"Becker" (1998) TV series 1998-2004

Creator:

Dave Hackel

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

2 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

His bedside manner is no manners at all!

Plot:

Dr. John Becker goes through his daily routine of being a doctor, stopping at his favorite diner, and other various situations, all the while hating life and everything around him.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | New York City | Medical | Blind Man | Sitcom

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Dec. 10	6:00 AM	USA	A First Class Flight	#6.9
Thur. Dec. 10	6:00 PM	WGNAMER	Chock Full 'O Nuts	#6.8

Cast

Ted Danson	...	Dr. John Becker (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Hattie Winston	...	Margaret Wyborn / ... (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Shawnee Smith	...	Linda (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Alex Désert	...	Jake Malinak (127 episodes, 1998-2004)
Saverio Guerra	...	Bob (108 episodes, 1998-2003)
Terry Farrell	...	Regina "Reggie" Kostas / ... (94 episodes, 1998-2002)
Nancy Travis	...	Chris Connor (39 episodes, 2002-2004)

Runtime:

30 min (including commercials - 129 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:12 (some episodes) | UK:PG (some episodes) | UK:U (some episodes) | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Dave Hackel Productions

Trivia:

The character of Margaret's husband, Lewis, is never seen in the show, a gag in the tradition of "Cheers" (1982), in which Norm's wife, Vera, is never seen, and "Frasier" (1993), in which Niles' wife, Maris, is never seen.

Quotes:

[Becker's patient is Richard Hatch, winner of Survivor: Borneo]
Dr. John Becker: [checking his clipboard] Okay, uh, Mr. Hatch. I'm Dr. Becker.
[he and Richard shake hands]
Richard Hatch: Hey, Doc. Want me to take my clothes off? 'Cause that's no problem.
Dr. John Becker: Uh, why don't we just talk first.
Richard Hatch: Okay.
Dr. John Becker: [checking his clipboard] All right. It says you're here for... stomach distress. Any, uh, recent changes in your diet?
Richard Hatch: No, but, uh, several months ago, I was out of the country.
Dr. John Becker: Oh, yeah, I've seen that before. Mexico?
Richard Hatch: No, I was on this island. My diet was very exotic. I pretty much existed on stingray, dog food, beetle larvae...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "South Park: My Future Self n' Me (#6.16)" (2002)

Only watching it through reruns...

And I have to say, I love it. It comes on Fox (really late on weekdays) here. My husband and I enjoy laying in bed and having a good laugh. I haven't seen an episode yet that didn't crack us up at least 3 times. Everyone can relate to someone in this show. My husband is a mix of Bob's charm, Becker's sense of compassion and Jake's ability to see whats coming. For me, I'm as loving as Margret, witty as Reggie, and have the body of Linda...well, maybe I'm pushing it. Anyway, wish I would have found the show sooner. I am currently trying to figure out what happened to Reggie and where this blond chic came in. I don't like her as much as Reggie, but maybe she will grow on me. Although I doubt it since it was canceled!