Douglas Howser, Plumber

Doogie Howser may be the youngest practicing surgeon in greater Los Angeles, but when the 1992 LA riots come rolling through his ER, he engages his black patients and colleagues with the moralizing and head-patting of a much older man. Will he learn to confront his white privilege in the face of a city on fire? Or just misquote MLK and call it a day? There are a lot of sides to this story, and we’re gonna try to cover them ALL in one short episode (just like the writers on this sitcom did).

Show: Doogie Howser, M.D. \\ “There’s a Riot Going On,” Season 4, Episode 1

Air Date: Sept 23, 1992

Find it: on Hulu

Snack: Mr. Clint’s Tutti Fruitti Popcorn (thanks, Levi!)

Further Reading:

• Los Angeles Riots Fast Facts | CNN
• How The L.A. Riots Got Written Into TV Plots In Fall 1992 | LAist
• Television’s New Theme: L.A. Riots | LA TIMES (1992)
• MLK: A riot is the language of the unheard
• What Martin Luther King Jr Really Thought About Riots
• Replaying the LA Riots | The Washington Post