The Cutting Edge 

Kenny Kelso, a young father, is seriously injured in a work accident and loses his arm. His arm is found and the paramedics take both him and his limb to a new place, Experiment Hope, where it may be possible to reattach them.

Director:

Georg Fenady

Writers:

Lou Shaw (creator), Jeri Taylor

Stars:

Jack Klugman, Garry Walberg, John S. Ragin

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Klugman	...	Dr. R. Quincy, M.E.
Garry Walberg	...	Lt. Frank Monahan (credit only)
John S. Ragin	...	Dr. Robert Asten (credit only)
Val Bisoglio	...	Danny Tovo (credit only)
Robert Ito	...	Sam Fujiyama (credit only)
Joseph Roman	...	Sgt. Brill (credit only)
John Randolph	...	Peter Muscanni
Paul Rudd	...	Kenny Kelso
Mary Louise Weller	...	Dr. Wendy Peterson
Anita Gillette	...	Dr. Emily Hanover
Barry Newman	...	Dr. Gabe McCracken
Allen Fawcett	...	Dr. Ted Wickett
Julie Phillips	...	Judy Kelso
Chevi Colton	...	Nurse
Terrence O'Connor	...	Hilary Barron

Storyline

A dock worker is seriously injured in an accident and loses his arm in the process. He is taken to an experimental hospital called Project Hope headed by a dedicated surgeon named Gabriel McCracken where his arm is reattached. The operation is a success, but a complication arises and he loses the use of his good arm. Now McCracken and his staff of cutting edge surgeons try to find a way to help the young man lead a better quality of life.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Klugman is the only regular cast member who appears in the final episode of the series (Quincy M.E.: The Cutting Edge (1983)), which was a backdoor pilot for a proposed series about a revolutionary new clinic. NBC did not pick up the new series.

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Goofs

Allen Fawcett is Kenny Kelso. I'd guess then Paul Rudd must be the doctor.

User Reviews

Disappointing Series Finale

The Cutting Edge begins with a dock yard accident where an industrial sized pipe falls on a young worker severing his arm. Quincy (Jack Klugman) is on hand to help stabilize him, and the worker is transported to the Project Hope hospital which specializes in experimental surgeries and medical procedures aimed at improving the quality of life of patients. The surgeon successfully reattaches his arm, but then other complications arise which the hospital staff must address.

I'm not going to say very much about this episode since it really has nothing to do with the show itself. Quincy only appears in a few scenes, and the rest of the episode features a bunch of new characters working out of this innovative hospital which was intended as a pilot for a new series which never came to fruition. I found this episode and the whole premise of the new show to be a total rip off from The Bold Ones: The New Doctors series starring David Hartman which featured a very similar premise and characters.

This was a very disappointing conclusion to what was once a great show, and it's a shame that it didn't end with an episode that honored and celebrated the true identity of Quincy as a murder mystery series where the culprits are nabbed through forensic evidence. Why the producers went so far off the mark with so many episodes during Season 8 is a mystery to me, but straying so far from the formula that made this show a hit in the first place certainly did enough damage to result in a cancellation.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 1983 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1