‘ER’ Director Reflects on ‘Hell and High Water’: George Clooney ‘Was George Clooney After That Episode’

There are some episodes of television that all you have to say is the title, and people immediately know it. ER‘s memorable, outstanding “Hell and High Water,” which aired 30 years ago (November 9, 1995), is one of them.

Doug Ross (George Clooney), just as he’s about to leave the hospital for a job in a private practice, ends up in the middle of a high-stakes rescue during a storm: saving a boy (Erik von Detten) who’s trapped in a storm drain. You know the iconic image of Doug rising up from the water, holding the boy. He makes the call to take a news helicopter to County, and everyone, including those waiting in the ER, watch the live broadcast, including when the feed cuts. Of course, the boy lives and Doug stays where he belongs (for the time being, at least).