Becker (1998–2004)

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.

Creator:

Dave Hackel

Stars:

Ted Danson, Hattie Winston, Shawnee Smith

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
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 (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Saverio Guerra	...	Bob (104 episodes, 1998-2003)
Terry Farrell	...	Regina "Reggie" Kostas (94 episodes, 1998-2002)

Storyline

Misanthropic Dr. John Becker runs a clinic in New York City. He is assisted by super-capable Margaret Wyborn and less-than-capable Linda, who's only kept on because no one else can stand the doctor. Becker's best (some would say only) friend is the blind Jake Malinak, who runs a newsstand in the diner across the street. The diner used to be run by Reggie Kostas, but it has been taken over by Chris Conner, a lady whom Becker fluctuates between loathing and being attracted to. The diner is also frequented by Robert Benito, who is universally known as Bob and is the super at Becker's apartment (much to the doctor's regret).

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Plot Keywords:

diner | doctor | new york city | short man | interracial friendship | 

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Taglines:

This doctor feels your pain, he just doesn't want to hear about it.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

CBS [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tohtori Becker

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dave Hackel Productions, Industry Entertainment, Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nancy Travis was originally hired to play Chris for just four episodes, and at the end of Season 4 was to disappear after John Becker (Ted Danson) chose to be with Reggie Kostas (Terry Farrell). But the producers decided to fire Farrell and keep Travis on as a full time character.

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Quotes

Linda: [Stops looking through the trash can as Dr. Becker walks by] Morning doctor!
Dr. John Becker: Oh yeah, good morning... um.
Linda: Linda.
Dr. John Becker: Right. I knew it was something weird like that.
Linda: I know you said not to talk to you unless it was absolutely necessary, but I just want to say thanks a lot for making me a nurses aid. I never thought I would be a professional anything! And this is way better than sweeping up hair at a beauty salon. Although the fumes from those hair dyes can give you a pretty good buzz! You know, this ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Collateral (2004)

User Reviews

A unique and funny show (A)

Well I just found out that the show has ended, which prompts me to write this review for the show. Something that I rarely do, and I am doing so now because I thought the show possessed something special.

The run down is simple, Ted Danson plays Dr John Becker a dedicated and talented doctor who has a very gruff exterior. The episodes revolve around his work in his practise and his interactions with his friends at his local diner. The show was interesting purely due to the talented and diverse cast, although they change throughout the seasons the show manages to keep its comedic style. I encourage anyone who hasn't seen the show to watch it, and all those who have…

Over the years I've become attached to the show and the characters in it. It will be sorely missed.