Doctor Finlay – Sets One & Two (Scottish TV)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: D Episodes: B-
Medical shows are hits all over the world. One of the less known such hits in the U.S.
is Doctor Finlay, which is actually a Scottish production. It is also better than most of its U.S.
counterparts. David Rintoul is the
title character, coming back home after successful service throughout World War
II. His medical business partner, Dr.
Alexander Cameron (Ian Bannen) is thrilled that he is going to return knowing
he is one of the best there is. On the
way, John Finlay runs twice into an obnoxious traveler (the underappreciated
Jason Flemyng; now we know where he’s been, on a hit TV show), who turns out to
be overambitious and somewhat crude Dr. David Neil. Neil is on his way to work for Cameron, not knowing who Finlay is
his business partner.
The episodes from the two boxes are as follows, with BFS
issuing the first shows in a green box, the second in brown, and are as
follows:
1) The
Return
2) Working
Together
3) Winning
The Peace
4) A Bitter
Pill
5) Forbidden
Fruit
6) The Good
Doctor
7) A
Delicate Balance
8) Childsplay
9) Stolen
Lives
10) Burning Bridges
11) Secrecy
12) In Arcadia
That equals two hour-long episodes per DVD, six per set
that equals around 10 hours. As created
by A. J. Cronin, the time period would usually be a safer place to be, and as
this was on Masterpiece Theater, the restrictions of “quality
television” dictate that nothing too violent or challenging will happen. With that said, this is a very literate show
and remains surprisingly unsappy. Not
that a more literate approach would prevent melodrama, but it sure helps
here. The casting helps and the often
socially conscious and historically realistic storylines help, but the show
strays a bit from the characters in later episodes more than it ought to at
times.
The storylines are consistent, but nothing innovative or
unforgettable either. They are at least
smart, something missing from just about all the major formula TV dramas the
U.S. are slugging through. If anything,
I was reminded of the solid U.S. TV dramas of the 1960s and 1970s watching
these shows, making me realize just how far and away mature writing has
declined on U.S. TV. The other big
difference is that this show is never condescending or joking in a pandering
way as if everything in life can be laughed off, something that is a phenomenal
illness in just about all U.S. TV programming, comedy or drama. Those kinds of shows hate their audience,
while Doctor Finlay respects its viewers. No wonder it’s a hit.
Of course, Rintoul is just right for this role and carries
the show well, but few shows on TV anywhere today have such a good, limited
cast. This is more interesting than the
usual such show and Scotland and Scottish history definitely has something to
do with that. I expect this show will
continue to find a growing audience, especially as an alternative to many
failed and overrated U.S. broadcast counterparts of late.
The full frame image is exactly the same on both sets,
with a slight monochrome look to the shots, but the PAL video has been down a
generation and Video Black suffers as a result. Also, there is a look like grain and digititis in a slightly
broken-up manor. Part of this is the
look of the show; part is the transfer and the source. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, on the other
hand, is also similar on both sets and offers healthy Pro Logic surrounds
throughout both. That is less
compromised. The same few text cast
biography and filmography information is also on both DVD sets, but that is it.
- Nicholas Sheffo
