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# 198 <8.15> The Vigil This episode's title, The Vigil, is identical with the one of # 027. As # 058 / 184 and # 047 / 204 prove, co-producers STEPHEN BLACK & HENRY STERN are fond of reusing old titles. Since season 6, the series has 6½ filming days per each L.A. based episode. Contrary to the show's regular filming schedule, which means shooting one episode per the aformentioned interval, this episode and the subsequent one were filmed simultaneously between 01/31 and 02/08/1989, which was logistically challenging because one part of the cast had to film with the so-called B unit of the crew and the director for # 198 while the other part of the cast filmed with the A unit and the director for # 199.   Ben and Gabriel's automobile accident happened in Tuscany Canyon. The filming location for the crash site is not Griffith Park (as towards the end of the previous episode), but the brush and berm near the heavily filmed bend behind stage 4 on the backlot of CBS-MTM STUDIOS (RADFORD STUDIO CENTER).The ambulances driving along Tuscany Valley Road 6 shortly before their arrival at the crash site (screen grab 2 above) are filmed at the corner of Kagel Canyon Street and Eldridge Avenue near the Lake View Medical Center in Lake View Terrace, CA. The scene with the ambulances and patrol cars arriving at the crash site in Tuscany Canyon (following four screen captures), in contrast, was shot in Griffith Park during the filming of the preceding episode.
Ben and Gabriel are taken to Tuscany Valley Hospital as a police officer says and as the prop sign near the emergency entrance verifies. But stock footage of the Queen of the Valley Hospital is also reused for the hospital. As a couple of times before, this is just careless prop policy. As far as the story is concerned, this can be explained as follows: As Calvin Thompson, the administrator of the QVH, will explain in # 204, "his" hospital is the only hospital in (the city of) Tuscany, the various names must be unofficial terms for one and the same medical facilities. Refer to # 143 for a detailed explanation. In addition to the QVH (a private hospital facility), there is also a public County Hospital in the Tuscany Valley, which, however, will remain unseen and is referred to in dialog (Ms. Barnett — the QVH medical receptionist) only this episode. It must be located outside the city of Tuscany. Since season 3 implied that the Tuscany Valley Hospital a.k.a. QVH was the only hospital in the valley, the public County Hospital must have been established in the meantime.  Post-production mistake: The establishing shot of the Falcon Crest Victorian Mansion at night is one of the clips shot during the shooting of the fire scene for # 103 (compare there), which includes the false gable that was specifically built and burnt down. It is zoomed in this episode. The shot was also used by mistake in # 115, 125, 137, 170 and 180 already.
  Mistake: Anna's cardigan is in different positions on her right shoulder / arm in subsequent frames during the conversation with Nick and Dr. Peters at the hospital. Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.Inside jokes: A hospital announcement in the background calls for Dr. Ferro — the last name of actor DAN FERRO, who plays Tommy Ortega; another announcement is for Dr. Parslow — this is the producer's last name, PHIL PARSLOW. Inside joke: The QVH nurse in the ER is named Kim Novak — exactly like actress KIM NOVAK, who guest-starred as Kit Marlowe on the show two seasons before.
Real life allusions: Richard mentions NAPOLEON and WELLINGTON as well as their battle plans for Waterloo.  Besides stock footage of the Queen of the Valley Hospital main wing (with the Madonna), another annex of the hospital is shown.The filming location for this annex, a concrete building, is a part of the building complex of the Lake View Medical Center (previously Pacoima Hospital; nowadays Phoenix House Foundation) in Lake View Terrace, CA. All the interiors for this and the following episode are shot here. This concrete building was also used as the San Francisco Metropolitan Hospital once in # 094. It was also seen on a black and white photograph in Dr. Lantry's office. A different part of the Phoenix House Foundation — built of brick — was used as the Tuscany Valley (Memorial) Hospital in seasons 2 and 3 (see # 025 and 041). The concrete building being used for several different hospitals on the show, a logical conclusion might be that the annexes of both the QVH and the San Francisco Metropolitan Hospital were built after the same model of prefabricated building materials.  Uncredited extra SHARRI ZAK appears as the gray-haired Tuscany Valley socialite with the pony tail again; this episode at the parking lot of the Queen of the Valley Hospital.Compare # 202 for biographical details about this rôle and a list of appearances throughout the series. For details about the extra, compare # 009.  The QVH parking lot is portrayed by an area near office building 5 on the backlot of CBS-MTM STUDIOS (now RADFORD STUDIO CENTER).LORIMAR's original blueprints of this set and many others are available for DFCF members in the Show – Production Office – Filming Locations – Movie Studios – Exterior Sets section.   Mistake: The close-ups of Lance and Pilar on the QVH parking lot are from various takes that were combined in the editing process. This becomes apparent when Pilar's right arm miraculously changes its position during her embracing Lance in subsequent frames. Again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.
  Mistake in the scene with César, Pilar, Lance and nurse Novak in the emergency room at the QVH: A blond extra is walking by behind Lance in the long shot first. Just five seconds later, he walks along the exact same route in the close-up of César again although he cannot have made a full circle in that time.Once again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details. Very strange: Richard tells Larry not to use specific legal terms in their conversation. Another proof for this season's writers' incompetence because Richard has a law degree himself.
  Mistake: In the scene with Maggie and Anna in the hospital's waiting area, Maggie's left hand is in different positions on Anna's arm / hand in subsequent frames — depending on the direction from where they are filmed.Once again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.  Prop: The Tuscany Herlad issue contains an article on the front page with the headline "Valley Area Records Record Growth" (green mark). The very same article was featured in the New Globe in # 121 (compare there).For more information about the use of generic newspaper articles or layouts in other productions, check out the Beyond the Show – Props – Documents section.
  Mistake: When Richard comes to the Tuscany Herald, he asks the staff to leave so he can talk to Maggie. The first one to leave is a gray-haired woman. When Maggie now comes to Richard to complain about his behavior, the gray-haired woman in the background exits again.  Mistake: In the scene with Maggie and Richard at the Tuscany Herald, the position of Maggie's arms and hands is different in subsequent frames — depending on the direction from where she is filmed. Once again, this is the typical mistake caused by the particular close-up filming technique — check # 001 (Chase and Maggie at the Gioberti Family Cemetery) for details.The scene about Garth's past — his marriage and his deceased daughter, Eva, in East Berlin — was not part of the original script. As the producers believed they had not enough film for this episode, DAVID SELBY and CARL HELD did it on the spot — mostly improvisation. When the editors later realized they did have enough film, the producers finally decided to omit another scene because they felt this particular scene turned out to be so very special. Season time frame: Giving respect to time frame stated previously as well as the episode chronology in the current episode and the following ones, the current episode must open on Wednesday, 03/08/1989 and close in the night of March 9 to 10, 1989. As this week's issue of the Tuscany Herald is published on day 2 of the current episode, this must be a Thursday. The analysis of the time frame is also confirmed by Richard referring to the Glenbraddoch stockholders' meeting "Thursday next week" and revealing the pages around days 13 through 15 in his calendar; so the meeting must be scheduled for Thursday, 03/16/1989. A Glenbraddoch board of directors meeting, however, is scheduled for the 4th of the following month — the month is not mentioned explicitly. The original date set for that meeting must have been 04/04/1989.
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