The 1961 to 1966 TV series, Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on the ABC network. It is a show that is known for its opening titles, which consists of the hand drawn symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard. As the symbols appear, cast member Sam Jaffe says, “♂ man … ♀ woman … * birth … † death … ∞ infinity”. Sam Jaffe's character on the show ( Dr. David Zorba) was a mentor to Dr. Casey ( Vince Edwards).

After the symbols are identified, a wheeled gurney, with a patient covered by a sheet bursts through swinging doors, followed by shots of the two lead characters, a large light is clicked on, and the operating surgical amphitheatre is shown. All of these things are accompanied by instrumental theme music which provides a strong feeling of tension.

The series used the symbols because they were seen as terms which were stark and simple. When lives are charted in a hospital, each of these symbols with its specific meaning has been used. Four of them are bound, definite, and finite. The last term is not. It is a term of physics, mathematics, and metaphysics. Dr. Zorba says all five words in the same manner, but many people remember the last word with more drama. It has four syllables, and is therefore poetically longer than the others. The others combined have five syllables. By using these words in an opening statement, it was considered a brilliant and thought producing convention.

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