St. Elsewhere Close Encounters (1982–1988) Online
- Original Title :
- Close Encounters
- Genre :
- TV Episode / Drama
- Year :
- 1982–1988
- Directror :
- Eric Laneuville
- Cast :
- Ed Flanders,Norman Lloyd,Ed Begley Jr.
- Writer :
- Mark Tinker,John Masius
- Type :
- TV Episode
- Time :
- 1h
- Rating :
- 8.6/10
Craig travels to Clinton, NY in hopes of bringing back his granddaughter; Ehrlich clashes with Caldwell over an unnecessary plastic surgery; Morrison goes against the US Military by refusing to discharge an astronaut; John Doe takes the identity of Mary Richards from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
| Episode cast overview, first billed only: | |||
 | Ed Flanders | - | Dr. Donald Westphall |
 | Norman Lloyd | - | Dr. Daniel Auschlander |
 | Ed Begley Jr. | - | Dr. Victor Ehrlich |
 | Stephen Furst | - | Dr. Elliot Axelrod |
 | Mark Harmon | - | Dr. Robert Caldwell |
 | Eric Laneuville | - | Luther Hawkins (credit only) |
 | Howie Mandel | - | Dr. Wayne Fiscus (credit only) |
 | David Morse | - | Dr. Jack Morrison |
 | Christina Pickles | - | Nurse Helen Rosenthal |
 | Denzel Washington | - | Dr. Philip Chandler |
 | William Daniels | - | Dr. Mark Craig |
 | Betty White | - | Capt. Gloria Neal |
 | Alfre Woodard | - | Dr. Roxanne Turner |
 | David Ackroyd | - | Col. Chuck Cochrane |
 | Jack Riley | - | Elliot Carlin |
John Doe is having an identity crisis as Mary Richards from the Mary Tyler Moore Show. When he sees Capt. Gloria Neal (played by Betty White), he repeatedly calls her Sue Anne, but she insists he's mistaken. Betty White did, indeed, play Sue Anne Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
This episode aired only five days after the Dallas (1978) episode of the same name: Dallas: Close Encounters (1985).
The title is based on the Steven Spielberg movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
All the TV shows playing on the television in the psych ward are MTM produced shows including WKRP in Cincinnati, Lou Grant, and Hill Street Blues.
Jack Riley plays "Mr. Carlin", his character from the Bob Newhart Show, which was also produced by MTM.
Captain Neal (Betty White) mentions a "Commander Healey" from NASA. This is an obvious reference to Major Healey from "I Dream of Jeannie".