A&E is re-releasing the first three seasons of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, the feel-good, family values championing series that preceded 7th Heaven by three years. The show existed in a more innocent age of network television. Even if only 13 years have passed since the show ended, Dr. Quinn would be hard-pressed to find a spot in today’s lineup. Both the character and show of Dr. Quinn extolled traditional virtues and carried a strong equality of the sexes message. Even if the story of an episode was specifically about equality, the show was so deeply rooted in that concept from the double-length pilot episode that it was impossible to separate from its core later on. In some cases a show that pushes values can feel a bit preachy, but the production values and the strength of Jane Seymour as the titular doctor helped the show evade that feel and achieve one of good old-timey family entertainment.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Season One
Starting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the year 1867, the series chronicles the life of Dr. Michaela “Mike” Quinn (Jane Seymour) as she arrives in the quiet town and acclimates to the expectations and customs of its folk. As the townsfolk come to accept that their doctor is a woman (a rare thing in those days) she begins to win acceptance and carve out a niche for herself. Aiding her in the effort, are Sully, the Cheyenne brave who takes a liking to her, and her inherited family, the three Cooper children whose mother dies on her first days there; together, Dr. Quinn, Sully, Matthew (Chad Allen), Colleen (Erika Flores), and Brian (Shawn Toovey) create a tight-knit family unit. The episodes follow a basic formula of two parallel problems unfolding, with the town and the nearby Cheyenne tribe rallying to solve it and Dr. Quinn and her family playing an integral part. The first episode involves stories around a flu epidemic, child custody, blindness, diabetes, trichinosis, and other ailments and includes a cameo appearance by the legendary Man in Black, Johnny Cash. Also, if you look hard, you’ll spot a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the episode “The Operation”.
DVD Bonus Features The most worthwhile extra on the set is the episode of Biography profiling Jane Seymour, and it’s complemented with a tour of the set of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and the basic cast and award lists that will follow on every season release after. A photo gallery is also included.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Season Two
By the second season, Dr. Quinn and its dedication to high production values and family-friendly messages had established the series as event television. Accordingly, CBS began, with increasing frequency, to let the show have double-length episodes. Frankly, the show used that privilege well. Where the first season had but one, the second season had three and none of them felt overly extravagant or unnecessary (save for maybe “Return Engagement”). Starting off once again with an episode that puts the gender equality front and center, the second season goes on to deal with domestic abuse, faith healers, peer pressure, gambling, and the Ku Klux Klan. The second season does exactly what any show should do at this point and throws all its weight into deepening character relationships and telling stories that resonate with a viewer no matter when they see it. It’s really quite surprising how well the writers and directors of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman kept the show tight and managed to give it simultaneous threads of sappy and somewhat subversive dry humor. Johnny Cash makes another guest appearance along with his wife June Carter Cash, as well as Diane Ladd.
DVD Bonus Features Besides basic DVD screens that list cast biographies, awards the series has won, and lists of guest stars, the set only includes two extras: an audio commentary on a single episode by Joe Lando and a brief featurette called “Beginnings” covering the shows conception and gradual development.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Season Three
The show is officially off and running. The romance between Dr. Mike and Sully is coming to a head, the Cooper children each has their own storyline in progress, and the town essentially functions the way it would were Dr. Quinn a male doctor. Her gender gets in the way of a few things here and there, but above all else, this season is about Michaela and Sully. The major unfortunate turn of events in season three is the replacement of Erika Flores as Colleen by Jessica Bowman. It’s not a bad switch, but it’s awkward to do it midway through the third season – even if it’s based on contract disagreements. When it wasn’t neck-deep in the Michaela and Sully romance, the third season covered plots ranging from the advent of train transportation, a fateful cattle drive, paleontology, and apocalypse theories. Again, all of these stories make up about two-thirds of their respective episodes, while the rest is devoted to the romance and the impending nuptials. And once again Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash guest star, along with Richard Moll and Starship Troopers’ own Casper Van Dien.
DVD Bonus Features The amount of added content continues to decrease as the third season set only has a commentary by Jane Seymour and Joe Lando on the big marriage double episode. Otherwise there are the same static cast biographies as found on the previous sets.
After the first season, the sense of spirituality that peeked its head out comes into full bloom and a certain element of the supernatural (in the form of ghosts, angels, etc.) creeps into episodes with increasing frequency. On one hand it cheapens the authenticity the producers worked so hard to recreate with its sets and writing, but on the other it helped bolster the shows morality and prevent it from just being a medical procedural set in the 1800s.
Whether this is a good or bad turn is up to the viewer.
"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Seasons 1-3" is on sale March 29, 2011 and is not rated. Children & Family, Drama. Directed by Jerry London, Chuck Bowman, James Keach. Written by Carl Binder, Toni Graphia, Beth Sullivan, Toni Perling. Starring Jane Seymour, Shawn Toovey, Chad Allen, Joe Lando, Erika Flores.
