Preface To Emergency: That 1970s Television Show

(image from the IMDb)

Being a child of the 1970s, & growing up poor with a working mother, I watched a lot of television. I watched pretty much anything, although I preferred cartoon, sitcoms, sci-fi/fantasy shows, & cop shows. But I had a soft spot for the show Emergency!, which aired from 1972 - when I was four - till 1979, when I was eleven. Almost certainly I saw the bulk of it in reruns. I only just now discovered they made several television movies of the show, & will seek them out. But if you had to ask me my most indelible memory about the show - it was this one:

(screengrabbed from here)

It's not that I didn't love the character of John Gage - I totally did - but I really, really, really loved the name "Randolph Mantooth." I have forgotten most of the plot lines & most of the characters (except Julie London as Nurse Dixie McCall) but I will never not be fascinated by the name Randolph Mantooth. It sounds like an exclamation, like something Perry White should say instead of "Great Caesar's Ghost!"

It holds a special meaning for me now because it was the sort of name that would crack my friend Russell up. He'd tell me he saw a movie on television the other night, & I would say, with excitement, "Did it star Randolph Mantooth?" It would always make him laugh.

Dang I wish I had time to watch some of these shows before the Self Help Radio Emergency show. At least you know I'll play the theme.