One of the pioneering medical dramas, it had great writing, acting and direction. This series, that also included notable guest stars each week to support the lead roles of Dr. James Kildare (Richard Chamberlain) and Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Raymond Massey), set the standard for medical dramas, and arguably few other medical shows have met that standard. It began the same year as the other pioneering medical drama, Ben Casey, both of which lasted from 1961 to 1966.