You're listening to Imaginary Worlds, a show about how we create them,

and why we suspend our disbelief.

I'm Eric Melinsky.

And this is Tom Fontana.

In the 1980s he was a writer and a producer on a hospital drama called St. Elsewhere.

You know, the show was always on the brink of being canceled.

Our first season, there were 100 TV shows on the air.

There were only three networks.

And we were 99th in the ratings.

But the show was critically acclaimed and the top brass at NBC liked it.

So they managed to eke out six seasons.

Rather than do what a lot of people do, which is,

oh my god, we're going to get canceled.

Let's make it more palatable for the audience.

We went out of our way to make it as unpalatable as we possibly could.

And Tom was particularly fond of crossovers.

I was big when I was young.

I was a big Beverly Hillbilly's, green acres,

a pedicode junction fan.

And I determined that the only one of the characters that had been on all three series

was Irene Ryan, who played Granny.

I come to take care of Betty Jo Young.

...