Dick Van Dyke's Medical Drama Brought In Star Trek Actors For An Alien Abduction Episode
Wanna make your show's sci-fi pastiche feel like the real deal? That's easy - just bring in the crew of the USS Enterprise for a helping hand.
Diagnosis: Murder, a medical drama with a humorous edge, occasionally ventured into science fiction genre. The show, airing on CBS from 1993 to 2001, featured Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan and his son Barry Van Dyke as police detective Steve Sloan. In Season 6's episode "Alienated," Steve goes fishing with his dad's colleague, Jesse Travis (Charlie Schlatter), only for Jesse to claim abduction by aliens.
This leads to a multi-character investigation, with notable Star Trek actors making guest appearances. George Takei, Walter Koenig, and Grace Lee Whitney are seen as mysterious figures and a crisis consultant, respectively, while Wil Wheaton plays a ranger and Majel Barrett portrays an alien encounter support group leader. Bill Mumy, known for his roles in Lost in Space and Babylon 5, also guest-starred as Parker Craddick, hunted by the same mysterious agents as Jesse.
"Alienated" indulged in a sci-fi parody, with Jesse pursued by ominous men in black and government facility mysteries. Despite the presence of Star Trek alumni, the episode felt more like an homage to The X-Files than a direct Star Trek episode. The abduction was revealed to be caused by a pharmaceutical company trying to discredit Jesse, protecting their new drug's reputation.
While Diagnosis: Murder didn't fully delve into sci-fi territory, fans of classic sci-fi TV shows would appreciate the episode's array of guest stars.
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