"ER" (1994) TV series 1994-????

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Creator:

Michael Crichton

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

Release Date:

19 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The work and lives of a group of emergency room doctors in Chicago.

Plot Keywords:

Medical Drama | Violence | Operating Room | Pediatrician | Gay Character

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 113 wins & 258 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Oct. 14	10:00 AM	TNT	Makemba	#10.10
Wed. Oct. 15	10:00 AM	TNT	Touch and Go	#10.11

Cast

Noah Wyle	...	Dr. John Carter / ... (249 episodes, 1994-2006)
Laura Innes	...	Dr. Kerry Weaver (245 episodes, 1995-2007)
Laura Cerón	...	Nurse Chuny Marquez (212 episodes, 1995-2008)
Deezer D	...	Nurse Malik McGrath (190 episodes, 1994-2008)
Maura Tierney	...	Nurse Abby Lockhart / ... (189 episodes, 1999-2008)
Goran Visnjic	...	Dr. Luka Kovac (184 episodes, 1999-2008)
Yvette Freeman	...	Nurse Haleh Adams (182 episodes, 1994-2008)
Anthony Edwards	...	Dr. Mark Greene (179 episodes, 1994-2002)
Eriq La Salle	...	Dr. Peter Benton (169 episodes, 1994-2002)
Alex Kingston	...	Dr. Elizabeth Corday (158 episodes, 1997-2004)
Emily Wagner	...	Pickman / ... (158 episodes, 1994-2008)
Lynn A. Henderson	...	Olbes / ... (146 episodes, 1995-2008)
Sherry Stringfield	...	Dr. Susan Lewis (141 episodes, 1994-2005)
Mekhi Phifer	...	Dr. Gregory Pratt (136 episodes, 2002-2008)
Abraham Benrubi	...	Jerry Markovic (135 episodes, 1994-2006)
Julianna Margulies	...	Nurse Carol Hathaway (134 episodes, 1994-2000)
Paul McCrane	...	Dr. Robert Romano (125 episodes, 1997-2003)
Lily Mariye	...	Nurse Lily Jarvik (125 episodes, 1994-2008)
Ming-Na	...	Dr. Jing-Mei Chen / ... (118 episodes, 1995-2004)
Conni Marie Brazelton	...	Nurse Connie Oligario (114 episodes, 1994-2003)
Montae Russell	...	Zadro (114 episodes, 1995-2008)
Ellen Crawford	...	Nurse Lydia Wright (112 episodes, 1994-2003)
Troy Evans	...	Frank Martin / ... (112 episodes, 1994-2008)
Parminder Nagra	...	Dr. Neela Rasgotra / ... (111 episodes, 2003-2008)
George Clooney	...	Dr. Doug Ross (108 episodes, 1994-2000)
Linda Cardellini	...	Nurse Samantha Taggart / ... (108 episodes, 2003-2008)
Gloria Reuben	...	Jeanie Boulet (101 episodes, 1995-2008)

Also Known As:

E.R. (USA) (alternative spelling)
Emergency Room (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

44 min | Netherlands:55 min (including commercials) | 60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:15 (some episodes) | UK:18 (one episode) | Singapore:PG (season 3) (season 4) | Netherlands:12 (some episodes) | Netherlands:MG6 (some episodes) | Singapore:NC-16 (season 1) (season 5) (season 6) | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Hungary:16 (some episodes) | Singapore:M18 (season 7) (season 8) | Singapore:NC-16 (season 9) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Brazil:14 | Norway:15 | USA:TV-14

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Constant c Productions

Trivia:

Producers wanted the character of Carol, played by Julianna Margulies to switch from being a nurse to a doctor and even filmed episodes of her starting medical school. Margulies objected to the idea, saying that her character would be so proud of being a nurse she would never want to change, so the idea was dropped. Years later, the character of Abby, played by Maura Tierney did go from being a nurse to a doctor.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The illuminated letters of Exit signs seen in the hospital are green in color. Both red and green colors are legal, but individual states enact the building code laws which specify what color sign can be used. Chicago requires that all exit signs be red in letter color. The interior hospital scenes are filmed in LA.

Quotes:

[Dr. Weaver is about to throw a preacher out of the hospital]
Dr. Kerry Weaver: Oh, no. Soon he'll start trying to heal people, and that's bad for business.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Anatomy of a 'Homicide: Life on the Street' (1998) (TV)

Best Drama on Television.

I started watching ER on Thursdays in 1995 after my basketball practices. Already at its second season, I had heard a lot of good from the show, but never bothered to see what it was all about. I was exhausted, relaxing on the couch after a good workout and a cooling shower, flipping channels, something I rarely ever do, when my attention was grabbed by the intensity of the scene that was been played out before me. Something to do with Eriq Lasalle's character (Dr. Benton) and his mom or sister, I vaguely remember. Then the emergency room complications, the tension. Blood. Hospital. This must be that doctors show, ER, I thought. Let me see what this fuss is all about, I said to myself, intended to watch at least the end of that show… But it was already too late!! I was already hooked. The next week, I found myself driving back faster from my basketball practice to make sure to catch the show again.

Seven years later, I'm still watching (or taping) it every week. Why? Because it's the best drama show on TV, hands down, no contest. I thought at first I was biased because I studied physiology and am pretty versed in the technical jargon and medical realities they face on the show. I have a great interest in medicine and even considered a career in that path at one point in my life. However, the more I watched the show, the more I realized that it's not about the physical traumas, but about the human traumas. The admittedly romanticized, but no less relevant, reality of a profession that deals with life and death day after day, night after night. This is what makes it compelling. This is what makes it of greater scope and deeper emotions.

An ER doctor never gets enough sleep, never gets to go home. Is facing critical situations one after the other. Must make life-altering decisions daily. And yes, also has to cope with his personal life. Relationships, achievements and short-comings.

The setting aside, ER is a show that can boast about serious talent in the writing, directing, acting, casting, cinematography, editing, sound and even the pretty realistic make-up-F/X departments. And I'm talking about top-notch rendition, year after year. Just look at the list of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations over the years. What should also be kept in mind is the genuine appreciation by the public, as demonstrated for example by the People's Choice Award for Favorite Television Dramatic Series for eight years straight.

Created by writing mogul Michael Crichton, this show has passed a host of extremely talented actors that went on to 'bigger and better things', while still keeping the quality and the excitement of interesting and captivating stories told by equally apt newcomers. The style of the show is unique. The humour is witty and often sarcastic (see the purposely unlikable, sharp-tongued Paul Crane's Dr. Robert Romano). The tension is handled impeccably. The death of main characters truly riveting, sad and heartfelt (no question some of the best shows). The personal stories of the nurses and doctors and their work interactions with each other is worthy of a soap opera, but handled with a honest hard look at the twists and turn of life and personal interplay. The directing is smart, thorough. The long continuous takes (with great cinematography work) enables us to feel right in the action and switch from a tense situation to the other. What can you ask more of a TV show?

I enjoy ER and give my hats off to everyone involved with the show. Back in 1994, they re-invented the TV drama genre, upping the level of writing, acting and directing. This challenged the competition at the time and started giving us altogether better drama shows (for the most part). In its ninth season, ER is still the best; it hasn't lost any steam yet. Yes, there has been a lot of changes (actors-characters), but the essence (writers, directors, producers) of what makes the show great is still there and still strong.

When it comes down to it, the daily stress and life-affecting decisions at County General Hospital coupled with the hectic work environment is a place I want to vicariously live in every week. Because, with all the pain and hardness, we understand that these doctors like to help people, but they also love the RUSH.