We are featuring a special tribute to one of the best roles of Jane's and Joe's careers, and the roles for which they are most known --- Yes, you've guessed it! Dr. Michaela Quinn, M.D. and Byron Sully. Although it's been three years since Dr. Quinn was canceled, we've enjoyed the success of two movies, with the opportunity for others in the near future! The memories will forever live in our hearts, and during this special tribute, we salute Jane Seymour and Joe Land for their memorable, inspirational and encouraging roles as Michaela and Sully. May they continue to inspire for years to come! Taking center stage will be a tribute to the relationship between Michaela Quinn and Byron Sully, told in the form of a story, intermingled with a multimedia presentation. See the complete list of awards for Dr. Quinn
DR. QUINN TRIBUTE THE
STORY - THE ROMANCE OF MICHAELA AND SULLY
"You
know what Sam said? She said that seeing us together was like watching
a fire burn." Rarely on television does a couple so thoroughly captivate an audience with a look, a touch, a gesture that it electrifies the screen. One such couple did just that from 1993 to 1998. In “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” Michaela Quinn (Jane Seymour) and Byron Sully (Joe Lando) brought a magic to audiences that made Saturday night a mainstay for lovers of romance.
From the moment they first set eyes on one another, sparks flew, and there was a hint of something neither was willing to admit. Initially, they resisted the attraction, each having loved and lost in the past. Coming from such different worlds, who would have thought a lady doctor from Boston and an enigmatic mountain man would find common ground? Even they themselves had their doubts. However, they believed strongly in the same principles and stood up together to face many challenges.
Episode by episode, viewers tuned in to watch their relationship blossom from friendship into love. Once they declared their feelings, it was not smooth sailing. The rocky journey included misunderstandings and the return of Michaela’s presumed dead fiance. But through it all, they found their way together, climaxing with the incredibly romantic moment in a sweat lodge where Sully proposed to Michaela and the equally romantic moment when Michaela proposed to Sully!
The ups and downs of courtship brought added pressures to their relationship as they made their way without a map. In one particularly poignant moment, there was a foreshadowing of what would come. While Sully shared his dream of the new homestead he hoped to build, Michaela asked about a “little room” he had pointed out. His reply that it was for whoever might come along prompted Michaela to ask what he would like. Sully grinned, “A little girl, but only if she has your eyes.”
Their wedding was one of the most anticipated in television history. Before family and friends, and millions of devoted fans, they were wed. Then came the honeymoon train. That for which viewers had waited and hoped finally came to fruition. Who can resist a smile when they hear the expression “It’s getting darker?”
Adjustments to married life did not come easy for either the newlyweds or the Cooper children. Then came the blessed news that they were going to have a baby. In an unexpected turn, Michaela went into labor beneath a tree in a meadow far from their home, the clinic and civilization. Beside his wife through it all, Sully’s support was unwavering. As Michaela talked him through it, he delivered their cherished daughter, Katherine Elizabeth Sully.
Other trials and tribulations arose in the life of our couple, from medical challenges to heart wrenching efforts to help the Cheyenne. Ultimately, Sully’s clashes with the Army compelled him to take drastic steps. In a fight with one of the soldiers, both men fell over a cliff.
Michaela refused to believe her husband was dead. The mysterious psychic bond between them directed her to locate him. Michaela and their family nursed Sully back to health, but it all had to be done in secret as he was a wanted man. He spent half of the last season of the series in hiding from the Army. Stealing moments alone together, Michaela and Sully endured further ordeals.
From a miscarriage to shattered hopes of a pardon, they weathered the pain of separation. Abiding in her support for her husband, Michaela found a way to gain a full pardon for him. Sully’s return to his family for Christmas, as a free man, was a gratifying moment for the fans of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”
However, the fragility of life confronted them again when Michaela was shot by a madman. Her fears of braving the outside world again were overcome with the steadfast encouragement of Sully. The bittersweet ending of the series offered hope for another baby and the joy of watching their older daughter embark on a new beginning.
The untimely cancellation of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" generated the largest viewer protest in the history of television. To appease the fans of the show, there have been two movies that continue the saga. Visit the Dr. Quinn Movie Tribute Page "Revolutions" (1999) depicted the traumatic efforts of Michaela and Sully to rescue their kidnapped daughter Katie. “The Heart Within” (airing May 12, 2001 on CBS) follows them to Boston, initially for the graduation of their daughter from medical school, but so much more is in the offing when Michaela Quinn and Byron Sully are together. Behind-the-scenes pictures from the set!
"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" always left its fans wanting more and often generated speculation of what might have been. What is certain is that as long as Jane Seymour and Joe Lando bring the characters to life with their unique chemistry, viewers will be there to savor the magic. Debby
K is the author of dozens of fan fiction stories which follow the romantic
adventures of Michaela and Sully from the last season of the series
through to the new movie and beyond. Read
her stories STORIES (would you like to see your story featured? Send it to us!) "Dr. Quinn gave me a reason to watch TV, and made me look forward to Saturday nights so I could watch Mike and Sully in Dr Quinn! I hope the ratings for the upcoming movie are overwhelming and helps CBS realize what a BIG mistake they made by taking off the show before its time." -- Sharon M. "Dr. Quinn. Medicine Woman really touched me with the values promoted on the show. Dr. Mike stood up to those who were wrong and told them so. I love watching the show very much." -- Hariah "Ever since I first watched Dr. Quinn, there has has never been, and I don't believe there will ever be, any show that compares or measures up to it. From the family values to the fine stars that portrayed all the characters, it will always hold a very special place in my heart. I loved all the characters, but my two favorites are Michaela & Sully. The chemistry between these two characters was fantastic, to say the least, and the credit goes to the two fantasic actors who protrayed them: Jane&Joe. I also want to thank the cast and crew for bringing Dr. Quinn to all of us loyal fans and who helped bring everything to life for us. I was very disappointed when it was canceled, and I can't wait until May 12th. I hope it does well enough to get us another one sometime soon!" -- Wendy S. "The words spoken with care, her movements of grace so poised there in that place of performers setting her apart from the rest and yet joining them in unison together. She shows others the way without shadowing fellow performers but rather, inspiring them, endearing them to us. The charm of her presence so loved and warm. For a role played is but the performers expression of their souls light within gleaning to the outside world for us all to see. We are then privileged to have been so entertained by such a sweet and bright spirited human being. Jane's performance, initiated in time, stirs the soul, enlightens, entertains and enthralls the audience into a delightful enchantment. Yes, for the words spoken with such care, there is a performer with such heart." -- Jason M. "I loved the series, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. I was also very sad when it was canceled. I liked the family atmosphere and family values that the series had. Every Saturday night, we would gather in the family room with a large bowl of popcorn to watch our favorite show and to have family time together. Jane Seymour is one of my favorite actresses. My family and I have enjoyed her work in the Dr.Quinn Medicine Woman series and her movies as well. She adds brightness to what might otherwise be a dull day." -- Stephanie "I discovered Dr. Quinn shortly after my father died in 1994. Here are some excerpts from a letter I wrote Jane -"...I was watching an episode of Dr. Quinn where you struggled with the realization that something was frozen inside...Sully talked about the shadow that passes over the moon and blocks out the light for a little while. Suddenly, I knew! In an effort to protect myself, I had frozen the compassion and caring for other people that was always such a part of me...afraid to reach out and risk the pain of losing someone. Now I realize it isn't gone, just blocked out for a little while, and in time, the shadow will pass. Bless you!" What more is there to say? I've been hooked ever since, and have learned more that has empowered me and given me strength, than I could have read in a hundred books!" -- Cathy |
Copyright © 1992-2013 CBS Entertainment Productions and The Sullivan Company
