Diagnosis Murder is a medical crime drama starring the legendary actor Dick van Dyke. Van Dyke plays a doctor (Mark Sloane) who's also a medical consultant to the NYPD - therefore getting the opportunity to solve his fair share of crimes. Assisted by his mulletted son Barry van Dyke, who plays detective Steve Sloan - the pair make quite a formidable law-enforcing team.

It's one of those shows which is on in the afternoons, and you can accidentally get hooked watching it - even if you don't want to. I remember one day, flicking through the channels, looking for the football which was being shown on another station - However, I never reached my destination - Diagnosis Murder came between me and my goal. Although it's nonsense, you just want to see what sort of a mess Van Dyke gets in to next...

I suppose another show which is directly comparable to Diagnosis Murder, is the 70's and early 80's med-crime series 'Quincy M.E', which, like D.M, is a low budget easy-watching afternoon farce of a similar nature.

The acting in the show is rather average - but Dick van Dyke is such a lovable character, and he brings a certain elderly bumbling charm and charisma to the programme.

Many of the episodes feature quite ridiculous story lines - I remember one time, Mark Sloane somehow managed to get himself onto death row, and another time he got involved with some terrorists. I suppose when you make so many episodes, you're going to have to use some bizarre scenarios.
Diagnosis murder is a show which doesn't take itself too seriously - that's probably why it's a cult hit with students and the like.

178 episodes were made until the show ended in 2001, and most of them make for quality but nonsensical viewing if you've got nothing better to do!