Marcus Welby, M.D. portrayed the cases of a veteran general practitioner in Santa Monica, California, whose thoroughness and dedication involved him in the lives of all sorts of patients. Assisting him was Dr. Steven Kiley, who during the first season contracted to work with Welby for one year before resuming his training as a neurologist (he stayed). Thus the inevitable tension between youth and experience was established, but in this case Welby tended to be the more unorthodox of the two, often confounding the dedicated but textbook-oriented Kiley with his psychiatric approach to medicine. Welby treated the whole patient, his temperament, fears, and family environment, as well as his physical ailments.


A love interest was provided for Dr. Welby during the first season by Myra Sherwood, but this role was soon dropped. The only other suggestion that Welby might have a life of his own came in the last season, when his married daughter (Sandy) and his six-year-old grandson (Phil) were occasionally seen. There was no Mrs. Welby. The only other regulars over the years, in fact, were nurses Colsuelo Lopez and Kathleen Faverty. Although romance eluded Dr. Welby it did finally come to young Dr. Kiley, in the person of Janet Blake, public relations director of Hope Memorial Hospital. They were married on the telecast of October 21, 1975.

Cast & Characters

• Robert Young as Dr. Marcus Welby
• James Brolin as Dr. Steven Kiley
• Elena Verdugo as Consuelo Lopez
• Pamela Hensley as Janet Blake (1974-1976)
• Sharon Gless as Kathleen Faverty (1972-1976)
• Marcia Ralston as Nurse Donnelly (1969-1976)
• Connie Izay as Anesthesiologist (1973-1976)
• Anne Schedeen as Sandy Porter (1974-1976)
• Gavin Brendan as Phil Porter (1975-1976)
• Anne Baxter as Myra Sherwood (1969-1973)

Broadcast History

First Telecast: September 23, 1969
Last Telecast: May 11, 1976
Original Network:  ABC
Number of Seasons: 8
Number of Episodes: 169
Marcus Welby M.D. Episode Guide
Original Primetime TV Schedule:

• September 1969- May 1976, ABC, Tuesday 10:00-11:00PM

Theme Song & Opening Credits

Theme by Leonard Rosenman

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