably the greatest hospital drama of them all. Take "AIDS and Comfort", an absolutely brilliant episode produced in 1983 when AIDS was hardly as much on the public's conscience as it would be only about two years later. The resulting panic of the staff, their incredibly ignorant selfishness regarding the victim, the ensuing media frenzy and how it all compromises a much needed blood drive seems cliché over 24 years later, but this is remarkable stuff for 1983. This episode not only takes the unfounded paranoia about AIDS head on, but it also addresses the misconception that AIDS is strictly a homosexual disease. Again, quite remarkable television that dared to deal with an important subject at a time when people knew so little about the disease. Not only an episode way ahead of its time, but sadly an episode that's still all too timely considering the prejudice AIDS patients continue to live with. And if this episode hadn't broken enough fresh ground with the AIDS plot alone, it also delves into the problem of athletes using steroids to gain an edge. In this case it's a young teen tennis prodigy whose own father is having her take them to advance her career. How timely is THAT? St. Elsewhere has been off the air for over 18 years, but for me it continues to be head and shoulders above "ER", or just about any current drama.
Review of St. Elsewhere
