those loveable cranky and ornery doctors!

In film and TV.

Now I'm not talking about the sexy late 20s-to-30-something doctor with the perfect looks who the ladies go ga-ga over ala George Clooney back in the 90's with "ER" and of course more recently the studs of "Grey's Anatomy." Ugh. To me, that stuff is boring.

I'm more referring to doctors who buck the system, have a lack of patience for idiots, grumpy, and are largely unlikeable, but we love to not like them regardless thus making them loveable because they somehow remind us of our intolerable, but affectionate elder family members.

I'll start out with "Bones" McCoy from "Star Trek" as I started thinking about this while watching The Voyage Home last night. Of course he's the member of the crew who has the most interesting and dynamic relationship with Captain Kirk, even more so than Spock. This is apparent in the TV series when he constantly tells Kirk how it is and is more blunt than any of the other crew members. "Bones" is also the only one of the 23rd century crew who manages to let fly 20th century explectives left and right.



I also recall the aging Jimmy Stewart as John Wayne's doctor who delievers the bad news, "IT'S A CANCER! I'D HAVE TO GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!" in the Duke's last film, The Shootist. These types of doctors seem to be common place in westerns as the only ample anesthetic they need is a bottle of whiskey, or if they're fancy a dose of laudnum.



Which brings me to probably my favorite doctor in all of film and TV... Doc Cochran from HBO's "Deadwood." In the first episode of the show he is viewed digging around inside the head of a man who was shot trying to figure out why he lived so long. He's gruff and speaks heavy handedly with what's on his mind. He's also really the only person in the show who can openly challenge the larger than life Al Swearengen as played by Ian McShane and still live to see his liver function, a lack of bullet holes in his body, and not dig out a knife in his back. Throughout the show he talks candidly to Swearengen and remains on his good side, the way few other characters can.



And finally the last one I'll mention is another favorite and a show my girlfriend introduced me to, "House M.D." I don't really need to say that the character Hugh Laurie has helped forged is absolutely brilliant and dispicable with his nihlistic attitude and contempt for human kind. Of course he openly defies his boss and gets away with it, the way no one could in real life, but that's all part of the grandeur and wit of the show and character. One of the best moments in the show is when House plays the dirty old man and a 17-year old patient falls for him and agrees to wait around until she's 18. Much to House's dismay he figures out that her attraction for him, was only a symptom of a disease. Oh well.





What are some other doctors that fit these guidelines?

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Doc Cochran from Deadwood is easily my favorite. A guy that's seen the worst from humanity, has had his soul shattered and still manages to steadfastly practice medicine with intensity and enthusiasm. My favorite scene is when he convinces Jane she has a gift as a caretaker and recruits her to help out with the oncoming smallpox epidemic. "You can do your drinking off hours, like I do..."...Brilliant
My other favorite scene is his monologue where he curses out God for afflicting the Preacher with the brain tumor. My favorite character ever, bar none.

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Thanks you for the post.

This thread never took off, but that's OK. The well isn't entirely deep with character's that fit this criteria.

I'll go ahead and add another one of my favorite cranky old hoot of a doctors.

This one is Doc Boone as played by Thomas Mitchell in the John Ford classic Stagecoach. Thomas Mitchell is probably the best thing about the film, at least in pure enjoyment by watching a performance. He plays the drunk doctor, who along with Claire Trevor's prostitute Dallas is getting kicked out of the small western town as civilization encrouches. Sure he's a drunk, but he's a damn good doctor. He developes an interesting relationship with a meek whiskey drummer...naturally, on the stage and tells him to be a man about things.

His most classic scene in the film is when he's agueing with John Carradine's gentleman gambler about ethics. "I dug a bullet out of a man who was shot by a gentleman. THE BULLET WAS IN HIS BACK!"