This crossover is another almost non-crossover. No person from one show visited the other. But rather an object ties these two shows to the same reality: The Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award. This is an award that was a huge deal to the character of Dr. Mark Craig on St. Elsewhere. He prized it like gold. It was a focal point on the show. Years later, one of the doctors on Chicago Hope was shown as having also won the Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award. So, less than a full blown crossover, it was more of a tip of the hat to St. Elsewhere but, hey, it connects the shows. The only way this is not a valid tie would be if The Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award was in fact a real award in the real world that both shows just happened to mention. Like if two shows had characters who had won a Nobel Peace Prize, that wouldn't really suggest they were part of the same reality. I don't think the Cushing is real though. If it is a real award, dear reader, please email me and let me know.

    Now before anyone else sends me another e-mail about it, let me point out something that is often mistaken for a crossover between these shows that, in fact, isn't. In the second season of Chicago Hope Stephen Furst showed up in a guest star role. Now on St. Elsewhere Stephen Furst played Doctor Elliot Axelrod. Many people assume on Chicago Hope he was playing the same character. I can understand that since in trying to track down info on this episode online I saw it incorrectly stated on 9 out of 10 sites that this was the case. Wrong wrong wrong!

   In the final episodes of St Elsewhere, well before the episode of Chicago Hope in question, the character of Doctor Elliot Axelrod DIED. It was a hugely moving thing and not a plot point to easily pretend didn't happen. Cut to Chicago Hope. Stephen Furst appears not as a doctor for people but rather as a veterinarian named Elliot. But NOT Elliot Axelrod. His name on Chicago Hope was Dr. Elliot Feinstein! Different name, different profession and, most importantly, STILL BREATHING! This is NOT NOT NOT a crossover. It is more of a television in-joke, giving Furst a character with the same first (furst?) name and making him a vet, the profession of Elliot Axelrod's father on St. Elsewhere. And even the in-joke was not done intentionally. The role of Dr. Elliot Feinstein was written before Stephen Furst was hired and not with him specifically in mind. Funky.

   I'm fairly positive I know where the confusion on this point has come from. A viewer at home is watching Chicago Hope. They introduce Furst's character with a line like, "Everybody, I'd like you to meet my friend Dr. Elliot Feinstein." From that point on everyone on the show just calls him Elliot. Causal viewers who weren't paying total attention and missed that first introduction now are seeing Furst playing a medical person named Elliot. They then jump to the conclusion he's Elliot Axelrod. From there it just takes one or two of them posting the incorrect info online and the next thing you know it's wrong EVERYWHERE. Keep in mind when looking for info online how much info on any given site is based on info from another online source. The Internet Movie Database, based largely on info submitted by members, had this info wrong. Tons of folks use that as a resource. They get it wrong (and they do get stuff wrong) and the next thing you know that mis-info is showing up everywhere as fact. So be wary of any online info.

    An addendum to all St. Elsewhere entries: The final episode of St. Elsewhere revealed the entire series to be the daydream of an autistic child (man did this show have balls!). Given this, an argument could be made that all the crossovers with St. Elsewhere are invalid. That all the crossovers were merely part of the kid's dream. Like he watched Cheers on TV and worked it into his little fantasy and thus the shows don't really exist as part of the same reality. I count the crossovers as valid however. When all these crossovers were aired it was with the idea they were real. No one new the whole show was supposed to be a kids dream. So, since they were intended as real, I say they're legit. I actually like the idea that the kid dreamed ALL the shows connected to St. Elsewhere. In that case the Newhart show was the dream of Bob Newhart's character from the Bob Newhart show who was in turn only a character in an autistic kid's head. Don't think about that too long or your head will explode.

Other Chicago Hope Crossover Links
Chicago Hope and Early Edition
Chicago Hope and Homicide: Life On The Streets
Chicago Hope and Picket Fences

Other St. Elsewhere Crossover Links
St. Elsewhere and The Bob Newhart Show
St. Elsewhere and Cheers
St. Elsewhere and Homicide: Life On The Streets
St. Elsewhere and M*A*S*H
St. Elsewhere and Oz
St. Elsewhere and Tattingers/Nick And Hillary
St. Elsewhere and The White Shadow

St. Elsewhere Season 1 DVD article!

Click here to return to main Crossover List

Buy these shows on Amazon.com and support this site at the same time! Check out St. Elswhere on DVD! Season 1 features Dr. Mark Craig receiving the Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award!!! Okay, not such a big draw. But buy it anyways because it's the first season of one of the best shows ever!





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