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Robert Fuller went from Western hero to a new kind of hero on Emergency!
From western hero to everyday hero: Here's how Fuller became full of medical knowledge!
Robert Fuller might not be a name every viewer knows, but he was full of emergency medical knowledge thanks to his 1972 role as Dr. Kelly Brackett in Emergency!.
According to a 1974 interview with the Chicago Tribune, if Fuller were ever in an emergency situation, he was confident he’d know exactly what to do because his role had rubbed off on him and he had become familiar with lifesaving techniques and medical technology.
At the time of the interview, Emergency! was averaging around one million viewers, putting it in the top 30 for the season, even though it competed with the powerful All in the Family on CBS.
"Emergency! has become a very good family show," Fuller said. "What really astounds me is that we didn’t even try to go after the young audience in the beginning, and we got them. Fire engines and sirens — I guess all that stuff really attracts kids."
Despite having many fans and being number one in many ways, Fuller didn’t think the series had reached its peak yet. He said Bobby Troup wanted the series to continue another 10 years or more.
In reality, the series lasted seven seasons, and Fuller never saw this role — or that kind of success — coming. Fuller started out mostly in Westerns, including The Oregon Trail, The Virginian, The Big Valley, Laramie, Highway Patrol and more.
"I’d never even met Jack Webb," Fuller said. "I’d only done cowboy roles before. After I walked into his office flatly saying, 'No, I don’t want to do a doctor show,' I walked out three hours later with 22 pages of script."
While we’re sure he was a great Western star, he was also a great doctor.
Emergency! alone helped change the medical industry for the better. According to the interview, Fuller portrayed a real-life doctor on screen. That doctor was instrumental in getting legislation passed in their favor.
"When we went on the air, there weren’t many paramedics around," Fuller said. "Now, just in Chicago proper, they’re turning out over 200 a year. People write in and ask, 'When do we get paramedics in our area?'"
Was it worth switching from Western hero to everyday hero? Fuller said absolutely.
"Seriously, it’s great being Dr. Kelly Brackett," Fuller said. "But if one season doesn’t come along and Emergency! isn’t picked up, I’ll be out hustling for a new job. And it doesn’t have to be a cowboy or a doctor, either!"
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