TYGER,TYGER


I have Richard Chamberlin and this episode for my being alive today!.
I was a 8 year old child who just two years prior to this episode being
shown on television was diagnosed with Epilepsy.
This episode helped me understand the disease I was diagnosed with.
The story about a young surfer who began to experience PetitMal seizures hit
home to me~it showed me what could happen if I didn't take my medication.
Tyger,the part played by Ms.Miemeux was a head strong girl.
After her first seizures she was brought into Blair Memorial Hospital after
suffering a PetitMal seizure while surfing and almost drown.

Now she was instructed to take her medication and possibly stay off of her
beloved surf board~ one night while reading in her bedroom she suffered her
first GrandMAL seizure.It was brought on by an electricial storm~Epileptics
have a good chance of throwing a seizure during a storm that has alot of
lighting and thunder.

The character passed away when she had a GrandMAL while she was surfing.

I have always wanted to thank Mr.Chamberlin for the episode.
It changed my life.
I suffered my first GrandMAL at the age of 15.
And my last at the age of 32.
Since the age of 15 I've been on a drug that has kept my GrandMALS to 0,
since the age of 32. In April it will be 25 years since my last one.

There has to be some way to have "Tyger,Tyger" released to the public?
It has been the only episode of a television medical drama that I know of
that has dealt with the subject of Epilepsy~ I'm a medical drama junkie!.
And I've watched alot of doctor shows.

reply

Easily the most memorable episode of the entire series. (Actually, I believe it was a two-part episode.)

reply

[deleted]

I watched this show from pre-kindergarten days through years of syndication, and the quality of information has always impressed me in retrospect. There must be other stories like yours. I was particularly fascinated by the episode in which interns shared some home-canned beans that were spoiled, given them botulism poisoning. Another dealt with sterilization procedures with one intern soaking an instrument in alcohol instead of following proper procedures. These things truly made a strong impression on me, influencing my education and professional success in regulatory matters in health care and emergency services.


~If you go through enough doors, sooner or later you're gonna find a dog on the other side.~

reply

I remember watching this excellent television series in syndicated reruns when I was a boy, contrary to some information provided the series was never cleared for syndicated broadcasts or cable showings outside of prime time.

In fact, I also recall Ted Turner's TNT channel showing "Dr. Kildare" in early morning hours in the 1990s, as especially when a film ended early and there was time before another film began.

Even though, perhaps, this medical drama didn't show the more graphic elements of a hospital emergency room one would definitely see today in such TV series', I think the series still holds up well from its insightful take on medical and moral issues, and the charming rapport between and excellent acting of its two principal stars, Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey, in addition to a semi-regular ensemble cast of hospital staff and a revolving door roster of rising Hollywood actors and actresses.

One further word of interesting information is that although the building used for the edifice of the fictional "Blair General Hospital" on the TV series was, indeed, the front of the Irving Thalberg Building on the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (M-G-M) lot, the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles was the actual consulting facility throughout the series' run. This hospital is where Senator Robert F. Kennedy died on June 6, 1968, after being transported there from L.A.'s Central Receiving Hospital (which had no neurosurgeon on site at the time) following his assassination by Sirhan B. Sirhan June 5, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel, in the wake of RFK's victory celebration in the California presidential primary for the Democrat Party nomination. I remember nearly every time I saw that Good Samaritan credit on "Dr. Kildare" after June of '68 thinking about Bobby Kennedy; like Richard Chamberlain, another handsome young man with blond hair, and, like "Dr. Jim Kildare," another young man with a profound idealistic streak.

reply

I was also only 8 years old when Tyger, Tyger first aired. I remember how frightened I was the first time she had a full-blown Grand Mall, lying on her bedroom floor on her back, seizing and shaking. I was horrified! Then when she seized while surfing, and Dr. Kildare retrieved her lifeless body from the beach, I was SO HEART-BROKEN!! I remembered the name of that episode all these decades, over half a century. I finally decided tonight to go online and attempt to retrieve some information about it. Never, in my wildest dreams decades ago, would I have ever thought I would ever see this again. It really takes me back to when I was that little boy. I guess I kinda had a "crush" on Tyger (Yvette Mimieux). She was such a cute little thing. I was devastated when she died/drowned. It was almost like reality to me back then.

reply

That episode does really make a significant impact in regard to the seriousness of Epilepsy.

It was extremely realistic when you saw Yvette Mimeux having a seizure. It will be something that I will always remember.

reply

Yes it was one of the best episodes. I remember seeing it again on YouTube about 10 years ago. Pity this program isn't on any streaming service.

reply