Right on the heels of a zillion e-mails about the misconception that St. Elsewhere's Elliot Axelrod had appeared on Chicago Hope, I am pointed in the direction of an apparent true Axelrod connection to another show.

   Okay, when the medical drama St. Elsewhere was in it's final episodes, the show made some radical plot moves. As is usual on a show wishing to firmly establish that it is in fact all over, many characters found themselves leaving for distance parts and new jobs. But the most significant departure was that of Doctor Elliot Axelrod. Played by Stephen Furst of Animal House (Flounder) and later Babylon 5 (Vir Cotto) fame, Elliot Axelrod was an overweight and insecure doctor but who had a good heart. Well, figuratively he had a good heart. In point of fact his departure came a few episodes shy of the shows finale with Elliot's heart failing. His final scene found a hallucinating Elliot getting out of his sick bed and pulling his life supports free as he stumbled across the room to help a nonexistent patient and then dying. It was heart wrenching to watch such a sweet character die in such a heroic way over a delusion. It was so damn sad! And that's why it makes me nuts that folks think he was later resurrected without a second thought for a guest spot on Chicago Hope. The character didn't just sorta die in a way that might be pushed aside. He DIED big time and movingly in a way that couldn't be ignored.

   That said, the Axelrod clan did end up wandering onto another show with a sort of semi-tribute I think Elliot would have appreciated. After St. Elsewhere, that show's producers started a new show called Tattingers. Tattingers was the name of a classy swanky New York restaurant run by Nick Tattinger. At the same time Nick had to deal with his ex-wife Hillary. Like St. Elsewhere it was a drama but with very humorous overtones as well. Unlike St. Elsewhere it didn't fair so well in the ratings. After about half a season the show was pulled off the schedule and overhauled into a more wacky comedy format with the name changed to Nick And Hillary.

   Now somewhere along the way, there was an accountant character who showed up who happened to also have the last name Axelrod. Played by Seinfeld/3rd Rock From The Sun's Wayne Knight, this Axelrod bemoaned the fact that he had had such a bad year, listing off several woes but finishing up with the fact that his cousin Elliot had died up in Boston. Ahh. Very cool. A fine non-cross cross if I do say so myself. Now THAT'S an Elliot crossover - totally acknowledging what happened but surprising and funny to boot. The opinion seems to be that this happened while the show was still Tattingers but I figure it should count as a cross for both.

   Special thanks to both a reader of this site for putting me onto this crossover and to one of the actors from one of the above shows for taking the time to help confirm and correct the information.

Other Nick And Hillary Crossover Links
Nick And Hillary and Tattingers

Other St. Elsewhere Crossover Links
St. Elsewhere and The Bob Newhart Show
St. Elsewhere and Cheers
St. Elsewhere and Chicago Hope
St. Elsewhere and Homicide: Life On The Streets
St. Elsewhere and M*A*S*H
St. Elsewhere and Oz
St. Elsewhere and The White Shadow

St. Elsewhere Season 1 DVD article!

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