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The Practice (1976-77)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
Rina Fox, Charnetha Kimbrough, Robert Leszczak
references:
TV Guide/ Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
------------
THE PRACTICE
------------
Danny Thomas Productions
in association with
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television
for
NBC (Fridays )(early 1976)
NBC (Wednesdays 8:00 PM ET)(season 2, 1976-77)
Executive Producer Danny Thomas
Supervising Producer Tony Thomas
Produced by Paul Junger Witt
Created by Steve Gordon
Story Consultant James Witz
Music by David Shire

US Comedy series 1976-77     30 episodes x 30 min
(30Jan76-26Jan77)
starring
Danny Thomas as Dr. Jules Bedford (father)
David Spielberg as Dr. David Bedford (son)
Shelley Fabares as Jenny Bedford (David's wife)
Dena Dietrich as Molly Gibbons (Nurse)
Didi Conn as Helen (Receptionist)

Allen Price as Paul Bedford (David & Jenny's son)
Damon Raskin as Tony Bedford (David & Jenny's son)

Sam Laws as Nate
John Byner as Dr. Roland Caine (season 1)
Mike Evans as Lenny (season 2)

Premise:
Conflict arises between an old doctor (Danny Thomas) and his son (David Spielberg)
who share the same practice in New York's West side.
 
Season 1 has a classical/symphonic theme.
Season 2 uses the same opening visuals, but a new "ragtime" theme.

################ The Practice ###############
############## season 1 early 1976 ###########
##############################################
NBC Fridays

1.1 [--] The practice: (pilot) (debut episode) [verified -RL]
30Jan76 NBC Fri
Written by Steve Gordon
Directed by Noam Pitlik
Guest Cast;
Allen Price ......... Paul
Damon Raskin ........ Tony
Sam Laws ............ Nate
Robert Lussier
Dean Santoro
Synopsis:
Dr. Jules Bedford's long-time friend, Arthur Jarvis (J. Pat O'Malley) is diagnosed with a terminal
brain tumor, and Jarvis begins to come to terms with the diagnosis, but not Dr. Bedford who urges
Jarvis to get another round of tests. These tests have a happy ending, and a new diagnosis. [RL]

1.2 [--] The Practice: LOVE AND DEATH [verified -RL]
6Feb76 NBC Fri
Written by Steve Gordon
DIrected by Noam Pitlik
Guest Cast;
John Byner .......... Dr. Roland Caine
Sam Laws ............ Nate
Ruth Manning ........ Nurse Franklin
Synopsis:
A patient, Barbara Simms (Marge Redmond) has more than just a thyroid condition, she's also
suicidal since her husband ran off with another woman. However, she begins to see Jules'
sympathy for her as romantic interest. The problem is, how to break it to her that he's not
interested in her romantically without rekindling her suicidal tendencies. [RL]

1.3 [--] The Practive: THE VOTE [verified -RL]
13Feb76 NBC Fri
Guest Cast;
Severn Darden ...... Dr. Herb Chisolm
John Byner ......... Dr. Roland Caine
Sam Laws ........... Nate
Ken Olfson ......... the patient
Synopsis:
Decisions, decisions. Jules has to decide who will make the better chief of internal medicine at the
hospital.. his son, or the brilliant-but-unkempt-and-absentminded visionary named Dr. Chisolm. When
Jules opts for the latter, it wreaks havoc on his family relations. [RL]

1.4 [--] The Practice: MOLLY AND JIM
20Feb76 NBC Fri

1.5 [--] The Practice: THE CHOICE [verified -RL]
27Feb76 NBC Fri
Written by Steve Gordon, John Boni, Norman Stiles
Directed by Richard Kinon
Guest cast:
Vic Tayback ........ Frankie Nyles
Joseph R. Sicari
Robert Miller Driscoll
Synopsis:
What a dilemma. Jules has to decide whether to operate on a known drug dealer named Frankie Nyles (Vic
Tayback) who has recurring bad headaches. His heart says no, but his conscience gets the best of him. [RL]

1.6 [--] The Practice: THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY GIBBONS
12Mar76 NBC

1.7 [--] The Practice: Down Payment
19Mar76 NBC

1.8 [--] The Practice: JULES' VACATION
02Apr76 NBC Fri
Guest cast:
Dave Shelley ...... Al Sullivan
Penny Santon ...... Rose
Naomi Stevens ..... Mrs. Friedman
Synopsis:
An overworked Jules grudgingly agrees to take a vacation, but even in a
Florida hotel room the doctor finds it impossible to keep from practicing medicine.

1.9 [--] The Practice: THE NOSE
9Apr76

1.10 [--] The Practice: MOLLY'S MISTAKE
16Apr76

1.11 [--] The Practice: JENNY'S DESPAIR
23Apr76

1.12 [--] The Practice: JULES & EDDIE [verified -RL]
30Apr76 NBC
Written by Jack Ainob & Bruce Selitz
Directed by Noam Pitlik
Guest Cast:
Bryan Scott ......... Eddie
Allen Price ......... Paul
Damon Raskin ........ Tony
Richard Venture ..... Mr. Miller
Mary Betten ......... Mrs. Miller
Synopsis:
A recently-orphaned patient named Eddie (Bryan Scott) wants to be adopted by Dr. Jules Bedford.
Jules, however, realizes that even though he and the kid get along extremely well, his long hours
at the office would be unfair to the child so he attempts to find a great set of adopted parents
on his own - much to Eddie's dismay. [RL]

1.13 [--]The Practice: JULES AND THE BUM
07May76 NBC Fri
Written by Steve Gordon & Arnold Somkin [RL]
Directed by Bill Persky [RL]
Guest cast:
Victor Buono ...... Bernard
Mary Wilcox ....... Nurse
Synopsis:
Over the misgivings of Jules, David takes in one of his boyhood idols,
a once-acclaimed novelist whose impeccable manners and courtly charm
mask a tendency to tipple and a proclivity for fraud.

1.14 The Practice: JULES' INVESTMENT
14May76 NBC Fri

1.x [--] The Practice: (unknown title) - possibly JULES' INVESTMENT [verified -RL]
Written by Steve Gordon, Arnold Somkin and Bruce Kane
Directed by Bill Persky
Guest Cast:
John Byner ........ Dr. Roland Caine
Bill Cort ......... the Patient
Raymond Serra ..... Harry
Synopsis:
Jules' doctor son David wants to give Jules a loan after his office is wiped out in a robbery.
After much coaxing, Jules gives in and agrees to accept the loan - only David has changed his
mind about lending the money. [RL]

################ The Practice ###############
############### season 2 1976-77 #############
##############################################
NBC Wednesdays 8:00 PM ET

2.1 [--] The Practice: THE DREAM
13Oct76 NBC Wed
Guest cast:
Lucille Ball ..... Matilda Morrison
Synopsis:
An eccentric psychic complains of headaches -- and of visions
foretelling her death in three weeks. At first Dr. Jules Bedford thinks she
should be seeing a psychiatrist instead of a G.P. But the woman and her
doctor have reason to worry: 80 percent of her dreams come true.

2.2 [--] The Practice: HELEN'S BEAU [verified -RL]
20Oct76 NBC Wed
Written by Sam Denoff & Dale McRaven
Directed by Tony Mordente
Guest Cast
Barry Gordon ........ Byron Fisk
Lila Teigh .......... Mrs. Belman
Synopsis:
Helen's new beau is gay, but she's the last one to know. [RL]

2.3 [--] The Practice: JUDY SINCLAIR [verified -RL]
27Oct76 NBC Wed
written by Steve Gordon
Directed by Noam Pitlik
Guest Cast:
Allen Price ......... Paul
Damon Raskin ........ Tony
Matthew Aborteaux ... Pete
Synopsis:
Danny Thomas' real-life daughter Marlo Thomas portrays Judy Sinclair, a tough-as-nails and stubborn patient
who simply will not have a very necessary operation because she is a single parent and no one will
be there for her little boy. After much coaxing, the Bedfords take care of the boy, and Judy has her
operation. Some very touching moments between the real-life father and daughter take place in
the hospital room. [RL]

2.4 [--] The Practice: IT'S ALL IN THE HEAD [verified -RL]
3Nov76 NBC Wed
Written by Bernie Kahn
Directed by Tony Mordente
Guest Cast:
Carol Worthington ..... Mrs. Gregory
Synopsis:
David has hired a sexy new secretary named Rhonda Curtis (Caren Kaye) and tries extremely hard to fight off
his attraction to her as well as her advances. Jules' constant meddling keeps David on the straight and narrow. [RL]

2.5 [--] The Practice: JULES & LENNY [verified -RL]
17Nov76 NBC Wed
Written by Bernie Kahn
Directed by Noam Pitlik
Guest Cast:
Ysabel MacCloskey ..... Mrs. Brickman
Paula Sills ........... Stephanie
Michael Danahy ........ Bernie
Synopsis:
Jules wants Lenny (Mike Evans) to pass all of his medical exams and generously allows Lenny to stay at his place
to get away from the distractions at home. Although Jules' meddling becomes almost as much of a distraction. [RL]

2.6 [--] The Practice: MULLIGAN [verified -RL]
24Nov76 NBC Wed
Written by Jim Rogers
Directed by Noam Pitlik
Synopsis:
For all intents and purposes this is a one-man-show. Jules is led to a room where his best friend, a policeman
named Mulligan has died after pursuing a purse snatcher. It's an amazing half-hour, emmy-caliber soliloquy
with Dr. Bedford reminiscing in an understandably one-sided conversation with the corpse of Mulligan (under
a sheet). The show ends with an Irish tune during the credits (Turalura Lura), rather than it's regular theme. [RL]

2.7 [--] The Practice: SNOW JOB
1Dec76 NBC Wed

2.8 [--] The Practice: DOCTOR'S DOCTOR [verified -RL]
08Dec76 NBC Wed
Written by Mark Tuttle
Directed by Tony Mordente
Guest Cast:
Allen Price ......... Paul
Damon Raskin ........ Tony
Sarina C. Grant ..... Nurse Bleecker
Harry Gold .......... Dr. Richman
Robert Miller Driscoll .... Mr. Hendricks
Synopsis:
What happens when Dr. Jules Bedford needs a doctor? We find out in this episode when Jules needs to
have his gall bladder removed, but doesn't want his son to perform the operation.
Bill Dana portrays Jules' roommate, Mr. Murphy who is also having gall bladder surgery. [RL]

2.9 [--] The Practice: CARLOTTA
22Dec76 NBC Wed

2.10 [--] The Practice: JULES TAKES A PARTNER
29Dec76 NBC Wed

2.11 [--] The Practice: OH, BROTHER [verified -RL] (final episode)
26Jan77 NBC Wed
Written by Rick Mittleman
Directed by Noam Pitlik
Guest Cast:
Jan Murray .......... Harry Bedford
Robert Lussier ...... Mr. Wall
Allen Price ......... Paul
Damon Raskin ........ Tony
Synopsis:
Jules' deadbeat, money-grubbing brother Harry (Jan Murray) visits. The problem is, Jules and Harry have been
estranged for many years. David & Jenny arrange a surprise meeting for the two stubborn siblings. They fight
at first, but then are cordial to one another - at least temporarily, until Jules discovers that Harry's
attempted payback of the money he's borrowed through the years is with a rubber check. [RL]

################ The Practice ###############
################## the end #################
##############################################

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