''Dr. Simon Locke'' (on-screen title is ''Doctor Simon Locke'') is a Canadian

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

that was syndicated to television stations in the United States from 1971 to 1974 through the sponsorship of

Colgate-Palmolive Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in the production, distribution, and provision of household, health car ...

Plot

The series was initially a

that originated from the fictional rural town of Dixon Mills, where a young physician, Dr. Simon Locke (played by soap star Sam Groom), arrived in town to assist veteran physician Dr. Andrew Sellers (played by veteran actor Jack Albertson). The plot lines were more fitting for a big city medical drama, including a typhoid epidemic,

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...

, and even a

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

. The series co-starred

Len Birman Leonard Birman (born September 28, 1932) is a Canadian American actor, who began his career in Montreal. In his 45 years on stage, screen and radio, he has portrayed a wide variety of characters, including some choice roles in classical and conte ...

as Sheriff Dan Palmer and Nuala Fitzgerald as Nurse Louise Wynn. In 1972, Albertson left the series, and the series was renamed ''Police Surgeon'', where Dr. Locke moved back to the city and worked for the police department's emergency unit, where he assists the cops in solving crimes that require medical research. The reworked series also starred

Larry D. Mann Larry D. Mann (18 December 1922 – 6 January 2014) was a Canadian actor. He was best known as "The Boss" in a series of Bell Canada television commercials in the 1980s and for voicing the character of Yukon Cornelius in ''Rudolph the Red-Nose ...

as Locke's superior, Lieutenant Jack Gordon, with

returning in his role, now as Lieutenant Dan Palmer.

Nerene Virgin Nerene Virgin is a Canadian journalist, actress, educator, author and television host, best known for her role on the children's television series ''Today's Special''. Background Virgin was born in Hamilton, Ontario. She is a great-granddaughte ...

played Ellie the Dispatcher in over thirty episodes of the reworked series, best known for her "3-M-D-9" radio call. The series also featured guest stars such as William Shatner, Leslie Nielsen, Donald Pleasence, and

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

. Additionally, a then-unknown John Candy made his TV debut in the 1975 episode "Web of Guilt".Episode Guide – Police Surgeon (Series) (1971–1975)
br/>Jan 23, 1975 – "Web of Guilt" Dr Locke intervenes when a woman judge (Nancy Olson) endangers herself by becoming too protective of her brother who is accused of murder. Richie: John Candy. Bonnie: Helen Shaver. Scharfman: Don McGill.

Series overview

Episode list

Season 1: 1971–72

Season 2: 1972–73

Season 3: 1973–74

Season 4: 1974–75

Syndication/current airings

While this series appeared on some stations in Canada in syndication,

CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

, which co-produced this series under network president Murray Chercover, did not offer this series to its affiliates until 1972, when the show became ''Police Surgeon''. In December 2014, it was announced that the Retro Television Network would begin broadcasting reruns of ''Police Surgeon''.

Filming locations

Season one episodes were filmed in the village of Kleinburg, Ontario and the surrounding area, as well as at and around the Valley Halla Estate on the Toronto Zoo grounds. Season two was shot strictly in Toronto, Ontario. One episode from season 1 was shot at the old Markham, Ontario water tower in a story involving a mute boy who dangerously climbs the tower. Other season 1 scenes were shot at Highland Creek in

Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough (; 2021 Census 629,941) is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated atop the Scarborough Bluffs in the eastern part of the city. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north, Rouge R ...

, and at the old ski hill on Twyn Rivers Road in

Pickering, Ontario Pickering (2021 population 99,186) is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada, immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. Beginning in the 1770s, the area was settled by primarily ethnic British colonists. An increase in population occurre ...

References

External links

''Police Surgeon'' at Canadian Communications Foundation

''Police Surgeon'' at tvarchive.ca

* * {{Colgate-Palmolive CTV Television Network original programming 1971 Canadian television series debuts 1974 Canadian television series endings Colgate-Palmolive Canadian medical television series 1970s Canadian crime drama television series First-run syndicated television shows in Canada First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television series by CBS Studios Television series by Four Star Television 1970s medical television series