Quincy ME

Welcome to the world of forensic science.

Quincy ME iwas first aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC. It starred Jack Klugman as Dr. Quincy, a strong-willed Medical Examiner (forensic coroner) in Los Angeles County who turns his skills to solving crimes especially murder. In the process, he frequently comes into conflict with his boss and the police, each of whom have their own often misguided ideas about what's going on.

Early episodes focused on criminal investigation; a typical episode would find Quincy determining the real murderer in a crime or the real cause of an unusual poisoning case. Later seasons' episodes began to introduce themes of social responsibility; Quincy would find himself involved with a police investigation that reveals situations such as a disreputable plastic surgeon and the reasons his poor surgeries are not stopped, flaws in drunk driving laws, problems caused by punk music, airline safety issues, dumping of hazardous waste, the proliferation of handguns, Tourette syndrome and anorexia among others. Quincy, M.E. can claim one of the first dramatic series to use a format like this to further a social agenda.

Although Quincy studies bodies in-depth at his laboratory, he also does plenty of police investigation work technically outside the role of a coroner for the purposes of the show.

Quincy lived on a houseboat, frequents "Danny's" pub, and was popular with the ladies. He was married once before but lost his wife Helen to cancer. Near the end of the seventh season Quincy remarried (Dr. Emily Hanover) and sold the houseboat (Quincy's Wedding).

The first half of the first season of Quincy was broadcast as 90-minute telefilms as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie rotation in the fall of 1976 alongside Columbo, McCloud and McMillan (formerly McMillan and Wife). The series proved popular enough that midway through the 1976-77 season, Quincy was spun-off into its own weekly one-hour series.

Quincy's first name was never actually mentioned during the entire Quincy, M.E. run. The only clue to what it was appeared on his business card where his name is seen written as "Doctor R. Quincy". Jack Klugman says that the question he's most often asked by fans is, "What is Quincy's first name?". He answers, "Doctor!".