Review of The Lazarus Syndrome

This made for TV movie was actually a backdoor pilot for a (very) short- lived series that came the following year. As it turns out, the story in this movie pilot is very self-contained, so one doesn't have to seek the series for further information. Anyway, I am kind of mystified why the network heads green-lit a series from this movie. To be sure, it's not an awful movie. There are some good performances here, the standout being Lou Gossett Jr. as the lead. You can really believe he is a seasoned doctor who knows what he's talking about. And Ronald Hunter does well as the patient who get tangled with Gossett's character, and some real chemistry in their scenes are generated. However, the script needed some work. The subplot about Gossett's home life feels unfinished. And the movie is really slow in introducing the mystery that the leads uncover, and equally slow in resolving it. I've seen worse pilots, but this is one that really needed a doctor - a script doctor, that is.