Alex Taylor is a recently graduated Med student from the first two series of the show Medics, which was on in the early 90's. We only have several episodes of season one, including one very a good one from an Alex point of view.

You get the feeling, from watching this episode, that Alex is a good student, and that medicine comes so easily for him that he can be almost flippant about studying. His flatmates (it looks like he owns a house and rents it to two women and one man with whom he goes to Med school) often resent this cock-sure attitude.

But then Alex makes a monumental blunder. He gets sexually involved with a patient. Because of the Hippocratic oath, he feels he is unworthy to be a doctor, and leaves Med school before taking his exams.

Peter says this episode was written by a friend of his as a result of winning a contest to write a script for a TV show. Apparently a lot of it is based on Peter's observations of Med School. (But we will NOT speculate on how close to real life this is. I was told he just finally figured out that it wasn't for him and he up and left.)

After a few shows had pased in the second season, Alex shows up again. But now he suddenly has to work at his studies. His success after all of this makes him more sympathetic, and I, for one, would have been on his side even if it had not been Peter (he is by far the most appealing character in the series). But I have to admit, without seeing how he was before the monumental blunder it was difficult to appreciate the road he'd traveled. For a moment we see Mr. Cocksure return, but then something ELSE happens and if you aren't looking very closely you will miss the return to Season One self-assurance. When I got the series I started with season two and I was very surprised how much that one season one ep. helped me understand what I'd already seen. I was also quite impressed in the subtleties Peter, as a young actor, brought to the character. He may complain, but I thought this was very skillfully done!

Peter decided not to come back for season three, and someone else took over the role of Alex.

Ratings:

For viewability, I give it a 7 (Unfortunately, there are no really wonderful copies of this; even an early gen. of the second season leaves a bit to be desired. But there is a LOT of screen time in that one Season One ep.)

For character, I give this one a 9 and a half - points off for some stuff in second season that seemed forced.

Familiar Faces

One of the first familiar faces you'll see, at least in Season Two, is Tom Baker - one of the most beloved Dr. Whos. Francesca Ryan, who plays Clare, is in both seasons, and she shows up very briefly in Trust Me. Sue Johnson (Ruth Parry) is in Into the Fire, and Jo Stone-Fewings (Toby) was in Soldier, Soldier as Richard (the other young Lt.)

Guest stars in season two - I saw a few faces I knew, and I keep seeing new ones as I go back to it. The red haired Scot with MS was in "Stormy Monday" with Sean Bean (a favorite of mine), and the sister of the renal transplant played Sean's mother in "When Saturday Comes". The girlfriend of the woman with the hysterectomy was the wife in Murder In Mind. Abbe Root is the wife in the series Chef! , and again with Sean Bean in A Woman's Guide to Adultery. And who knows that I might find more next time I look!