Gideon's Crossing (2000–2001) User Reviews

I Completely Disagree

[williebobo95 · 25 January 2004]

Gideon's Crossing was a fine show. It got an Emmy Nomination after it was axed. I liked the ensemble cast that had a young black Doctor as the Chief Surgeon and Indian,Jewish,Female and Gentile Whites all interacting as colleagues and friends as the other Doctors.

It was better than ER to me because of that ethnic mix. Per the reviewer,what made the woman not seem like she could be from Long Island,because you are? Are there not various ethnic people on L.I.? The subject matter and story lines were good.

It's biggest problem was that it came on at 10pm eastern on Monday nights,replacing Monday Night Football. ABC's ratings drop in the offseason and viewers go elsewhere. Had it come on at 9pm on Tuesday,things might have been different.

Also why does the reviewer seem to like Andre Braugher's projects when he's a "sidekick" or supporting actor on Hack or Homicide,but trashes the show that he's the dramatic lead in?

Too good to last

[Malette · 10/10 · 25 June 2006]

Sadly this series was doomed from the start. Great cast, good writing and an uplifting message with only a hint of preaching! Andre Braugher is as good in this, or maybe better, than his role in Homicide (Life on the Street).

Network TV was simply not ready for this, and if you take it to cable, the tendency is to spice it so much it can become offensive. Like I said, doomed from the get go.

The ensemble was also being used well, without the "stock character" prejudices and clichés. I suspect had this been given a really good run it would have been possible to flesh out the interns and residents as well as the nursing staff to the point of developing some outstanding story lines.

This is one of a long line of shows submarined by its refusal to seek mediocrity.

One of best series ever

[lcastle-1 · 10/10 · 5 February 2007]

This was one of the best series ever. Not because every moment was great; any given program had its ups and downs. What made the series great was that every single episode had a moment in it that transcended the storyline, that had an emotional or intellectual impact that was real. It has been some time since I saw the series, but I remember vividly how it was able to affect me each week. It was worthwhile time spent. Andre Braugher was excellent, as usual. He can make any show better by his presence. I don't watch many TV shows but I will always try a series if certain actors appear in it and Braugher is one of those. (He and David Morse made Hack worth watching.) The rest of the cast was good and I notice that a number of them have showed up on subsequent series. In summary, this was one of those series that is worth having on whether perfect or not. Its high points are higher than most other TV, even the good shows.

Best show on television

[Notraxxs · 5 March 2001]

The high level of writing, the intricate and complex characters, and the superb cast make this show worth watching. With the exception of this show, I don't watch network tv anymore. But I make it a point to sit down every Monday night so that I can watch and admire the quality of Gideon's Crossing. Do yourself a favor and watch it to.

Give it a try... it's good

[crisrabb · 18 November 2000]

I would advise anyone to give this show a viewing. It's interesting, intelligent, and no.. it's not your typical medical show. True, it's "dark", but anyone who's ever spent a considerable amount of time in a hospital knows that there are not always happy endings. People don't always get well in one hour. Sometimes folks die. Please also try to understand that not all shows are comedies. The serious tone of the show just adds to the realism. If anyone is disappointed because Dr Gideon has not slapped over a full bed pan or tickled a nurse in the supply room, perhaps they're watching the wrong show.

Intelligence wrapped in humanity is a far more accurate statement.

[rendan · 12 December 2002]

These doctors ask the questions you HOPE your own doctors ask. They deal with conflicts and mistakes with the honest integrity we no longer expect. REALITY show it is not, something better. A show that asks us to think beyond our small personal universe. One of the good ones, so of course, it's taken off the air. It does for medicine what West Wing does for politics. Thanks to the actors and the writers.

best of a bumper crop

[carbonbit · 11 April 2002]

There were three truly breathtaking dramas on American primetime TV during the 2000 season. This one was the best of them. The other two -- The West Wing and The Sopranos -- were (and ARE, as of April 2002) justly celebrated. Gideon's Crossing sadly and inexplicably never found an audience during its brief lifespan, in the press or apparently around the water cooler either. The writing was just as inspired as the other two, the acting just as superb, the content even more profound, and... I just don't get it. And I miss the show sorely, still. R.I.P. And curses to A.B.C., so often the most short-sighted and faithless of the television networks (ask Claire Danes, ask Ted Koppel, ask Sela Ward), for not supporting and nurturing it. In the last couple of episodes the Buddha-like Dr. Gideon's character was besmirched in a way I found incongruous with the earlier, more brilliant episodes. I don't know if this was some last ditch (misguided) effort to invoke better ratings or just an unprovoked lapse on the part of the creators but, whichever, all in all Gideon's Crossing remains -- will ALways remain -- a towering television drama.

The Best Doctors Show Ever, in fact.

In a word... Wow.

[a-g-2 · 11 October 2000]

Most TV shows, especially pilot episodes, start with one hell of a grabber and from there on out either fail to live up to the expectation that they've built OR they hit the home run.

"Gideon's Crossing" nailed a grand slam. The main character "Gideon" played wonderfully by Andre Braugher (this man doesn't get enough credit for his talent) is a Doctor, but not a perfect one and they carefully execute his flaws little by little to the audience. But the difference is his flaws are what makes him human. In a world where we expect nothing but perfection from our physicians we tend to forget that they have the same hopes, dreams, and desires we do. We expect them to be super-heroes in a world where nothing known as krpytonite exists. We expect them to be perfect.

To this end we are greeted with "Gideon", a doctor who not only has flaws, but appears to resent and embrace them at the same time. Very real, very human. Mad props to Johnson & Johnson for sponsoring a commercial free series premiere. Great choice on their part. I hope ABC has the round items required to keep this show around. One last word, for those few of us who saw "Hollow Man" remember the hottie who lived across from Inviso Doc? Well she's in this show too AND she speaks! How about that? She's good too, and certainly not too hard on the eyes either. Excellent show. May its health prognosis be good well into the future.

Accidentally discovered this astonishing show

[generic230 · 5 March 2001]

Okay, why I never even knew this brilliant show was still on ABC is probably a good explanatuon for why the network has steadily sunk in the ratings for the last three years. That they are not screaming from the treetops about this amazing, well-written, shockingly moving series is an outrage. Better than ER, which has steadily declined into weekly bus accidents or brain tumors, this series draws you in. Andre Braugher is someone I love to watch. Boy is he good. He makes me love an already pretty excellent show.

not bad

[mattkratz · 24 February 2001]

I like this show. It might drag on too long in its characters' personal conflicts, but that's minor. It is the latest in a line of medical dramas which includes E/R, St. Elsewhere, and Chicago Hope. All the performances are good, and the writing is first-rate. Give it a chance. The series certainly does have potential.

Pretension wrapped up in pomposity

[dlewis-10 · 15 July 2001]

Good acting, as far as can be given with this rancid storyline. TV seems obsessed with the idea as medical person, or doctor as God. Ben Gideon would do much better to teach medicine, rather than give an overlong philosophical debate, aimed at high-schoolers to these boring unintelligent, god get-them-away-from-me group. If he did teach medicine, they might run into far fewer problems.

1/10.

A Serious with Great Potential, but often Tediously Philosophical

[a-kos · 1 January 2001]

Gideon's Crossing has the potential to be a great series, and they have had a couple good episodes. Andre Braugher is his usual fascinating self and the ensemble cast is fine as well.

Too often, Gideon's Crossing get's bogged down by overt philosophical pretense. The scene which seems to conclude (and often occurs in the middle as well) just about every show features Gideon lecturing his students about various issues that have occurred. While this is intended to be insightful and inspiring, it usually comes across as tedious, trite, platitudes. Occasionally, this does punctuate an episode effectively, but usually it's just a ponderous bore. The show is at it's best when it shows the characters act as good physicians instead of overtly discussing what it means to be a good physician.

In spite of it's problems, Gideon's Crossing has the potential to evolve into a first rate drama. The show doesn't incorporate enough humor into the mix, but when it does, the results are usually effective. With more humor, and less pomposity, it could be one of the best series on TV, though it will probably never achieve high ratings because it is often inaccessible and difficult for many viewers.

A Darker "Chicago Hope"

[Fred-172 · 16 October 2000]

I saw the pilot and I have a few comments.

First, Braugher and the other actors are excellent. Braugher appears to be an actor who can carry a project on his own and he does his job well here.

The problem with this show is that it is very dark. It is even darker than "Wonderland" which went under last year. Instead of taking the areas the series does well (the internal torment of a doctor) and combining it with inspiring stories, the show gets dragged down.

The show would be better if it had Braugher's character and the doctor fighting for patients rather than focusing so much on the doctors and how they feel. In the pilot, Gideon told his students not to focus on their own feelings. The show should take his advice.

I'll probably watch it again. However, the show needs to lighten up. M*A*S*H only worked because it combined humor and inspiration with drama. Trapper John, MD was the same way. I hate to lose Braugher but people may soon turn off this show if the show doesn't have the dark clouds clear.