7 Things You Never Knew About ‘ER,’ TV’s Most Successful Medical Drama
Suspense. Romance. Medical terminology. Back in 1994, we had no way of knowing that these ingredients would be the recipe for one of TV’s longest-running medical dramas… that is, until NBC brought ER came into our lives. One of two series debuting that year depicting the tense inner workings of a Chicago-based hospital (the other being CBS’s Chicago Hope), ER quickly emerged as TV’s hottest property, propelling the ensemble cast of George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, and a host of others over the years to superstardom.
With HBO’s awesome series The Pitt getting plenty of attention while sending off major ER vibes (we see you, Noah Wyle!), let’s take a moment to remember its iconic predecessor with some little-known facts about ER!
1It Was Supposed to Be a Movie
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Believe it or not, ER began as a movie script written by famed author, screenwriter, and former medical student Michael Crichton back in 1974. The project was in the early stages of coming to life as a documentary-style film depicting 24 hours in an emergency room, but it ended up getting shelved indefinitely. Almost twenty years later, NBC revived it as a concept for a TV series, and the rest is history.
2It Started in a Real Hospital
Like most workplace TV shows, ER was filmed almost entirely on a set designed to be roomy enough for TV production, which was especially important for the show’s fast-paced camerawork. However, with little time and even fewer resources available to get the show’s pilot off the ground, the production team instead arranged to shoot the first episode on location in the vacant (and rumored to be haunted) Linda Vista Community Hospital in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, the episode still cost nearly three million dollars to produce, going down in history as one of TV’s most expensive pilots ever.
3Carol Almost Died in the Pilot
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection.
One of the show’s early breakout characters, Carol Hathaway (played by Julianna Margulies) became a beloved part of the show over time, but she almost never had the chance. The original version of the pilot saw Carol’s suicide attempt prove successful — but plans were changed after test audiences loved her. Thus, Carol survived, launching Margulies’ journey as one of ER’s most iconic stars.
4ER Was an Emmy Magnet
With an astounding 124 Emmy nominations (and 22 victories) across its 15-season run, ER is the most Emmy-nominated show in television history. Key wins include the show’s Outstanding Drama Series award for season two, and a Best Supporting Actress award for Margulies in season one. Overall, more performers on this show have received Emmy nominations—across the lead, supporting, and guest actor categories—than for any other series, ever.
5George Clooney Was a Cheater
NBC/Everett Collection
George Clooney’s amazing career speaks for itself, solidifying him as one of his generation’s greatest actors. However, all of the medical jargon that was written for Dr. Doug Ross to effortlessly regurgitate was a lot for even Clooney to handle, especially once he began adding movie roles to his schedule alongside his ER responsibilities. With all of that pressure hanging over his head, Clooney decided to give himself an extra layer of security by writing his complex lines on props (so THAT’S why he looked down at his clipboard so often!)
6Noah Wyle: ER MVP?
NBC/Everett Collection
One of ER’s most popular and enduring stars, Noah Wyle appeared in 13 seasons of the show (tying him with Laura Innes as the longest-running cast members). Wyle’s dedication to his role was evident from the very beginning, thanks to his unbelievable performance in the season one classic “Love’s Labor Lost” – an episode that he had to film while battling a severe case of mono. Insisting that he could power through production, Wyle requested to be given an IV drip, and he performed his scenes while being connected to a bag of saline that was stashed in his pocket.
7The Show Was Supposed to End After 14 Seasons
NBC planned to wrap up the series at the end of season 14, but the entertainment industry had other plans. The infamous 2007-08 Writers Guild of America wreaked havoc on the production schedules of many TV shows, shortening seasons left and right while leaving networks without the original content they depended on for ratings. In ER’s case, the strike cut down season 14’s episode count significantly, making it impossible to give the show the fulfilling farewell that it deserved. As such, the network decided to bring ER back for a grand fifteenth season, allowing the time for every original cast member to return for one final bow.
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