In 1994, the television world was abuzz with two new medical dramas debuting in the fall. One boasted a stellar cast; the other, relative unknowns. The two shows couldn’t be more different if they tried. The only things they had in common were they were both set in Chicago and were going to air on Thursday nights at 9:00 p.m. Who would prevail? The first show premiered on a Sunday night; the second show premiered on Monday for two hours. The real test came the following Thursday night.
“Chicago Hope” lasted 6 seasons. “ER” is wrapping up it’s fifteenth and final season.
Why did “ER” become such a juggernaut, trouncing “Hope” in the ratings? It had a lot to do with the writing and the pace of the show. “Chicago Hope” spent a lot of time on the egos of its doctors and the cases they were treating. (Mandy Patinkin’s Dr. Jeffrey Geiger was a prelude to Dr. House.)
“ER” on the other hand had a fairly gritty realism (much the way Hill Street Blues operated, no pun intended). These were young doctors and nurses who never knew what would come crashing through the doors at any minute. They didn’t have time to indulge in egos (well, Peter Benton did, but he was a surgeon, so…); there was only time to deal with what was in front of them.
I watched both shows. (“Hope” eventually moved to Monday nights.) I really liked “CH”, but it lost a step when Patinkin left. The most moving episode was when Peter MacNicol’s character (the hospital lawyer, nicknamed “The Snake”) was killed. The tribute the staff did (and the set up for Patinkin’s departure) was wonderful and was actually recreated in part by the ER cast after Mekhi Phifer’s Dr. Pratt was also killed off.
Speaking of Dr. Pratt, I can’t remember the last time I cried so hard at an ER episode. When Dr. Greene died, it was anti-climatic because everyone knew he was dying and Anthony Edwards was leaving the show. But Pratt’s death was so hard because I had no idea he was leaving. It was as shocking as Dr. Gallant’s tragic death in Iraq. (And yo, why did all the black male doctors get killed off? Pratt, Gallant, Omar Epps’ character? Only Benton survived. Life was hard in the ER, then you die?)
The women had it rough too. They didn’t die – except for Kellie Martin’s Lucy Knight – but they got shot, got AIDS, got pregnant, got raped, got gay, got widowed, etc. You name it – the women docs got it.
“ER” has had it’s peaks and valleys over the years. The peaks included the first season’s episodes “Blizzard” and the award-winning “Love’s Labor Lost.” “Blizzard” is what sealed the deal for me. When you see how quickly the staff turns from frivolity to dead serious in preparation for the incoming casualties after a major traffic collision and the ensuing chaos, you get what the heart of ER is all about. (It is my singularly favorite ER ep of all time.) And as for “Love’s Labor Lost”? I distinctly remember watching that episode and holding my breath for about 30 minutes. I didn’t die of hypoxia obviously, but I swear I didn’t think I was breathing through each part of the episode until the commercial break.
The valley years for me came at the expense of Goran Visnjic’s Dr. Luka Kovac. Initially brought in as the stud factor replacement for future Oscar-winner George Clooney, Kovac was a sympathetic guy but turned into a complete jackass. During this period, I dropped off ER’s radar, tuning in occasionally when Carter went to Africa and Kovac finally came to his senses.
ER had a really interesting habit of bringing in characters that you couldn’t stand but eventually grew to love. That included, Benton, Kerry Weaver, Rocket Romano, Greg Pratt, Jing-Mae (Deb) Chen, Archie Morris and Angela Bassett’s Dr. Cate Banfield. But now everyone is so likeable. While that’s good, there’s no one around to really push the newbies. Banfield tries, but they (the writers) can’t decide what they want her to be. And it’s too late to find out. The best thing about Romano, Weaver, et al, is that that pushed and pushed the good guys until they pushed back. It always made for good conflict.
And on a side note, it took fifteen years to get a powerhouse like Angela Bassett to come in a run the ER? Kerry Weaver has been gone for years and Kovac left a few years ago. Why didn’t they bring her in then? She would have been good for the cast and the ER staff. And we would have time to really get to know and care about Cate Banfield. Now, she’s just another person walking around and barking orders. You just want her to stop it. Okay maybe I do. But they tried to humanize her but it’s too much too fast. Or should I say, too little, too late. (I could say the same for Laurence Fishburne on CSI, but that’s another rant.)
Well, there are only two eps left. This has been a great season for ER, bringing back most of our favorites. (Yeah, even Dr. Greene, though that was the weakest of the comebacks.) I found it absolutely hilarious seeing Dr. Ross and Carol Hathaway again in the same ep with Carter and Benton (who immediately resumed their weird brotherly relationship) but the four of them never connecting with eath other. I wanted to scream, “Pick up a phone for crap’s sake!” You’d think after all they went through, these folks would have tried to stay in touch.
Okay, they’re not real. I know that. But ER has been a part of my life for fifteen years. I know the characters and their stories (obviously). And come April 2, I will join with millions of others in saying goodbye to a show that has seen me through singlehood, dating, marriage and the birth of my child, several jobs and other good and bad events in my life.
Thursdays at 9 will never be the same.
donnad69
