>> dr. morey needs you right away. >> st. elsewhere broke every rule there was and then built some new rules. >> they called a little while ago. they ran a routine panel on the pint of blood. t-cell count was off. >> they would have tragic things happen to these characters. there was real heartache, and you really felt for them. >> i've got aids? >> television at its best is a mirror of society in the moment. >> it challenged you as an actor, much less the audience to think, this stuff they gave you was extreme, and what they did, whether they were dealing with aids or having one of their main doctor characters raped in a prison. >> they tackled lots of difficult subjects. st. elsewhere was run by people who were trying to stretch the medium. and, in the '80s, television producers were encouraged to stretch the medium. >> okay, clear. >> as the '80s got serious,