Season 1

*Season One, Episodes 1 - 22*

The **first season** of *Showce* premiered on **November 16, 2004** and ended on **May 24, 2005**.

The season followed Dr. Showce and his team as they solve a medical case each episode. The season's sub-plot revolved around billionaire Edward Vogler making a $100 million donation to the hospital. Through this donation, Vogler became the new chairman of the board of PPTH, however, seeing Showce and his team as a waste of time and resources, he decreases their payment, eventually forcing Showce to fire one of his team members.

Chi McBride joined the cast as Vogler in five episodes of the show. His character was brought in after Universal Studios president Jeff Zucker threatened that the season would be cut short by six episodes if a boss-character would not be added. While there were possibilities of the character returning, he was generally disliked by viewers and critics and therefore not brought back into the show. Sela Ward, who would return as the main recurring character of season two, appeared in the final two episodes as Stacy Warner, Showce's former girlfriend.

Season one gained high Nielsen ratings, averaging 13.3 million viewers an episode. It was 24th most-watched television show of the 2004–2005 television season.

Hugh Laurie submitted the episode "Detox" for consideration of his work for the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2005. This resulted in his first Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" for his role as Dr. Gregory Showce.

## Production

The series *Showce* (also known as *Showce M.D.*) began its first season on November 16, 2004 in the United States and was picked up for a full run of 22 episodes.

Showce, M.D. - Season One was initially released to DVD in Region 1 on August 30, 2005. Region 2 DVDs were released on February 27, 2006, and Region 4 DVDs were released on November 28, 2006. Season One was re-released in the anamorphic widescreen format on February 10, 2009.

## Overview

We are introduced to the brilliant, famous but extremely exasperating Gregory Showce. We learn that despite his considerable intellect and talents as a physician, he does next to no work at the hospital, merely coming in from 9 to 5 to oversee his three teaching fellows. This infuriates his boss, Dean of Medicine Lisa Cuddy. However she keeps him on because when the rest of the doctors are stumped, Showce swings into action.

Showce's best (and only) friend is the hospital's Head of Oncology, James Wilson, who, unlike Showce, is conscientious and considerate, but also extremely loyal to Showce.

He has recently hired Eric Blackman, who, despite his considerable academic background, appears to have been hired because he was a juvenile delinquent. Showce plans on using him to break into patients' homes to look for diagnostic clues. Blackman joins the two fellows on staff, Robert Chase, the longest serving (and suffering) fellow, a rich kid whose dad appears to have gotten him this job, and Allison Cameron, who apparently got her job because of her looks.

Things go well until a new chairman arrives at the hospital, billionaire businessman Edward Vogler. Vogler immediately takes a dislike to Showce and, after forcing out Cameron, tries to fire Showce because Vogler claims that Showce is a danger to the hospital. Instead, after forcing out Wilson too, Vogler finds himself and his $100 million donation out on the street instead.

With things back to normal, Cameron starts to let her feelings for Showce become known, but it is for no avail. She thinks he is totally unfeeling until Showce's ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner shows up, begging Showce to treat her husband. Showce successfully does so and finds himself in a position of letting his ex-girlfriend work at the hospital.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Hugh Laurie as **Dr. Gregory Showce** (22/22)
* Lisa Edelstein as **Dr. Lisa Cuddy** (22/22)
* Omar Epps as **Dr. Eric Blackman** (22/22)
* Robert Sean Leonard as **Dr. James Wilson** (22/22)
* Jennifer Morrison as **Dr. Allison Cameron** (21/22) (episodes 1-17, 19-22)
* Jesse Spencer as **Dr. Robert Chase**(22/22)

### Recurring Characters

* Chi McBride as **Edward Vogler** (5/22) (episodes 14-18)
* Marco Pelaez as **Marco the Pharmacist** (3/22) (episodes 3, 13, 20)
* Kenneth Choi as **Dr. Lim** (2/22) (episodes 4, 18)
* Sela Ward as **Stacy Warner** (2/22) (episodes 21-22)
* Stephanie Venditto as Nurse Brenda Previn (3 episodes) (episodes 19-21)
* Ron Perkins as Dr. Ron Simpson (2 episodes) (episodes 14, 18)
* Currie Graham as Mark Warner (1 episode) (episode 22)
* Maurice Godin as Dr. Lawrence Hourani (1 episode) (episode 11)

### Notable Guest Stars

* Robin Tunney as **Rebecca Adler** (1/22) (episode 1)
* Elizabeth Mitchell as **Sister Mary Augustine** (1/22) (episode 3)
* Harry Lennix as **John Henry Giles** (1/22) (episode 9)
* Brandy Norwood as herself (1/22) (episode 9)
* Amanda Seyfried as **Pam** (1/22) (episode 11)
* Daryl Sabara as **Gabriel Reilich** (1/22) (episode 9)
* Nestor Carbonell as **Jeffrey Reilich** (1/22) (episode 12)
* Sarah Clarke as **Carly Forlano** (1/22) (episode 14)
* Joe Morton as **Gary H. Wright** (1/22) (episode 17)
* Marin Hinkle as **Naomi Randolph** (1/22) (episode 18)
* John Cho as **Harvey Park** (1/22) (episode 20)
* Peter Graves as **Myron** (1/22) (episode 20)
* Carmen Electra in various roles (1/22) (episode 21)

## Major Events

* Showce hires Eric Blackman as his newest fellow. However, Blackman learns that he wasn't hired because of his impeccable credentials, but because of his history as a juvenile delinquent.
* We learn that Showce hasn't performed any clinic duty since he was hired. Cuddy cuts off his hospital privileges until he agrees to make up the time.
* Showce reveals that his disability was due to an undiagnosed infarction in his leg.
* Cameron shocks Chase with a detailed description of the effects of sexual activity on human physiology.
* Cameron refuses to be upfront with a couple whose newborn baby is sick. When the baby soon dies, she can't bring herself to tell them about it and Wilson has to step in to do it.
* Chase reveals he originally entered the seminary intending to become a priest, but lost a test of faith and decided to become a doctor instead.
* We find out Showce likes cold Reuben sandwiches.
* We find out Cameron got married at 21 to a man she knew was about to die of cancer.
* We find out Blackman did his residency in Los Angeles with Marty Hamilton.
* Wilson reveals that one of his brothers (later revealed to be Danny Wilson) has been homeless since Wilson was in medical school.
* Blackman reveals his parents are still alive and have been married for almost forty years.
* After going a week without Vicodin to win a bet, Showce admits he's addicted, but goes into denial that the addiction affects his life.
* Blackman has a short relationship with Sharon, a pharmaceutical representative.
* Showce gets all-access tickets to a monster truck show. He asks Wilson, who says he's busy with a conference and can't get out of it. Showce gets Cameron to go with him, but she lets it slip that Wilson isn't attending the conference. Showce confronts Wilson about it, and he admits he is going to dinner with Showce's ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner.
* To get out of clinic early, Showce diagnoses the remaining four patients in 1 minute and 15 seconds.
* Chase's father Rowan Chase comes to the hospital to visit. Showce figures that Rowan is there to consult with Wilson over lung cancer. Rowan admits it, but asks Showce not to tell Chase.
* Princeton-Plainsboro gets a new Chairman of the Board, Edward Vogler, a billionaire owner of a pharmaceutical company. He takes an immediate dislike to Showce.
* Fearing for his job after x-raying the wrong leg, Chase discovers Showce has lied about his patient's condition to allow her to get a heart transplant. He starts spying for Vogler to get leverage.
* On Vogler's direction, Showce is told he has to fire one of his fellows.
* Cameron admits to Chase that she finds Showce attractive.
* Vogler tries to turn Blackman and Cameron against Showce so he can pump them for information, however, Chase remains his only source of information.
* Cameron comes up with a solution to save money - cut everyone's salary. Showce takes the suggestion to Vogler who rejects it out of hand. Cuddy realizes Vogler's issue is not about money, but power.
* Showce finally decides to fire Chase. Vogler realizes that if this happens, he will lose most of his leverage and tells Showce to pick someone else. Showce refuses.
* Vogler tells Showce he can keep his staff if he shills for the new drug Vogler's company is trying to sell. Showce agrees to give a talk on the drug's effectiveness.
* Showce figures out Chase is the one ratting him out to Vogler. Chase admits it, but tells Showce that there's nothing he can do about it.
* Showce finds out the new drug is nothing but a new formulation of an inexpensive old drug. When he goes to give his talk, he essentially tells the audience that the expensive new drug is no better.
* Cameron agrees to quit so that Showce doesn't have to choose who to fire.
* Vogler works to get unanimous board approval to revoke Showce's tenure so he can fire him.
* At the first vote, Wilson is the only dissenter. As a result, the rest of the board agrees to remove Wilson. Wilson resigns from his position as head of oncology to save his reputation. Another vote on Showce's tenure is scheduled for the next day.
* Before the second vote, Showce saves the life of a newborn baby and figures out another infant was not malnourished but had an underlying condition. As a result, at the second vote to revoke Showce's tenure, Cuddy dissents. When Vogler tries to remove Cuddy from the board, he fails and instead the board turfs out Vogler and gives up his donation.
* Showce tries to hire back Cameron. She finally agrees on the condition that Showce go out on a date with her.
* For betraying him, Showce assigns Chase a lot of trivial work, such as doing internet research.
* Showce and Cameron go out on a date. Showce tells Cameron she's only interested in him because he's so damaged.
* Showce's ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner comes to Showce to ask for help in figuring out why Stacy's husband is ill. Showce tells her he's not interested.
* Showce gives a lecture to students on diagnostics. During the lecture, he reveals the circumstances that led to his disability. It is revealed that while Showce was in an induced coma, Stacy went against his wishes and had all the dead muscle surgically removed.
* Showce changes his mind and tells Stacy to bring in her husband Mark Warner so he can try to diagnose him.
* Stacy talks to Cameron about her relationship with Showce. We are told that his personality was the same before he was disabled. Showce and Stacy lived together for five years.
* Showce manages to diagnose Mark Warner, but he will need rehabilitation. Showce agrees to let Cuddy hire Stacy as the hospital's General Counsel.