James Tennyson is a young and idealistic physician who returns to his hometown of Greenfield, Vermont to work with his mentor Dr. Leonard Cook, who is a father figure to him.
He tells Cook of killing his abusive father and defends his actions as a form of community service, using his beautiful garden as a metaphor.
The play opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre on September 25, 1967, with a cast including Burl Ives as Cook and Keir Dullea as Tennyson.
It was well received, with Variety stating: "Doctor Cook's Garden was an unusually satisfying entry in ABC's ‘Movie of the Week’ series...For Bing Crosby, the title role was an acting triumph.
Playing a part that easily could have been hammed-up, Crosby let the fictive character take over—no small trick for a star with a forty-year identity as a singer and light comedy artist.