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This is a list of characters in the drama/murder mystery television show, '' Diagnosis: Murder'', which ran from 1993 to 2001. The characters are listed alphabetically by their last name or by the name which appears in the episode credits.


Tanis Archer

Tanis Archer, played by
Susan Gibney Susan Gibney is an American actress. Early life and education Gibney was born in Manhattan Beach, California. She moved to Webster, New York, at a young age, returned to California several times, returning to Webster in 2004. She graduated from ...
, is Steve Sloan's 2nd partner. In the Diagnosis Murder Books it mentions she and Steve dated once but that it didn't work out. She appears in seasons 5 and 6.


Amanda Bentley

Dr. Amanda Bentley is a
medical examiner The medical examiner is an appointed official in some American jurisdictions who is trained in pathology that investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictio ...
/
pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in t ...
. She appears in seasons 1-8 and is played by
Victoria Rowell Victoria Lynn Rowell (born May 10, 1959) is an American actress. She began her career as a ballet dancer and model before making her acting debut in the 1987 comedy film ''Leonard Part 6''. In 1990, Rowell joined the cast of the CBS daytime soa ...
. However, in the first three TV Movies ('' Diagnosis of Murder'', ''The House on Sycamore Street'' and '' A Twist of the Knife''), Amanda is played by
Cynthia Gibb Cynthia Gibb (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress and former model who has starred in film and on television. She began her career as a cast member on the musical television drama '' Fame'', based on the movie of the same name. She ...
. Victoria Rowell appeared in all the episodes of the series, with the exception of 15 (both sporadically) on (
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
). In The first three TV movies Amanda Bentley (
Cynthia Gibb Cynthia Gibb (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress and former model who has starred in film and on television. She began her career as a cast member on the musical television drama '' Fame'', based on the movie of the same name. She ...
) had feelings for Jack Parker ( Stephen Caffrey). But she denied these feelings for him for the first two TV movies. In The TV movies she was not adopted, and her father was a doctor who wanted her to leave Community General Hospital and open up a practice with him financing it. Dr. Amanda Bentley is a colleague of Dr. Mark Sloan's, with her specialization being
pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...
. Fiercely intelligent, beautiful and loyal to her friends, Amanda is an orphan (just as Victoria Rowell is), taken to an
orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or ab ...
when she was younger and soon adopted. Her adopted father was an owner of a
yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
, and his sailors were always good friends with the family. When she was six, Amanda took up
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
. She stopped dancing for medical school but returns to it at the end of season eight. She once fainted during medical school at the sight of her first corpse. She is constantly kidded about it in the first two seasons. It was revealed in season 1 that she was considering changing her specialty. In the episode Reunion with Murder, Amanda got a Guard Dog named
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until it ...
. And in the episode "Confession" she adopts a rabbit. In The Diagnosis Murder books written by Executive Producer and Writer
Lee Goldberg Lee Goldberg is an American author, screenwriter, publisher and producer known for his bestselling novels ''Lost Hills'' and ''True Fiction'' and his work on a wide variety of TV crime series, including '' Diagnosis: Murder'', ''A Nero Wolfe M ...
, it takes place right after the end of season 6 right when he left the show, which means seasons 7-8 + the two reunion Telefilms are not considered canon by the books. In the last book "The Last Word" Amanda is framed for selling body parts out of her morgue. At the end of the book after she was proved innocent the hospital and the County Coroner's Office offer her job back, but she thinks she might not go back. At one point during the show Amanda's character is married once to Mr. Colin Livingston, a
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
man. In later episodes it is made clear that she is separated from Colin; however, whether this is the result of his death in a plane crash or a
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
varies from one episode to the next. Amanda's character has a child from her marriage with Colin, her son, CJ (Colin Jesse). CJ was delivered by Jesse, and Mark is chosen to be his godfather. Later in the series, Amanda adopts another boy, Deon, from his abusive parents.


Norman Briggs

Norman Briggs, played by Michael Tucci, is the Head of Administration for Community General Hospital. Norman attended
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
. He graduated in 1978 and was voted "Most Popular". Before going to graduate school, he served in the
Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F ...
 and was sent to
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. He took his first job at Community General, two years before Dr. Jack Stewart or Dr. Amanda Bentley came. In a lot of episodes Norman talks about his mother "Minnie Briggs". He's constantly worried about his mother and what his mother thinks. He also has a sister named "Marie Briggs". Throughout the show, Norman shows measurable contempt for Dr. Mark Sloan's solving cases for the LAPD/his son Steve. Norman feels it takes Mark away from his patients, and thus is not giving them the attention, they deserve. To please Norman, Mark often lies to him about his involvement with cases. Though not popular with the staff at Community General (and well aware of that fact), he is still deeply committed to the work of the hospital, and his efforts at managing to balance the books allowing the Hospital to continue to function, and in fact prosper, are heroic in their own right. He now volunteers at the Malone Foundation, a
trust fund A trust is a legal relationship in which the holder of a right gives it to another person or entity who must keep and use it solely for another's benefit. In the Anglo-American common law, the party who entrusts the right is known as the " sett ...
dedicated to giving money to
charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * C ...
or
free clinics A free clinic or walk in clinic is a health care facility in the United States offering services to economically disadvantaged individuals for free or at a nominal cost. The need for such a clinic arises in societies where there is no universal ...
. Norman enjoys this job because he says it is good to give money, knowing it will help people, instead of "pinching pennies" as he does at Community General. The character appears in the first four seasons only.


Cheryl Brooks

Cheryl Brooks, played by (
Charmin Lee Charmin Lee is an American actress. She had a recurring role as Jeanette Wood, Maya's Mother, on the series '' Girlfriends''. Filmography Film Television External links * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Charmin Living people American tel ...
) is Steve Sloan's second partner. She has feelings for Steve, and he has feelings for her. They thought about dating each other after she was divorced. She appears in seasons 7 and 8.


Kate Hamilton

Kate Hamilton, played by (
Mariette Hartley Mary Loretta Hartley (born June 21, 1940) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for work with Bill Bixby on ''The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series), The Incredible Hulk'' (1978) and ''Goodnight, Beantown'' (1983–1984), ...
) is the Head of Administration for Community General Hospital. She and Mark have feelings for each other. She appears in the first two TV movies only. In the third Diagnosis Murder book "The Shooting Script" it says in a file that Noah Dent has about Past Administrators that Dr. Sloan defamed her, convincing her to quit her job, sell her home, and use the proceeds to establish a nonprofit food bank in the inner city of Los Angeles.


Susan Hillard

Nurse Susan Hillard, played by Kim Little, is Jesse Travis's girlfriend from the 5th to the 6th seasons. In one of the episodes, it is mentioned she's originally from Oklahoma. In the 7th-season episode "Bringing Up Barbie," Susan Hillard dumps Jesse for a
chiropractor Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscien ...
, but in the ''Diagnosis Murder'' books which are written by Lee Goldberg, one of the Writers and executive producers of the show, seasons 7–8 and the two reunion telefilms never happened. Susan Hillard is in most of the eight books, and in the sixth book, ''The Dead Letter'', she and Jesse get married. In the last book, ''The Last Word'', Jesse and Susan Travis are framed for contaminating organs and murdering several people. Carter Sweeney is behind it, and by the end of the book, Mark proves them innocent. Community General Hospital offers both Jesse and Susan their jobs back, but they think that they are not really wanted and think they will find new jobs.


Josie

Josie, played by (
Ally Walker Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress. She made her television debut in the NBC daytime soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' (1988) before landing the leading roles on the short-lived dramas '' True Blue'' (1989–199 ...
) is a medical student at Clairemont Hospital and a close friend of Dr. Mark Sloan's. When Dr. Mark Sloan was accused of murdering Clairemont Hospital Administrator Russell Havilland, Josie, Richard, and Thad help Mark find the real murderer.


Delores Mitchell

Delores Mitchell, played by
Delores Hall Delores Hall is an American stage and television actress who made her Broadway debut as a replacement in the ensemble of '' Hair''. Musical theatre career Starting in 1968 and through at least the summer of 1969 she was an original member of the ...
is Dr. Mark Sloan's secretary at Community General Hospital for the first two seasons. In the episode (The 13 Million Dollar Man) it is mentioned that Delores Mitchell had an ex-husband. It remains unknown what became of Delores after the second season.


Jack Parker

Dr. Jack Parker, played by Stephen Caffrey is a Resident at Community General Hospital and a good friend of Dr. Mark Sloan's. Jack is in love with Amanda Bentley (
Cynthia Gibb Cynthia Gibb (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress and former model who has starred in film and on television. She began her career as a cast member on the musical television drama '' Fame'', based on the movie of the same name. She ...
) and he tries desperately to get a date with her. He changed his last name to his mother's
maiden Name When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name ("birth name" is also use ...
because he didn't want anyone to realize he was the son of gangster Mr. Foss ( Michael MacRae). He tried to get out of the shadow of his father's bad image. Jack Parker has a relative named Uncle Lester.


Details

Dr. Jack Parker was later replaced by Jack Stewart for the weekly series.


Richard

Richard, played by Steven Eckholdt is a medical student at Clairemont Hospital and a good friend of Dr. Mark Sloan's. When Dr. Mark Sloan was accused of murdering Clairemont Hospital Administrator Russell Havilland, Richard Josie, and Thad help Mark find the real murderer.


Mark Sloan

Dr. Mark Sloan, played by Dick Van Dyke, has been in medicine for over 40 years and is chief of internal medicine at Community General Hospital, well as being a consultant to the LAPD and a former army vet who served in a MASH unit. As a doctor, he is the black sheep of the family, coming from "a long line of cops" (his father was a police detective). He thought his dad left him and his siblings when he was ten years old but in fact his dad was murdered by his dad's partner, Danny McNamara. In 1963 Mark was going to become a cardiac surgeon but his mentor Gregory Nordhoff (
David Purdham David Purdham (born June 3, 1951) is an American character actor who has appeared in approximately one hundred films, television series and theatre productions throughout his career. Career Purdham was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. His ...
) disappeared and it looked like he had embezzled $50,000. However, 34 years later his body was found where the hospital was being worked on back in 1963 and at the end of the episode his murderer was found. Dick Van Dyke was one of two actors (next to his son) to appear in all the episodes of the series, during its eight-season run on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
. Mark Sloan is the son of James Sloan ( Lewis Smith), and his wife Henrietta Sloan. Mark also has an older sister, Dora (
Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of Golden Age of Television, early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work i ...
), who owns a
travel agency A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism-related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travelling packages for each destinati ...
. He also has a younger brother, Stacey (
Jerry Van Dyke Jerry McCord Van Dyke (July 27, 1931 – January 5, 2018) was an American actor and comedian. He was the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke had a long and successful career mostly as a character actor in supporting and guest roles on pop ...
), who owns a malt shop in
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
and has a tendency to sleepwalk. In the episode The 13 Million Dollar Man Mark is given a
Pot bellied Pig Vietnamese Pot-bellied is the exonym for the Lon I ( vi, Lợn Ỉ, italic=no) or I pig, an endangered traditional Vietnamese breed of small domestic pig. The I is uniformly black and has short legs and a low-hanging belly, from which the name ...
named "Miss Piggy". He probably finds her a good home. He also takes care of a
basset hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ''ground-scent'' is second only to the Bloodhound.Har ...
named "Bob" for a while and gives him to a couple of girls who live on the beach where he lives. He also has a sister in-law named Edna and a brother in-law named Earl. Mark is a
widower A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can s ...
, since his wife Katherine died of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
a little over 10 years ago. In "Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of My Life" it is revealed that she was in so much pain at the end of her life that he actually considered performing assisted suicide but didn't follow through for both ethical and personal reasons. This has left him with a conflicted view of the practice – although morally against it, he understands the reasons for it. Their son Steve Sloan was unaware of his father's conflict until it came up during the trial of a doctor who ended the lives of several terminally ill patients at their request. With Katherine, he had two children. His son Steve (with whom Mark shares his Malibu beach house) is a
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
and
police detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
for the LAPD. Mark and Steve mentioned in an episode that they once had a dog and it died ten years ago. Mark also has an estranged daughter, Carol Sloan Hilton ( Stacy Van Dyke), a
nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
, who lives in Northern California. She later married Yvette Fahd and she changed her last name, so her new name is Carol Sloan Fahd. She and her husband were murdered in the Diagnosis Murder TV movie "A Town Without Pity". But her father and brother, Steve, help bring their murderers to justice. Before Mark and his wife, Katherine, had a house they had an apartment at Armacost Avenue, in West
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. In the Diagnosis Murder book "The Silent Partner" it is mentioned that Mark and Katherine lived for many years in a ranch style house in Brentwood, California. His home in the first two seasons was a small house at 6544 Colorado Drive, Los Angeles. Sometime later, he buys a beach house located at 3231 Beach Drive, Malibu. To pay for medical school, Mark served in the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. Mark likes
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
and Glenn Miller, enjoys dancing (soft shoe and tap). He can play a number of instruments including the clarinet and keyboards. He is good at
chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
and can often be found
rollerblading Inline skating is a multi-disciplinary sport and can refer to a number of activities practiced using inline skates. Inline skates typically have two to five polyurethane wheels depending on the style of practice, arranged in a single line by a ...
when his car breaks down. His party piece is
magic trick Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It ...
s. In the final book, "The Last Word", Mark Sloan's life turned upside down when Carter Sweeney has his son Steve framed for murdering D.A. Neil Burnside, and Jesse and Susan Travis for murdering people on the operating table with contaminated organs. Mark ends up getting fired by new Head Administrator Janet Dorcott, who blames him for causing a scandal around the hospital. Mark asks Jack Stewart to pretend to get murdered to incite the wrath of his Uncle Elias Stewart. Uncle Elias helps Mark prove that they were framed by Carter Sweeney.


Steve Sloan

Police Detective Sergeant /Lieutenant Steve Sloan, played by
Barry Van Dyke Barry Van Dyke (born July 31, 1951) is an American actor and the second son of actor and entertainer Dick Van Dyke and Margie Willett, and nephew of Jerry Van Dyke. He has often worked with his father. He is best known to audiences as Lieutena ...
, is a
police detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
/
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
. The character appears in all 178 episodes across eight seasons. Steve Sloan is the son of Dr. Mark Sloan and Mark's wife, Katherine. Katherine died of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
when Steve was younger—throughout the series, Mark refers to her death occurring "ten years ago." Steve has one sibling, an estranged sister named Carol. (Carol is only mentioned in a few episodes.) Right out of college, he joined the
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and spent 18 months on one tour to
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
during the
War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. He took a second tour towards the end of the war. Afterwards, Steve joined the LAPD and, after season two, was promoted from
homicide detective Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
Sergeant to
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
. Following this appointment, Steve was subsequently promoted to his own one-man army, in his genuine pursuit of justice. His apartment burns down and he moves to a separate apartment in his father's Malibu beach house. He often tries to move away, once even buying an electric house. After the house almost kills Mark, Steve begins renting it. Steve was once shot in the chest and was legally
dead Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
for three minutes until doctors were able to resuscitate him. This makes him a target in "Murder on the Hour". At the beginning of season six, he and Dr. Jesse Travis go into business together. They co-own a barbecue restaurant called BBQ Bob's. Mark is also a silent partner. Sloan is unmarried and it becomes a
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
that all his girlfriends turn out to be involved in murders that he is currently investigating, or they end up dead. As a character he is quite active. Sloan played
Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationAmerican football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
in high school. He is quite athletic, enjoying jogging and playing and watching
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
, while he also rides dirtbikes and has a small catamaran on the beach. One of his dreams was to become a
stunt man A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
and in the episode "Frontier Dad" (Season Seven) he gets this chance, though is overcome with stage fright. (This episode was also written by Barry Van Dyke and starred all of Barry's children.) He also often uses his patented dive to apprehend criminals. In the last TV movie, "Without Warning", Steve Sloan proposes to Ellen Sharpe a tabloid reporter he met in the episode Dance of Danger and she accepts. Ellen accepts. She is portrayed by Kim Quinn. In The Diagnosis Murder books written by executive producer and Writer
Lee Goldberg Lee Goldberg is an American author, screenwriter, publisher and producer known for his bestselling novels ''Lost Hills'' and ''True Fiction'' and his work on a wide variety of TV crime series, including '' Diagnosis: Murder'', ''A Nero Wolfe M ...
, it takes place right after the end of season 6 right when he left the show, which means seasons 7-8 and the 2 reunion TV films are not considered canon by the books. The last book "The Last Word" has Steve being framed for murdering D.A. Neil Burnside by Carter Sweeney. By the end of the book, the police ask Steve to come back to the force, but he doesn't think he will go back to being a cop and instead he would become a private investigator.


Details

Towards the end of the series, Barry began writing his own episodes, such as "Never Say Die", and "Frontier Dad". All episodes Barry wrote star his four children: Carey, Shane, Wes and Taryn. Shane becomes a regular during season eight, portraying Alex, a medical student.


Alex Smith

Alex Smith is played by
Shane Van Dyke Shane Van Dyke (born August 28, 1979) is an American actor, screenwriter, film director, television writer, and film producer. He is the son of Barry Van Dyke and grandson of Dick Van Dyke. Early life Van Dyke was born in Los Angeles, California ...
and Is a Medical Student that is good friends with Mark, Steve, Jesse, and Amanda. Alex Smith appears in the 7th-8th seasons and the last TV movie "Without Warning".


Jack Stewart

Dr. Jack Stewart, played by
Scott Baio Scott Vincent James Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on ...
is a Doctor at Community General Hospital and is a close friend of Dr. Mark Sloan. Jack Stewart appears only in the first two seasons. In season 3 it mentions that Jack Stewart leaves to start his own practice in Colorado. In the 1st Book "The Silent Partner" Jack Stewart returns to perform a surgery on a wealthy patient. Jack reveals that he left Community General because he fell in love with Amanda Bentley, and that he didn't want to say anything to ruin their relationship as friends. Jack Stewart also appears in the last book "The Last Word". In "The Last Word", Jack Stewart pretends to get murdered so Jack's Uncle Elias Stewart will help Mark go after Carter Sweeney, who framed his son Steve for murdering D.A. Neil Burnside, and framed Amanda for selling body parts out of her morgue, and Jesse and Susan Travis for murdering several people with contaminated organs. Jack Stewart smoothed things out with Elias Stewart after he pretended to be killed.


Family

Almost all of Jack Stewart's family is connected to the mob. His father was mob boss Charles Stewart and his uncle's name is Elias Stewart. In the episode The 13 Million Dollar Man it mentioned that he has a relative named Uncle Lou who was a bootlegger. His godfather's name was Albert Bartell (
Abe Vigoda Abraham Charles Vigoda (February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016) was an American actor known for his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in ''The Godfather'' (1972) and Phil Fish in both ''Barney Miller'' (1975–1977, 1982) and '' Fish'' (1977–19 ...
) and he was murdered in the episode "You Can Call Me Johnson". Albert Bartell had a son named Vinnie Bartell (
Mark Rolston Mark Rolston (born December 7, 1956) is an American character actor, known for his supporting roles in popular films such as ''Aliens'', '' Lethal Weapon 2'', '' The Shawshank Redemption'', ''The Departed'' and the '' Saw'' film series, as well a ...
).


Thad

Thad, played by (
Kristoff St. John Kristoff St. John (July 15, 1966 – February 3, 2019) was an American actor best known for playing Neil Winters on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' from 1991 until his death in 2019, which earned him two Daytime Emmy A ...
), is a Medical Student at Clairemont Hospital, and a good friend of Dr. Mark Sloan. When Dr. Mark Sloan was accused of murdering Clairemont Hospital Administrator Russell Havilland, Thad, Richard, and Josie help Mark find the real murderer.


Jesse Travis

Dr. Jesse Travis, played by
Charlie Schlatter Charles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter (born May 1, 1966) is an American actor who has appeared in several films and television series. He is perhaps best known for playing Dr. Jesse Travis, the resident student of Dr. Mark Sloan (played by Dick Van ...
, is introduced in " An Innocent Murder," the first episode of season three. The moment Charlie Schlatter joined the cast in 1995, Jesse became a
breakout character A breakout character is a character in serial fiction, especially a member of an ensemble cast, who becomes much more prominent, popular, discussed, or imitated than expected by the creators. A breakout character may equal or overtake the oth ...
. He appeared as a regular character through season 8, missing only five episodes. After medical school, Jesse became a resident at Community General, where his teacher, Dr. Mark Sloan would inspire him to be a doctor. According to the background revealed in the show, he was born in
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. He was raised in Elgin, Illinois. His mother's name is never mentioned, but she was portrayed by
Kathleen Noone Kathleen Noone ( O'Meara; January 8, 1945) is an American actress. She began her career as a singer in nightclubs and performed in musicals off-Broadway before making her television debut in the CBS daytime soap opera, ''As the World Turns'' (197 ...
. She is a
podiatrist A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...
 who owns a
family practice Family medicine is a medical specialty within primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primar ...
in Minnesota. She is always trying to convince Jesse to move back. His father is Dane Travis (
Robert Culp Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on ''I Spy'' (1965–1968), the espionage television se ...
), who is a retired
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
and
tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...
. His parents are divorced. He also has a cousin named Morty. In the Diagnosis Murder books, which are written by Lee Goldberg (one of the writers and executive producers of the show), seasons 7-8 and the 2 reunion TV movies never happened. It has Susan Hillard in most of the eight books and in the sixth book "The Dead Letter" she and Jesse get married. In the last book "The Last Word", Jesse and Susan Travis are framed for contaminating organs and murdering several people. Carter Sweeney was behind it and by the end of the book, Mark proves them innocent. Community General Hospital offers both Jesse and Susan their jobs back but, they don't really want them there so they think they will find new jobs. (Charlie Schlatter was introduced in Season Three to replace
Scott Baio Scott Vincent James Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on ...
, who'd left the show.)


Madison Wesley

Dr. Madison Wesley, played by
Joanna Cassidy Joanna Cassidy (born Joanna Virginia Caskey, August 2, 1945 Brady, James"In Step With: Joanna Cassidy" ''Miami Herald'', November 25, 1990. Accessed March 14, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Born: Aug.2, 1944, in Camden, N.J.") is an American actress. ...
is the Dean for Community General's Medical School. Mark Sloan seems to have feelings for her, and she seems to have feelings for him.


Esther Wiggins

Esther Wiggins, played by
Vernee Watson-Johnson Vernee Christell Watson-Johnson (née Watson; born September 28, 1949) is an American actress, author, and acting coach. Watson-Johnson is best known for her recurring roles as Vernajean Williams on ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and as ...
) is Dr. Mark Sloan's Secretary at Community General Hospital in the first two TV movies.


External links


The Official ''Diagnosis: Murder'' Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diagnosis Murder Lists of American drama television series characters