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Midnight Caller

Midnight Caller is an American crime drama television series created by Richard DiLello that premiered on on October 25, 1988, and concluded on May 10, 1991, after three seasons. Starring as Jack Killian, the program follows a former police officer who, haunted by accidentally shooting his partner during a botched undercover operation, resigns from the force and reinvents himself as the host of a late-night call-in radio show called "The ." Killian, supported by his producer Billy Po () and often clashing with police lieutenant Carl Zymak (), becomes deeply involved in resolving the real-life crises and crimes confessed by his anonymous callers, blending elements of mystery, redemption, and urban grit. The series distinguished itself by delving into pressing social issues of the era, such as , , and the , with episodes that provoked debate and even on-set protests from AIDS activist group over its portrayal of the disease. Despite earning critical acclaim for its thoughtful writing and Gary Cole's nuanced performance, Midnight Caller received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and technical achievements in cinematography and editing, though music rights issues have long hindered releases. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco's scene, the show captured the intimacy and peril of anonymous late-night confessions, influencing later portrayals of media personalities entangled in their audience's dramas.

Premise and Format

Core Premise

Midnight Caller revolves around Jack Killian, a former detective who resigned after accidentally shooting and killing his partner during a botched operation, an event that left him grappling with profound guilt and . Recruited by Devon King, the manager of local radio station KJCM, Killian transitions to hosting the late-night call-in program , where he engages with anonymous listeners confronting personal dilemmas ranging from relationship strife to criminal entanglements. Killian's tenure on air frequently spills into off-microphone interventions, leveraging his investigative acumen to probe and resolve callers' crises, thereby merging the confessional intimacy of with elements of detective proceduralism. This setup underscores causal connections between individual —exemplified by Killian's own post-incident spiral—and proactive, quasi-vigilante engagements with urban malaise, mirroring the 1980s context of escalating in American cities, including , where rates climbed amid the crack cocaine epidemic's peak influence on public safety discourse. Late-night radio's emergence as a therapeutic medium in this era facilitated raw exchanges on such traumas, positioning hosts like Killian as counselors navigating ethical quandaries.

Narrative Structure and Themes

Episodes of Midnight Caller typically follow a procedural format where protagonist Jack Killian, hosting the late-night radio program "The Nighthawk" on KJCM-FM, fields anonymous calls from listeners detailing personal crises, ethical quandaries, or criminal entanglements. These on-air interactions serve as narrative catalysts, transitioning to off-air sequences in which Killian, leveraging his background as a former detective, conducts investigations and direct interventions during daylight hours, blending talk radio dynamics with detective procedural elements. Each installment culminates in Killian's closing radio monologue, offering reflective commentary on the resolved dilemma, often punctuated by his sign-off phrase, "Goodnight, America... wherever you are." Recurring themes emphasize accountability for moral lapses and the tangible repercussions of personal decisions amid urban environments, with stories frequently rooted in late-1980s societal challenges such as escalating , epidemics, and familial disintegration in cities like . emerges as a core motif, particularly through Killian's arc of atoning for the accidental shooting of his police partner, which prompted his resignation and pivot to radio, underscoring a narrative preference for self-directed restitution over reliance on institutional mechanisms like . The series exhibits toward bureaucratic solutions, portraying and personal initiative as pragmatic responses to systemic failures in addressing crime and ethical voids, while avoiding idealized or overly optimistic closures in favor of gritty, consequence-driven outcomes reflective of causal chains in human behavior and city decay. This approach distinguishes Midnight Caller from contemporaneous talk-show simulations by integrating moral with action-oriented , prioritizing empirical portrayals of over collective or sentimental interventions.

Cast and Characters

Main Cast

Gary Cole portrayed Jack Killian, a former who resigned after accidentally shooting and killing his partner in a botched operation, subsequently becoming the nocturnal radio host "" at KCBA. Killian's on-air monologues and off-air interventions served as outlets for processing trauma and enforcing personal justice, with Cole's performance conveying a laconic demeanor that underscored the character's introspective torment and moral complexity central to the series' raw urban narratives. Wendy Kilbourne played Devon King, the affluent and principled proprietor of KCBA who recruits despite his volatility, managing the station's operations while grappling with conflicts between profitability and ethical . King's interactions with infused professional friction with understated romantic undercurrents, her composed authority offering a stabilizing foil to his recklessness and enhancing the show's examination of media accountability. Kilbourne's tenure spanned the first two seasons, concluding in October 1990 amid her real-life . Mykelti Williamson depicted Deacon Bridges, a shrewd investigative at the station whose grounded perspective and rapport with lent streetwise verisimilitude to the ensemble's dynamics. Bridges' contributions highlighted interpersonal loyalties amid journalistic pursuits, bolstering the production's commitment to authentic portrayals of San Francisco's diverse undercurrents through Williamson's nuanced embodiment of and camaraderie.

Recurring and Guest Characters

Deacon Bridges, portrayed by , served as a recurring colleague at the radio station, appearing in 47 episodes across the series' run from 1988 to 1991, where he provided technical support, banter, and occasional insight into the personal struggles of callers, contributing to the portrayal of workplace dynamics amid ethical dilemmas. Guest appearances frequently featured callers and peripheral figures embodying the show's emphasis on individuals confronting moral failings, isolation, and attempts at self-reform, such as runaways entangled in urban vice or those navigating terminal diagnoses, drawn from San Francisco's diverse undercurrents without contrived representation. For instance, in the season 1 episode "After It Happened" (aired December 13, 1988), guest-starred as Tina Cassidy, Killian's ex-girlfriend who reveals her AIDS infection acquired from a past affair, forcing confrontations with regret and mortality; Lenz reprised the role in "Someone to Love" (November 14, 1989), depicting Cassidy's decline and death, which underscored the epidemic's interpersonal toll through raw, unromanticized interactions rather than advocacy narratives. Other notable guests included , whose turn in a dramatic arc earned a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Series, highlighting isolated figures seeking nocturnal counsel that exposed patterns of resilience amid repeated . These roles, often tied to plot necessities like investigations or station crises, utilized from varied backgrounds—evident in choices reflecting the city's demographics—to depict causal chains of personal downfall and sporadic recovery, avoiding superficial diversity for narrative convenience.

Production

Development

Midnight Caller was created by Richard DiLello, a known for films such as (1983) and co-writer of Colors (1988), who drew inspiration from his experiences in and the style of 1970s late-night radio hosts to conceive the series in 1988. The concept centered on an ex-cop turned radio host navigating callers' personal crises, using the medium as a lens for examining urban moral dilemmas, redemption, and ethical conflicts reflective of real societal pressures. DiLello pitched the show to as a provocative nighttime , emphasizing character-driven stories over formulaic entertainment, and secured a greenlight for its premiere on October 25, 1988, with the series concluding on May 17, 1991, after three seasons. In developing the series, DiLello rejected network suggestions to dilute its mature content for broader appeal, insisting on preserving the edgy tone to authentically portray callers' raw confessions and the host's internal struggles, thereby avoiding lighter, escapist fare. The choice of as the setting was deliberate, leveraging the city's gritty 1980s atmosphere—shaped by events like the Zodiac killings, aftermath, and assassinations of and —to ground narratives in tangible urban realism rather than abstracted or fantastical elements. Scripts prioritized procedural accuracy from police work and causal psychological motivations, informed by the protagonist's ex-cop , to ensure stories derived from believable human behavior and consequence over contrived plot devices. The series title itself originated from a song, tying into DiLello's prior promotional work with the band.

Filming and Technical Aspects

The series was filmed primarily at San Francisco Studios in , , utilizing soundstages to replicate the urban radio station and interior settings of the show's San Francisco backdrop. This choice allowed for controlled production of dialogue-heavy scenes while incorporating select location shoots in the city for exterior night sequences and chase elements, enhancing the authenticity of the nocturnal atmosphere central to the narrative. Cinematography emphasized and with Panavision cameras to underscore themes of isolation and moral ambiguity in late-night encounters, setting it apart from the brighter, more polished visuals of contemporaneous network dramas. This stylistic approach earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding for a Series in , specifically for the two-part episode "Evil Is Live Spelled Backward," directed by cinematographer Bradley B. Six. Production techniques included real-time simulation of radio call-ins to maintain immediacy, relying on tight to build tension through interpersonal exchanges rather than elaborate . The series' received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1990 for the episode "Someone to Love," highlighting efficient pacing that prioritized causal character dynamics over budgetary spectacle. These elements reflected a deliberate restraint, with the 60-minute episodes shot in standard 1.33:1 and Metrocolor process, focusing on substantive amid typical late-1980s constraints.

Music and Sound Design

The theme music for Midnight Caller was composed by , whose score evoked a bluesy, noirish tone that aligned with the series' depiction of late-night introspection and urban isolation. Fiedel, previously a keyboardist for and later known for film scores like (1984), crafted the theme to underscore the protagonist Jack Killian's transition from to radio host, emphasizing and subtle urgency through layering. The composition was occasionally credited alongside Ross Levinson in production notes, reflecting collaborative elements in its development. Sound design emphasized raw audio realism, integrating diegetic elements like telephone rings, radio static, and ambient San Francisco city noises to immerse viewers in the talk-radio format without overt manipulation. Post-production sound work, handled by specialists such as Richard Anderson for multiple episodes in season 3 (1990–1991), focused on blending on-air broadcasts with off-air transitions to heighten the moral ambiguity of callers' dilemmas. This approach avoided heavy orchestral underscoring, prioritizing unfiltered vocal distress and environmental cues to convey psychological tension, as noted in contemporary production credits.

Episodes

Season 1 (1988–1989)

The first season of Midnight Caller comprised 17 episodes, broadcast on from October 25, 1988, to May 9, 1989. It premiered in the 9:00 p.m. ET slot, competing against established network programming, and laid the foundation for the series' hybrid format of late-night intertwined with off-air investigations. The pilot episode, "Conversations with an Assassin," aired on October 25, 1988, and centered on , portrayed by as a guilt-ridden ex-San Francisco who had accidentally shot his partner during a pursuit. Retiring from the force, Killian assumes the role of a midnight radio host under the pseudonym "The Night Caller," fielding anonymous calls from listeners in crisis; the episode depicts his first on-air exchange escalating into a real-time confrontation with a caller plotting , thereby introducing the procedural mechanic of radio interactions propelling Killian into street-level action. This narrative device established Killian's rooted in unresolved partner guilt, as his past trauma informs his empathetic yet hands-on responses to callers' dilemmas. Subsequent episodes developed the season's arc through standalone cases emphasizing and personal accountability, such as "Twelve Gauge" (December 6, 1988), which involved probing a vigilante's shotgun-related threats tied to neighborhood , and early installments blending radio monologues with fieldwork on issues like kidnappings and . The season's foundational plots prioritized 's evolution from isolated broadcaster to reluctant vigilante, fostering viewer engagement via episodic resolutions that highlighted causal links between callers' confessions and tangible s, without yet delving into serialized romantic or ensemble subplots refined in later seasons. Premiering amid a crowded 1988 fall lineup, the season achieved initial viewer traction sufficient for network commitment to a full order, though specific Nielsen household ratings for the debut remain undocumented in primary broadcast archives.

Season 2 (1989–1990)

Season 2 of Midnight Caller consisted of 21 episodes broadcast on from September 19, 1989, to May 15, 1990. The season premiered with "Tarnished Shield," in which confronts issues tied to his past, and concluded with "Nighthawk's Got the Blues," focusing on personal emotional struggles amid professional demands. Episodes aired Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET, maintaining the series' late-night radio format while integrating procedural elements drawn from callers' dilemmas. Building on the foundational setup of , the narratives in demonstrated greater structural , including multi-episode arcs such as the two-part "Evil Is Live Spelled Backward," which examined and reversal of broadcast signals in a context. Plots frequently explored Killian's direct involvement in resolving crises reported via his show, including hostage situations in "The Hostage Game" and protective schemes in "," highlighting his reliance on informal networks over institutional channels. These stories emphasized interpersonal vendettas and urban threats, such as in " on Midnight," where Killian navigates romantic entanglements intertwined with ex-spousal violence. Character development shifted toward internal station dynamics and Killian's unresolved guilt from his police days, prompting more proactive interventions that blurred lines between radio host and investigator. Episodes like "Three for the Money" delved into financial cons and loyalty tests among associates, underscoring evolving relationships at the station. This season's handling of mature subjects, including and reintegration challenges post-incarceration, contributed to the series' reputation for substantive drama without achieving top-tier network ratings.

Season 3 (1990–1991)

The third and final season of Midnight Caller comprised 17 episodes, broadcast on from September 10, 1990, to May 10, 1991. It focused on resolving longstanding narrative threads for Jack Killian, including his persistent guilt over accidentally shooting his former police partner, Rusty, and evolving personal relationships, particularly the romantic tension with station manager Devon King. Episodes emphasized Killian's off-air interventions in callers' crises, blending vigilante justice with introspection, as seen in plots involving an undercover investigation into the death of his homeless friend , which forced him to confront street-level vulnerabilities. Key installments heightened external dangers, such as pursuit of a vengeful released reflecting on humanity's darker impulses, while internal conflicts amplified his arc amid professional isolation. The season maintained the series' core format of late-night radio calls driving serialized drama, but introduced closure elements like Devon's and —naming her son Jack—symbolizing tentative emotional stability for the leads. Production adhered to prior technical standards, with Gary Cole's portrayal of underscoring psychological depth without resolving all ambiguities, culminating in a finale that tied off primary threats but left his future open-ended. NBC canceled the series after this season, citing insufficient ratings performance despite initial success, amid shifts in programming priorities and competition from emerging options; viewer metrics had softened from earlier peaks, though specific Nielsen figures for the period indicate fatigue rather than outright failure. The conclusion avoided abruptness, allowing narrative integrity in wrapping Killian's arc from haunted ex-cop to reformed host, even as external pressures like time-slot changes contributed to the end.

Reception

Critical Reviews

Critics lauded Midnight Caller for its authentic portrayal of San Francisco's urban landscape and predawn ambiance, which lent a distinctive visual and atmospheric depth to the crime drama format. television critic John Carman specifically credited the series with capturing the city's essence through real locations in areas like and North Beach, enhancing its realism amid the finance-driven, union-influenced setting. The show's innovative hybrid structure—merging late-night radio call-ins with investigative narratives—was praised for enabling timely, grounded storytelling, as evidenced by a Season 2 episode depicting the , broadcast just three months after the event on October 17, 1989. Gary Cole's performance as protagonist Jack Killian, a guilt-ridden former cop turned radio host, received acclaim for its nuanced balance of brooding introspection and reluctant charm, delivered through a resonant voice suited to on-air monologues that explored personal and societal fractures without contrived resolution. While some reviewers noted uneven episode execution typical of era-specific anthology-style dramas, with pacing occasionally strained by extended talk segments, the series earned recognition for its unflinching emphasis on causal outcomes of moral lapses, such as Killian's lingering from accidentally killing his partner, prioritizing empirical consequences over sentimental redemption arcs. Dissenting critiques, including a New York Times assessment of the Season 1 AIDS storyline, faulted certain arcs for perceived exploitation of tragedy, arguing they provoked warranted backlash from affected communities by amplifying rather than fostering unvarnished .

Audience and Ratings Data

Midnight Caller attracted a dedicated viewership during its original NBC run from 1988 to 1991, sufficient to sustain three seasons amid competition from established dramas such as L.A. Law. The show's radio call-in format resonated in the pre-internet era, when live listener interactions provided a novel medium for addressing personal and societal issues in real time. User-generated metrics indicate ongoing niche popularity, with an rating of 7.7 out of 10 based on 1,964 votes as of recent data. Fan commentary frequently cites the appeal of Jack Killian's transition from disillusioned ex-cop to radio host intervening in callers' lives, offering a sense of individual agency against and prevalent in late America. This archetype tapped into contemporary anxieties over rising rates, which peaked nationally around 1991, fostering relatability for audiences in metropolitan areas. Discussions among enthusiasts underscore through themes of personal , contrasting institutional failures depicted in episodes, without reliance on for spikes in interest. The series' focus on timely, caller-driven narratives avoided the procedural formula of contemporaries, contributing to its cult status rather than mass-market dominance.

Controversies

"After It Happened" Episode

"After It Happened" is the third episode of the first season of Midnight Caller, originally broadcast on on December 13, 1988. In the story, protagonist Jack Killian () reunites with his former girlfriend (), who discloses that she contracted from her estranged husband, a bisexual man who engaged in unprotected sexual encounters with other men without her knowledge or consent. Tina seeks Killian's assistance via his radio show to locate and confront her husband, culminating in a tense on-air revelation and personal reckoning that underscores themes of , , and the irreversible consequences of high-risk behaviors. The episode was directed by and written by Stephen Zito, featuring Lenz's portrayal of , for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Series in 1989. The episode's depiction of HIV transmission aligned with epidemiological realities of the era, emphasizing causal pathways through unprotected intercourse rather than innate victimhood. , identified as the causative agent of AIDS in , spreads primarily via exchange of infected bodily fluids during specific acts, with male-to-male sexual contact accounting for over 90% of early U.S. cases by 1982, rising to the majority of cumulative transmissions by the late amid heterosexual bridging via bisexual men and injection drug use. The highlighted behavioral , portraying the husband's and nondisclosure as pivotal factors in Tina's infection, rejecting narratives that frame recipients solely as blameless victims and instead attributing outcomes to verifiable choices like multiple partners and lack of disclosure. Controversy erupted prior to and following airing, with AIDS advocacy groups, including , protesting the script for allegedly stigmatizing men by casting one as a deceptive vector, leading to disruptions during filming in . Conservatives critiqued the episode's graphic sexual content and its implication that facilitated heterosexual spread, viewing it as gratuitous amid broader cultural debates on . Some liberal commentators praised the raised awareness of risks to women but criticized the absence of explicit promotion, aligning with contemporaneous safe-sex campaigns; however, empirical refutes condom absolutism, as breakage rates (up to 5% per use) and inconsistent adherence contributed to persistent infections despite efforts, with U.S. AIDS diagnoses peaking at 78,000 in 1992 before declines tied more to behavioral shifts and antiretrovirals than prophylactics alone. The episode's focus on personal deception over collective advocacy provoked multi-sided debate, reflecting tensions between individual agency and messaging in an driven by modifiable risks rather than inevitability.

Broader Production Disputes

During the second season, Midnight Caller encountered significant external pressure from conservative organizations, notably the American Family Association led by Rev. Donald Wildmon, which campaigned against advertisers for supporting programs deemed to promote excessive violence, sexual content, profanity, and anti-Christian themes. In July 1989, the group specifically targeted sponsors of the series alongside others like Miami Vice and Tour of Duty, urging boycotts to compel networks to self-censor mature narratives. This activism reflected broader cultural clashes over television's portrayal of moral ambiguity and urban vigilantism, as embodied by protagonist Jack Killian's extralegal actions against criminals, which critics argued risked glorifying unlawful retribution. Network executives at expressed concerns that such controversies could erode advertiser revenue and alienate family-oriented viewers, prompting internal discussions on script toning to mitigate financial risks amid declining ratings in competitive slots. Producers, however, maintained that the show's integrity depended on unflinching depictions of real-world ethical dilemmas faced by law enforcement dropouts like , resisting wholesale softening that might dilute the series' realism. In October 1989, counter-efforts emerged, including an ACLU-led "buycott" encouraging support for targeted shows like Midnight Caller to defend creative against extragovernmental . These disputes underscored tensions between and commercial imperatives, with no public memos released but interviews indicating producers viewed network hesitancy as prioritizing broad appeal over narrative depth following Season 1's stronger performance. The pressures contributed to the series' eventual shift to the challenging Friday night slot in its final season, where it concluded in May 1991 amid sustained but unyielding ratings challenges.

Awards and Nominations

Emmy Awards

Midnight Caller earned two Primetime Emmy wins in the acting categories during its first season, both for guest performances that underscored the series' ability to deliver emotionally resonant single-episode arcs within its radio-drama format. Kay Lenz received the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series award in 1989 for her portrayal of Tina Cassidy. Similarly, Joe Spano won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series that year for his role as John Saringo. Peter Boyle was also nominated in the guest actor category for 1989, highlighting competitive peer acknowledgment for the show's episodic depth amid contemporaries like thirtysomething. The series garnered further nominations in technical fields, reflecting proficiency in single-camera production techniques that prioritized narrative tension over visual spectacle. In , it was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series for the episode "Evil Is Live Spelled Backward, Part Two," directed by Bradley B. Six. Outstanding for a Series (Single Camera Production) followed in the same year, affirming the craftsmanship in pacing dialogue-heavy scenes central to the program's . Lenz received a repeat nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in , evidencing sustained recognition for recurring character impact. Across its run, Midnight Caller accumulated eight Primetime Emmy nominations, an empirical indicator of industry validation for its execution in a genre often overshadowed by more effects-driven dramas. These honors, concentrated in and , counter perceptions favoring flashier network fare by emphasizing substantive storytelling and precise technical delivery as markers of excellence.

Other Honors

In , Midnight Caller received the Nancy Susan Reynolds Award in the prime-time drama category from the Center for Population Options, recognizing its "Someone to Love" for responsible portrayal of sexual themes and relationships. This honor highlighted the series' approach to sensitive topics amid broader media scrutiny on depictions of intimacy. The program also earned a at the 12th Youth in Film Awards in 1991 for Best Performance by a Young Actress Guest-Starring in a Television Comedy or Series, awarded to Amy Torchia for her role in the episode "Do You Believe in Miracles?". Such recognition underscored occasional acclaim for supporting young talent in episodic storytelling, though the series did not prevail in the category. Beyond these niche commendations, Midnight Caller garnered no major non-Emmy awards for overall series excellence, writing, or technical achievements, reflecting its position as a mid-tier in an era dominated by prestige formats like ensemble legal procedurals or historical epics that aligned more closely with voters' preferences. Its thematic focus on urban isolation and moral ambiguity through a radio medium format may have limited broader appeal in award circuits favoring more conventional narratives.

Distribution and Legacy

Domestic and International Broadcast

Midnight Caller aired on from October 25, 1988, to May 10, 1991, primarily in the 10 p.m. Eastern/9 p.m. Central primetime slot during its initial seasons. The series spanned three seasons and produced 61 episodes, with scheduling adjustments including a shift to Fridays by late 1990. In the United States, following its run, the program entered in the , appearing on networks such as Lifetime, where it was typically programmed for late-night viewing to align with its thematic focus on nocturnal radio calls. Internationally, Midnight Caller found distribution in select markets, including the , where began airing episodes on January 28, 1989, with subsequent reruns extending through November 3, 1994. In , the series was accessible via network feeds, including local broadcasts in regions like at 10 p.m. on Wednesdays. Specific viewership metrics for these foreign airings remain undocumented in available records, though the show's crime-drama format facilitated adaptation to local primetime or late-evening slots.

Availability and Cultural Impact

As of October 2025, Midnight Caller has not been issued on official DVD, Blu-ray, or other in the United States, primarily due to unresolved music licensing obstacles, including its opening theme composed and performed by and licensed tracks from artists like . The series is unavailable on prominent streaming platforms such as , , Peacock, Pluto TV, or . Access is restricted to unofficial channels, including uploads of episodes digitized from original tapes—often with commercials removed—by individual fans, though these risk removal by copyright holder Warner Bros. Television. The show's post-broadcast footprint reflects broader challenges in preserving network dramas amid rights disputes, resulting in minimal mainstream revival efforts or reruns. Cultural resonance has thus been confined to niche retrospectives, where it is lauded for capturing pre-dot-com San Francisco's gritty ambiance and radio culture authenticity, as critiqued favorably by television columnist John Carman during its original run. Its narratives, centering ex-cop Jack Killian's hands-on resolutions to callers' crises involving , , and moral ambiguity, exemplify a pre-digital era emphasis on personal accountability that evades the thematic dilutions common in later media, though without spawning direct successors in formats like serialized podcasts. Obscurity persists absent blockbuster alumni or appeal, distinguishing it from era peers with sustained visibility; fan s note its "underrated" status for raw proceduralism but decry the absence of remastered editions as a barrier to wider reevaluation. This scarcity underscores a realistic appraisal of its societal imprint: influential in modeling talk-radio procedural hybrids during airtime but eclipsed by production datedness and legal hurdles, yielding enduring value chiefly for analysts of unfiltered televisual realism over systemic narratives.

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