Panico in Echo Park

Good showcase for the grievously underappreciated Dorian Harewood as a young doctor fighting entrenched power to uncover and defeat an epidemic in a poor neighborhood. You can guess how most of this goes: the young, handsome doctor is loved by those around him, he realizes there's an epidemic, he has to go around making increasingly impassioned speeches to bureaucrats and older superiors who discount his theories, etc. And don't forget the happy ending with everyone smiling at each other. It's a lot like many episodes of "Quincy" (except for the handsome part) and many other movies from the Seventies, but this one is pretty well done. It beats fishing shows, infomercials, and hicks turning left (aka NASCAR) for Sunday afternoon viewing, at any rate.

PANIC IN ECHO PARK basically features an heroic black doctor (Dorian Harewood) going up against white corruption in Los Angeles when he discovers who was really behind water in a local downtown building becoming polluted leading to a contagion at his hospital. This TV movie also has a "fight the powers that be" theme underlying it. Not bad of its type.

Dr. Michael Stoner (Dorian Harewood), is not only busy with his many patients, but is also trying to have a relationship with his beautiful girlfriend. All, while fighting with his penny-pinching boss at the hospital.

Amidst all of this, Dr. Stoner finds himself treating several patients with similar symptoms, that could possibly point to a deadly epidemic.

PANIC IN ECHO PARK is a 1970's made-for-TV drama. It takes a while to get going, first establishing Dr. Stoner as an urban crusader, up against bigots and bureaucracy. Then, while tracking down the source of the illness, he becomes a serious medical detective.

Harewood is suitably intense in his heroic, sleuthing role. This is a decent medical drama, but don't expect a thrill-a-minute, outbreak epic...