HeartBeat (1988 TV series)

Plot

HeartBeat follows the staff of Women's Medical Arts, a medical center founded by three women who are frustrated with how women's health concerns are addressed in the male-dominated medical field.

Cast and characters

Main

• Kate Mulgrew as Dr. Joanne Springsteen/Halloran, co-founder of the clinic (the character's name was changed from Springsteen to Halloran in season 2)
• Laura Johnson as Dr. Eve Autrey/Calvert, co-founder of the clinic (the character's name was changed from Autrey to Calvert in season 2)
• Gail Strickland as Nurse Marilyn McGrath, a nurse practitioner and co-founder of the clinic
• Lynn Whitfield as Dr. Cory Banks
• Ben Masters as Dr. Leo Rosetti
• Darrell Larson as Dr. Paul Jared
• Julie Ronnie as Nurse Alice Swanson

Recurring

• Gina Hecht as Patty, long-term partner of Marilyn McGrath

Development and production

The fictional Women's Medical Arts clinic was based on the Santa Monica Women's Clinic in Santa Monica, California. Dr. Karen Blanchard (OBGYN), the clinic's founder, served as a model for the character played by Kate Mulgrew.

Groundbreaking lesbian content

HeartBeat was the first prime time television series in the United States to feature a recurring lesbian couple on prime-time, and a lesbian as a main character, Marilyn McGrath; she had a partner Patty, in a long-term lesbian relationship. The show won GLAAD’s first Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1990, which it shared with L.A. Law. However, in his autobiography, Aaron Spelling stated that ABC demanded a scene in which Marilyn dances with Patty be cut.

Release

Broadcast

HeartBeat debuted on Wednesday, March 23, 1988, at 9 p.m. (Eastern) as a special two-hour pilot; moving to its regular broadcast time of 10 p.m. the following week. For the second season, the schedule was changed to Thursday at 10:00 p.m. This programming made it compete with L.A. Law, one of the most popular series at the time. HeartBeat did not perform well in the ratings and was canceled at the end of its second season. The series finale aired on April 6, 1989.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (1988)

Season 2 (1989)

Reception

HeartBeat is praised by LGBT television historians for its inclusion of Marilyn and Patty as a couple, and for their sexual orientation being treated as a non-issue. However, ABC received criticism because unlike the heterosexual characters, Marilyn and Patty were not permitted to be sexual or physically affectionate with each other. The feminist content and context of HeartBeat have been studied by feminist cultural critics.

Awards and nominations

HeartBeat was nominated for the 1989 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama.

It received the first-ever GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1990 (shared with L.A. Law).

References

References

1. (2007). "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present". [[Ballantine Books]].
2. (January 3, 1989). "No glitz, no glitter here". [[New York Daily News.
3. (1994). "Queer Words, Queer Images: Communication and the Construction of Homosexuality". [[New York University Press]].
4. (April 25, 1988). "Is Prime Time Ready for Its First Lesbian? Gail Strickland Hopes So—and She's About to Find Out".
5. (2000). "Alternate Channels: The Uncensored Story of Gay and Lesbian Images on Radio and Television, 1930s to the Present". [[Ballantine Books]].
6. Maya Salam. (29 November 2019). "The Very (Very) Slow Rise of Lesbianism on TV - The New York Times". [[The New York Times]].
7. Aaron Spelling : A Prime Time Life : An Autobiography (1996)
8. (March 30, 1988). "Nielsen ratings". [[USA Today]].
9. (April 6, 1988). "Nielsen ratings". [[USA Today]].
10. (April 13, 1988). "Nielsen ratings". [[USA Today]].
11. (April 20, 1988). "Nielsen ratings". [[USA Today]].
12. (April 27, 1988). "Nielsen ratings". [[USA Today]].
13. (January 11, 1989). "NBC, laughing all the way". [[USA Today]].
14. (January 18, 1989). "NBC clinches season's ratings title". [[USA Today]].
15. (January 25, 1989). "NBC scores super ratings". [[USA Today]].
16. (February 1, 1989). "Midseason entries boost NBC". [[USA Today]].
17. (February 8, 1989). "Comedies sweep up for NBC". [[USA Today]].
18. (February 22, 1989). "NBC's back alone on top". [[USA Today]].
19. (March 1, 1989). "CBS up despite Grammy drop". [[USA Today]].
20. (March 15, 1989). "NBC, in front with 'Left Behind'". [[USA Today]].
21. (March 22, 1989). "Glad tidings for all networks". [[USA Today]].
22. (March 29, 1989). "A 'Brewster' boost for ABC". [[USA Today]].
23. (April 5, 1989). "ABC's roller-coaster week". [[USA Today]].
24. (2002). "The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV". [[Applause Theatre & Cinema Books]].
25. "GLAAD Media Awards: 1990 Awards".