4. QUITE THE GUEST LIST

Many future stars got head starts in Hollywood by appearing on the show, usually as patients. A young Patrick Swayze portrayed an injured soldier with leukemia. Seasoned actor Leslie Nielsen was a colonel. John Ritter, Laurence Fishburne, Rita Wilson, George Wendt, Shelley Long, Blythe Danner and Teri Garr also guest-starred. And a teen Ron Howard played an underage soldier posing as his older brother to impress a girl.