Most TV shows come and go and while they may be missed are pretty much forgotten. Others leave a lasting impression which will find you reminiscing often about episodes and characters years after they have left the air.
For many of us “ER” will fall into the later category as its 15-year run ended last night and so did one of the best TV dramas of all time.
The show debuted in 1994 and it did not take long to know that life at County General Hospital in Chicago would be shown in a very different fashion then previous medical shows. It was fast-paced, gritty and at times even gross but it was also very real and griping. The characters were believable, partly because they were flawed in many ways which made viewers want to hug them and at times even punch them.
“ER” introduced us to George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross, had us shed tears over the death of Dr. Mark Greene, played by Anthony Edwards and somehow made us care about dozens of people who came and left the show over a decade and-a-half. None of the main original cast members were regulars over the final few years and the ratings slipped over time but it was still compelling TV. The writers managed to bring new characters into
County General and you found yourself getting caught up in their lives and would shed a tear when one would leave and would mark that occasion by hanging their nameplate on the wall in the hospital basement. Over time that list grew from Dr. Benton to Nurse Hathaway to Dr. Lockhart and like all TV shows this one would come to an end and did after 331 episodes.
“ER” may not have been real but it was real good television and for those like me who watched from the very beginning you feel like a part of your
life is now over…at least your Thursday night life. So goodbye to Carter, Morris, Romano, Kovac, Neela and even Frank at the front desk. Thanks for the memories.
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