A number of sources erroneously state that the pilot aired under "The Movie of the Week" umbrella on ABC. "Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities" aired on ABC Wednesday, March 26, 1969 as a 2-hour, stand-alone TV movie special premiere for the series. The first 90-minute TV movie aired under "The Movie of the Week" umbrella was Seven in Darkness (1969), which premiered Tuesday, September 23, 1969, right before the first episode of "Marcus Welby, M.D."
This movie marks the debut of Albert Brooks.
Almost 30 years later Robert Young played a patient once again where Lew Ayris character worked as a doctor. The first appearance was in Dr Kildare Crisis 1940.
Tom Bosley's appearance was a last minute emergency replacement for an actor who had been involved in a car accident. Bosley was filming the "Eyes" segment of the "Night Gallery" pilot film at Universal, and when delays came up during the filming of that, the producer of the Welby pilot asked if he could borrow Bosley for two hours to do the scene. Bosley was able to do it without losing any time on the "Night Gallery" pilot.
First appearance of Robert Young as Dr. Marcus Welby.