A tragic death of a teenager sets Quincy into action fighting for orphan drug development.A tragic death of a teenager sets Quincy into action fighting for orphan drug development.A tragic death of a teenager sets Quincy into action fighting for orphan drug development.
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Kim H. Howard
- Denise
- (as Kimberly Webster)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIt was through advocacy from this episode, that Congressional passage of The Orphan Drug Act of 1983.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Weekly: The Six Million Dollar Claim (2019)
Featured review
First-rate performances in an episode with a purpose
To my mind, this episode is one of the high points of the series, combining excellent acting with a purpose beyond entertainment.
After the death of a boy suffering from Tourette's Syndrome, Quincy is angered to discover how little medical help there is for people with rare disorders, due to the drugs companies simply not making enough money from them. This was an episode with a distinct political message, as the "Orphan Drugs Bill" was working its way through the US political system at the time, promising hope to thousands of sufferers of conditions like Tourette's. In fact the scene where Tourette's sufferer Tony gives a speech to a congressional hearing was echoed in real life when Klugman testified, and the show is credited as having helped the bill become law.
Whether you like your TV to achieve things which make real differences in the lives of real people, or prefer it sticks to the traditional realms of murder mysteries, this episode is also notable for featuring some award-worthy performances. As Tony, Paul Clemens avoids falling into any of the traps associated with playing a character with obvious physical differences, and elicits our emotional response by showing us what it really means to live with a condition like Tourette's. His delivery of the speech on the "Orphan Drugs Bill" never fails to make me cry.
After the death of a boy suffering from Tourette's Syndrome, Quincy is angered to discover how little medical help there is for people with rare disorders, due to the drugs companies simply not making enough money from them. This was an episode with a distinct political message, as the "Orphan Drugs Bill" was working its way through the US political system at the time, promising hope to thousands of sufferers of conditions like Tourette's. In fact the scene where Tourette's sufferer Tony gives a speech to a congressional hearing was echoed in real life when Klugman testified, and the show is credited as having helped the bill become law.
Whether you like your TV to achieve things which make real differences in the lives of real people, or prefer it sticks to the traditional realms of murder mysteries, this episode is also notable for featuring some award-worthy performances. As Tony, Paul Clemens avoids falling into any of the traps associated with playing a character with obvious physical differences, and elicits our emotional response by showing us what it really means to live with a condition like Tourette's. His delivery of the speech on the "Orphan Drugs Bill" never fails to make me cry.
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