Cast Diagnosis: Murder

the cast, 1993-1995: victoria rowell, michael tucci, barry van dyke, scott baio, , delores hall, dick van dyke in center



dr. mark sloan (played dick van dyke), former army doctor , chief of internal medicine @ community general hospital, , protagonist of series. son of cop , father of another, in cases gets involved. medical consultant lapd. dick van dyke considered lead role after positive reviews received dramatic role in 1990 movie dick tracy (although character played in movie villainous , different role of mark sloan). in pilot character had interests in tap dance , clarinet playing; however, these considered distracting , toned down , removed character series developed.
lieutenant detective steve sloan (played barry van dyke), police detective sergeant (later lieutenant season 2 onward) in robbery/homicide division of lapd , dr. mark sloan s son. after earthquake destroyed apartment, lived in separate apartment in father s beach house in malibu. steve uses patented dive apprehend criminals.
dr. amanda bentley (played cynthia gibb in tv movies set before series), later bentley-livingston (played there victoria rowell), resident pathologist @ community general hospital , assistant county medical examiner, dr. mark sloan s straightwoman , medical partner, involving in each of mark s & steve s cases, after accident. favorable character of show, dated jack , later jesse s best friend. during series, married military man, , had son named c.j. depending on episode, divorced him or killed in airplane crash. later in series, adopted boy, deon.
dr. jack stewart (played stephen caffrey in tv movies, scott baio in series 1993 1995, seasons 1–2), doctor @ community general hospital , steve s best friend, whom helped in cases. left open own practice in colorado. jack stewart reappear in couple of lee goldberg s diagnosis murder books, silent partner , last word . in first 3 tv movies name jack parker.
dr. jesse travis (played charlie schlatter, 1995–2001, seasons 3–8), resident , handsome student @ community general hospital mark took under wing , became best friends amanda. favorable/breakout character of series, got involved in mark , steve s cases, intentions not results. in crossover double episode murder 2 , himself became prime suspect of rival doctor s killing, hence badgered mark call old friend ben matlock (played dick s real-life best friend andy griffith) help. hospital staff thought wrote tell-all book big city hospital dr. anonymous later found out written else. jason tucker character in book sounded jesse, why hospital staff thought him.
norman briggs (played michael tucci, 1993–1997, seasons 1–4), administrator @ community general hospital , close friend of dr. mark sloan, though exasperated him.
delores mitchell (played delores hall, 1993–1995, seasons 1–2), dr. sloan s lively secretary.

cameos

one unique aspect of series appropriated characters various classic television series.

rob petrie (played van dyke himself in dick van dyke show) features in cameo in episode obsession, part 2 dr. sloan in radio station, , walks past studio (through use of cgi), rob trying hand @ radio dj-ing. footage of rob dj taken dick van dyke show episode 1 hundred terrible hours . scene moves diagnosis: murder realm of fantasy petrie shown in black , white (with sloan visible in color insert behind him), after sloan breaks fourth wall , looks @ audience before story continues.
mike connors reprised titular character of mannix in season 4 episode hard-boiled murder . episode s story sequel mannix episode little girl lost .
andy griffith reprised titular role of ben matlock dean hargrove s matlock series in season 4 two-parter murder 2 (1997). in sense, brought diagnosis: murder full circle, parent series, jake , fatman, inspired season 1 episode of matlock in 1986.
barbara bain reprised role of cinnamon carter of mission: impossible in season 5 episode discards .
peter graves, starred alongside barbara bain on mission: impossible jim phelps did not return character, did make brief cameo in must kill tv , same scene seen in part 1 of series 6 episode trash tv part 1 dr. sloane [sic] in mission: impossible-style illusion of first tv pilot of doctor danger , later replaced during show.
robert culp guest starred in episode discards dane travis, retired spy, tennis professional, , dr. travis father. character similar kelly robinson character spy, though travis said have worked impossible missions force (also seen on mission: impossible).
discards featured appearances former tv spies patrick macnee (the avengers), robert vaughn (the man u.n.c.l.e.) , phil morris (the 1988 version of mission: impossible), though did not play original characters.
jack klugman guest starred in season 4 episode physician, murder thyself , character similar famous role on quincy. guest-starred again, in season 6 episode voices carry police detective harry trumble, former fiance of dr. mark sloan s late wife. trumble reappeared in lee goldberg s diagnosis murder novel past tense.
george takei, walter koenig, majel barrett, wil wheaton, , grace lee whitney (all star trek and/or star trek: next generation), bill mumy (from lost in space), guest stars in alienated! 1 sixth season episode, involved apparent alien abduction , coverup.
the episode drill death included appearances several actors associated m*a*s*h franchise: elliott gould , sally kellerman original movie; jamie farr, loretta swit , william christopher television series; , christopher norris sequel series trapper john, m.d..
randolph mantooth , robert fuller, worked on nbc s emergency! appeared in 1997 episode malibu brushfires.
the episode must kill tv features number of small cameos television personalities such erik estrada , dr. joyce brothers playing , larger 1 stephen j. cannell over-the-top producer of action tv. role reprised in two-parter trash tv .
the episode food fight (1998) features erin moran, pat morita, don most, david lander, leslie easterbrook , conrad janis. of these actors starred alongside scott baio in happy days or spin-offs, laverne & shirley , mork & mindy.
the episode promises keep (1998) features characters introduced in promised land (a spin-off of touched angel) episode total security (1998) crossover show.

over run of show, various episodes guest starred @ least 8 different members of van dyke family:

dick van dyke , son barry van dyke in lead roles.
dick s brother, jerry van dyke.
one of dick s daughters, stacy van dyke.
barry s children: carey van dyke, shane van dyke, wes van dyke , taryn van dyke.

smaller recurring roles

joanna cassidy (season 7) plays madison wesley, doctor friend of mark sloan, , dean of community general s medical school. in 8 episodes.
kim little (seasons 5 , 6) plays susan hillard, jesse s longtime girlfriend, 10 episodes. in season 7 episode bringing barbie mentioned left jesse go oregon male chiropractor. in diagnosis murder books take place after season 6, appears in every book , jesse , susan married in book dead letter .
susan gibney (seasons 5–7) plays detective tanis archer, steve s partner in 4 episodes. susan gibney in 3 other episodes 2 different characters.
charmin lee (seasons 7–8) steve s second partner detective cheryl brooks, in 11 episodes between seasons 7 , 8.
martin kove (seasons 6–7) captain newman, 3 episodes.
shane van dyke (seasons 4–8) alex smith, third year medical student, appears in 14 episodes during seasons 7 , 8. seen boxing student in never die , actor in frontier dad. (both these episodes star rest of barry van dyke s children also.)
carey van dyke (seasons 4–8) plays various characters: mr. kelso, terry marshall, kyle lewis, brendan kelly, carl simpson, , craig wilson. in tv movie town without pity plays character named billy .
kevin mcnally ii (seasons 3–8) ubiquitous emt in 19 episodes.
tim conway plays tim conrad, old friend of mark s , comedian, in 2 episodes. conway , van dyke had worked on carol burnett show.
harry j. lennix (seasons 5–6) plays agent ron wagner in 6 episodes.
fred dryer (season 5) plays police chief masters in 3 episodes.
nancy youngbut (seasons 4-5) plays nurse nancy rush in 2 episodes.
mariette hartley (1st , 2nd tv movies only) plays kate hamilton administrator @ community general hospital.
vernee watson-johnson (1st , 2nd tv movies only) plays esther wiggins dr. mark sloan s secretary.
kimberly quinn (episode dance of danger , tv movie without warning ) plays ellen sharp tabloid news reporter steve sloan interested in. steve proposes in tv movie without warning , says yes.
robert bailey jr. (season 7) plays colin jesse or c.j. short amanda bentley s son. born in season 3 of show , played robert bailey jr. in 3 of episodes appeared in. c.j. appeared in few more episodes before season 7 different child actor.
aaron meeks (season 7) plays deon boy dr. amanda bentley adopts. appears in 3 episodes.




^ eye on . . . : diagnosis: here s part came naturally actor barry van dyke - los angeles times . articles.latimes.com. june 5, 1994. retrieved november 23, 2012.