# The Nurses (TV series)

The Nurses is a serialized primetime medical drama that was broadcast in the United States on CBS from September 27, 1962, to May 11, 1965. For the third and final season, the title was expanded to The Doctors and the Nurses, and it ran until 1965, when it was transformed into a half-hour daytime soap opera. The soap opera, also called The Nurses, ran on ABC from 1965 to 1967.

## Synopsis

The series is set in Alden General Hospital (patterned after Roosevelt Hospital) in New York City, and the primetime program starred Zina Bethune as Gail Lucas, the young nurse, and Shirl Conway as Liz Thorpe, her older nurse mentor.
Unlike most television dramas of the era, save for ABC's police drama Naked City (1958–1963) and the sitcom The Patty Duke Show (1963–1966), the series was filmed in New York City and not Hollywood. The show was mainly filmed at the Filmways and Pathe Studios in Manhattan.
The program was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards.

## Cast

* Zina Bethune as Gail Lucas
* Shirl Conway as Liz Thorpe
* Michael Tolan as Dr. Alex Tazinski (1964–1965)
* Joseph Campanella as Dr. Ted Steffen (1964–1965)
Other performers who appeared in episodes were Billie Allen, Margaret Barker, John Beal, Lane Bradbury, Sandra Church, Michael Conrad, Ruby Dee, Ivan Dixon, Dana Elcar, Elizabeth Frazier, Robert Gerringer, Arlene Golonka, George Grizzard, Vincent Guardino, Larry Haines, Barbara Harris, Joey Heatherton, William Hickey, Dustin Hoffman, Ellen Holly, Bernard Hughes, Kim Hunter, Diana Hyland, Albert Grant, Lee Grant, Judson Laire, John Lasell, Linda Lavin, Joseph Leon, Vivica Lindfors, Clifton James, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Jan Miner, Kermit Murdock, Peg Murray, Susan Oliver, Estelle Parsons, Jane Rose, Polly Rowles, Diana Sands, Zachary Scott, Fran Sharon, William Shatner, Martin Sheen, Joe Silver, Hilda Simms, Paul Stevens, Inger Stevens, Elaine Stritch, Florence Stanley, Michael Strong, and Dolph Sweet.

## Episodes
### Season 1 (1962–63)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 1 | 1 | "Night Shift" | David Greene | John Vlahos | September 27, 1962 (1962-09-27) |
| 2 | 2 | "The Walls Came Tumbling Down" | Herbert Hirschman | Andy Lewis | October 4, 1962 (1962-10-04) |
| 3 | 3 | "Fly, Shadow" | Herman Hoffman | Franklin Barton | October 11, 1962 (1962-10-11) |
| 4 | 4 | "The Barbara Bowers Story" | Herman Hoffman | Al Brenner | October 18, 1962 (1962-10-18) |
| 5 | 5 | "Dr. Lillian" | Don Richardson | Leon Tokatyan | October 25, 1962 (1962-10-25) |
| 6 | 6 | "A Private Room" | Don Richardson | Irving Gaynor Neiman | November 1, 1962 (1962-11-01) |
| 7 | 7 | "The Prisoner" | Elliot Silverstein | George Bellak | November 8, 1962 (1962-11-08) |
| 8 | 8 | "A Strange and Distant Place" | Jose Quintero | Alvin Boretz | November 15, 1962 (1962-11-15) |
| 9 | 9 | "Two Black Candles" | Jose Quintero | Norman Lessing | November 22, 1962 (1962-11-22) |
| 10 | 10 | "The Lady Made of Stone" | Herman Hoffman | Alvin Boretz | November 29, 1962 (1962-11-29) |
| 11 | 11 | "Frieda" | Lamont Johnson | Albert Ruben | December 6, 1962 (1962-12-06) |
| 12 | 12 | "The Soft Touch" | Paul Stewart | John Hess | December 13, 1962 (1962-12-13) |
| 13 | 13 | "Image of Angela" | Elliot Silverstein | Franklin Barton & Leon Tokatyan | December 27, 1962 (1962-12-27) |
| 14 | 14 | "A Difference of Years" | Herman Hoffman | Andy Lewis | January 3, 1963 (1963-01-03) |
| 15 | 15 | "Root of Violence" | John Newland | Mel Goldberg | January 10, 1963 (1963-01-10) |
| 16 | 16 | "Many a Sullivan" | Herman Hoffman | Edward Adler & Albert Ruben | January 17, 1963 (1963-01-17) |
| 17 | 17 | "Night Sounds" | Don Richardson | Larry Cohen | January 24, 1963 (1963-01-24) |
| 18 | 18 | "The Third Generation" | Gerald Meyer | Stanley R. Greenberg | February 7, 1963 (1963-02-07) |
| 19 | 19 | "The Life" | Don Richardson | Alvin Sargent | February 14, 1963 (1963-02-14) |
| 20 | 20 | "Circle of Choice" | Gerald Meyer | George Bellak | February 21, 1963 (1963-02-21) |
| 21 | 21 | "The Perfect Nurse" | John Peyser | Leon Tokatyan | February 28, 1963 (1963-02-28) |
| 22 | 22 | "The Thunder of Ernie Bass" | Jose Quintero | Albert Ruben | March 7, 1963 (1963-03-07) |
| 23 | 23 | "The Saturday Evening of Time" | David Greene | Alvin Sargent | March 14, 1963 (1963-03-14) |
| 24 | 24 | "A Question of Mercy" | Stuart Rosenberg | Leon Tokatyan | March 21, 1963 (1963-03-21) |
| 25 | 25 | "Party Girl" | Robert Gist & Stuart Rosenberg | Larry Cohen | March 28, 1963 (1963-03-28) |
| 26 | 26 | "A Dark World" | Don Richardson | George Bellak | April 11, 1963 (1963-04-11) |
| 27 | 27 | "You Could Die Laughing" | Herman Hoffman | George Bellak | April 18, 1963 (1963-04-18) |
| 28 | 28 | "Choice Among Wrongs" | Paul Bogart | Andy Lewis | May 2, 1963 (1963-05-02) |
| 29 | 29 | "Express Stop form Lenox Avenue" | Stuart Rosenberg | Adrian Spies | May 9, 1963 (1963-05-09) |
| 30 | 30 | "Bitter Pill" | Herman Hoffman | Leonard Kanter | May 23, 1963 (1963-05-23) |
| 31 | 31 | "Field of Battle" | Don Richardson | Albert Ruben | May 30, 1963 (1963-05-30) |
| 32 | 32 | "They Are as Lions" | Alex March | Alvin Boretz | June 6, 1963 (1963-06-06) |

### Season 2 (1963–64)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 33 | 1 | "No Score" | Stuart Rosenberg | Arnold Perl | September 26, 1963 (1963-09-26) |
| 34 | 2 | "Show Just Cause Why You Should Weep" | Lamont Johnson | Andy Lewis | October 3, 1963 (1963-10-03) |
| 35 | 3 | "Escape Route" | Stuart Rosenberg | Richard McCracken | October 10, 1963 (1963-10-10) |
| 36 | 4 | "The Gift" | Alex March | Larry Cohen | October 17, 1963 (1963-10-17) |
| 37 | 5 | "Strike" | Elliot Silverstein | Albert Ruben | October 24, 1963 (1963-10-24) |
| 38 | 6 | "The Horn of Plenty" | Alex March | Ted Apstein | October 31, 1963 (1963-10-31) |
| 39 | 7 | "The Helping Hand" | Dick Donner | Art Wallace | November 7, 1963 (1963-11-07) |
| 40 | 8 | "Ordeal" | Ralph Senensky | Harold Gast | November 14, 1963 (1963-11-14) |
| 41 | 9 | "The Guilt of Molly Kane" | Paul Bogart | Alvin Sargent | November 21, 1963 (1963-11-21) |
| 42 | 10 | "The Unwanted" | Charles S. Dubin | Stanley R. Greenberg | November 28, 1963 (1963-11-28) |
| 43 | 11 | "Disaster Call" | Gerald Meyer | Richard McCracken | December 5, 1963 (1963-12-05) |
| 44 | 12 | "To Spend, to Give, to Want" | Charles S. Dubin | Andy Lewis | December 12, 1963 (1963-12-12) |
| 45 | 13 | "The Witch of the East Wing" | Gerald Meyer | Archie L. Tegland | December 19, 1963 (1963-12-19) |
| 46 | 14 | "Rally Round, My Comrades" | Charles S. Dubin | Alvin Boretz | December 26, 1963 (1963-12-26) |
| 47 | 15 | "The Seeing Heart" | Gerald Meyer | Alvin Boretz | January 2, 1964 (1964-01-02) |
| 48 | 16 | "Credo" | Stuart Rosenberg | Leon Tokatyan | January 9, 1964 (1964-01-09) |
| 49 | 17 | "The Rainbow Ride" | Paul Bogart | Leon Tokatyan | January 16, 1964 (1964-01-16) |
| 50 | 18 | "The Intern Syndrome" | Ralph Senensky | Harold Gast | January 23, 1964 (1964-01-23) |
| 51 | 19 | "Is There Room for Edward?" | Buzz Kulik | Alvin Sargent | January 30, 1964 (1964-01-30) |
| 52 | 20 | "The Roamer" | Gerald Meyer | Harold Gast | February 6, 1964 (1964-02-06) |
| 53 | 21 | "Nurse is a Feminine Noun" | Paul Bogart | Robert Van Scoyk | February 13, 1964 (1964-02-13) |
| 54 | 22 | "The Imperfect Prodigy" | James Sheldon | Albert Ruben | February 20, 1964 (1964-02-20) |
| 55 | 23 | "For the Mice and the Rabbits" | David Greene | Art Wallace | February 27, 1964 (1964-02-27) |
| 56 | 24 | "Climb a Broken Ladder" | Elliot Silverstein | Art Wallace | March 12, 1964 (1964-03-12) |
| 57 | 25 | "The Forever Child" | Paul Bogart | Alvin Boretz | March 19, 1964 (1964-03-19) |
| 58 | 26 | "A King of Loving" | Alex Segal | Leon Tokatyan | April 2, 1964 (1964-04-02) |
| 59 | 27 | "The Leopard Killer" | Tom Gries | Harold Gast | April 9, 1964 (1964-04-09) |
| 60 | 28 | "The Gismo on the EEG" | Paul Bogart | Albert Ruben | April 16, 1964 (1964-04-16) |
| 61 | 29 | "The Human Transaction" | Leonard Horn | Andy Lewis | April 23, 1964 (1964-04-23) |
| 62 | 30 | "To All My Friends on Shore" | Stuart Rosenberg | Allan Sloane | May 7, 1964 (1964-05-07) |
| 63 | 31 | "White on White" | Paul Bogart | Robert Van Scoyk | May 14, 1964 (1964-05-14) |
| 64 | 32 | "A Postcard from Yucatan" | David Greene | Alvin Sargent | May 21, 1964 (1964-05-21) |
| 65 | 33 | "The Bystanders" | Marvin Chomsky | Art Wallace | May 28, 1964 (1964-05-28) |
| 66 | 34 | "Where Park Runs into Vreeland" | Lamont Johnson | Allan Sloane | June 11, 1964 (1964-06-11) |
| 67 | 35 | "The Warrior" | Buzz Kulik | Stanley R. Greenberg | June 18, 1964 (1964-06-18) |
| 68 | 36 | "The Love of a Smart Operator" | Paul Bogart | Harold Gast | June 25, 1964 (1964-06-25) |

### Season 3: The Doctors and the Nurses (1964–65)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 69 | 1 | "Once Bitten" | Paul Bogart | Ernest Kinoy | September 22, 1964 (1964-09-22) |
| 70 | 2 | "The Suspect: Part 1" | Robert Stevens | Art Wallace | September 29, 1964 (1964-09-29) |
| 71 | 3 | "The Suspect: Part 2" | Robert Stevens | Art Wallace | October 6, 1964 (1964-10-06) |
| 72 | 4 | "Respect of One for Another" | David Greene | Andy Lewis | October 13, 1964 (1964-10-13) |
| 73 | 5 | "No Shadow Where There is No Sun" | Paul Sylbert | Alvin Boretz | October 20, 1964 (1964-10-20) |
| 74 | 6 | "Hildie" | Lamont Johnson | Albert Ruben | October 27, 1964 (1964-10-27) |
| 75 | 7 | "The Outpost" | László Benedek | Alvin Boretz | November 10, 1964 (1964-11-10) |
| 76 | 8 | "The Family Resemblance" | Stuart Rosenberg | Robert Schlitt | November 17, 1964 (1964-11-17) |
| 77 | 9 | "Time for You and Time for Me" | Robert Stevens | Leon Tokatyan | November 24, 1964 (1964-11-24) |
| 78 | 10 | "So Some Girls Play the Cello" | Stuart Rosenberg | Alvin Sargent | December 1, 1964 (1964-12-01) |
| 79 | 11 | "Rites of Spring" | Robert Stevens | Robert Crean | December 8, 1964 (1964-12-08) |
| 80 | 12 | "Next Stop, Valhalla" | László Benedek | Sheldon Stark | December 15, 1964 (1964-12-15) |
| 81 | 13 | "The Skill in These Hands" | Vincent Donehue | Doug Taylor | December 22, 1964 (1964-12-22) |
| 82 | 14 | "A Messenger to Everyone" | Marvin Chomsky | Andy Lewis | December 29, 1964 (1964-12-29) |
| 83 | 15 | "Last Rites of a Rag Doll" | Stuart Rosenberg | Waldo Salt | January 5, 1965 (1965-01-05) |
| 84 | 16 | "The Patient Nurse" | Leonard Horn | Robert Van Scoyk | January 12, 1965 (1965-01-12) |
| 85 | 17 | "A Couple of Dozen Tiny Pills" | David Greene | Edward DeBlasio | January 19, 1965 (1965-01-19) |
| 86 | 18 | "A Question of Murder" | Robert Stevens | Leon Tokatyan | January 26, 1965 (1965-01-26) |
| 87 | 19 | "Night of the Witch" | Paul Bogart | Stanley R. Greenberg | February 2, 1965 (1965-02-02) |
| 88 | 20 | "Sixteen Hours to Chicago" | Paul Bogart | Doug Taylor | February 9, 1965 (1965-02-09) |
| 89 | 21 | "Act of Violence: Part 1" | Daniel Petrie | Albert Ruben | February 16, 1965 (1965-02-16) |
| Crossover episode with For the People. ||||||
| 90 | 22 | "A Dangerous Silence" | Gerald Meyer | Alvin Boretz | March 2, 1965 (1965-03-02) |
| 91 | 23 | "Where There's Smoke" | Daniel Petrie | Robert Van Scoyk | March 9, 1965 (1965-03-09) |
| 92 | 24 | "The Politicians" | Leonard Horn | Alvin Boretz | March 16, 1965 (1965-03-16) |
| 93 | 25 | "The April Thaw of Dr. Mai" | Paul Bogart | Robert Crean | March 30, 1965 (1965-03-30) |
| 94 | 26 | "Threshold" | Leonard Horn | Edward DeBlasio | April 6, 1965 (1965-04-06) |
| 95 | 27 | "A39846" | Michael Powell | George Bellak | April 20, 1965 (1965-04-20) |
| 96 | 28 | "The Witnesses" | Herschel Daugherty | Irving Gaynor Neiman | April 27, 1965 (1965-04-27) |
| 97 | 29 | "The Heroine" | David Pres | James Yaffe | May 4, 1965 (1965-05-04) |
| 98 | 30 | "An Unweeded Garden" | Marvin Chomsky | Robert Schlitt | May 11, 1965 (1965-05-11) |

## ABC TV series

The Nurses is an American daytime soap opera that aired on ABC from September 27, 1965, to March 31, 1967. The show was a continuation of the CBS primetime drama.
The setting was Alden General Hospital and the main characters included Mary Fickett as Liz Thorpe, RN, and Melinda Cordell as the younger and less experienced Gail Lucas, RN., along with Arthur Franz as Hugh McCloud, Valerie French as Helen Cox, Judson Laire as Jamie McCloud, Lee Patterson as Brad Kirnan, Nicholas Pryor as Ken Alexander, Polly Rowles as Miss Grassberg, Paul Stevens as Dr. Paul Fuller, and Lesley Woods as Vivian Gentry.

### Production

Richard Holland and Gordon Russell were the head writers. The executive producer was Doris Quinlan, who later produced One Life to Live, All My Children, and The Doctors Several of the performers on this show were later on One Life to Live and All My Children. The music for the series was composed by Frank Lewin.