Quincy and Sam are working as Coroners. Inspecting dead people they often see facts that don't match the theories of the police how or if really they were murdered.

The character of Quincy was based on the real-life Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Dr Thomas Noguchi, who became famous for his often controversial conclusions. He performed autopsies on many stars including Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood and John Belushi. In true Quincy-style, he raised doubts about the official account of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination by showing that Sirhan Sirhan could not have fired the fatal shot. He also acted as a technical advisor on the show. The show's concept was adapted from the Canadian series "Wojeck" (1966).