ER: 10 Things Only Die-Hard Fans Know About The Show

ER ran on NBC from 1994 to 2009 and throughout its course, many things happened on and off-screen. Many fans know that the show was only partially shot in Chicago or that George Clooney left ER to pursue his career in movies, but only die-hard fans know all there is to know about the medical drama.

From the fact that Quentin Tarantino directed an episode to why the doctors were shooting hoops in front of the hospital, there are many behind-the-scenes fun facts to discover about the making of ER.

One Episode Was Shot Live

Season 4 of ER opened with an episode called “Ambush,” which saw the first appearance of Doctor Elizabeth Corday and a documentary crew follow the doctors around the ER.

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The particularity of this episode, though, is that it was shot live and was therefore performed twice, once for the East Coast and once for the West. According to Mental Floss, filming an episode live was George Clooney’s and Anthony Edwards’ idea, so they could put their acting skills to the test.

ER Was Meant To Be A Movie

It took a couple of decades for ER‘s creator, Michael Crichton, to see his script come alive on screen. He initially wrote it as a movie which was, according to Elle, set to be directed by Steven Spielberg.

Crichton wrote it a documentary-style film about what happens over a 24-hour period in an emergency room. While Crichton has had many scripts made into successful movies, this one was shelved because it was too chaotic … until NBC picked it up.

Playing Ball Was Clooney’s Idea

George Clooney enjoyed shooting hoops in between filming scenes of ER, so it was his idea to add a basketball hoop near the set and it ended up being installed near the ambulance bay outside the Cook County Hospital.

According to Elle, since the hoop could be picked up by the camera, it was incorporated into the show and that is why many scenes featured the doctors playing basketball to unwind. In the end, the actors got to play ball on and off camera!

Carol Was Never Meant To Survive

Carol Hathaway was one of the most beloved characters on ER and actress Juliana Margulies stayed on the show for six seasons, but it was not initially meant to be that way for her character.

Indeed, according to The Things, Carol’s suicide attempt in the show’s pilot was supposed to be fatal but, after a screening of the episode, test audiences responded so well to the character that the plan was scrapped and Carol was kept on board.

Carter Didn’t Date Lucy For One Particular Reason

While many fans really wanted to see John Carter and Lucy Knight become an item, as they thought they would make a great couple on ER, they never did. In fact, according to E! Online, this was the only storyline Noah Wyle ever asked to see changed in the show.

There was supposed to be a sex scene between Carter and Lucy, but Wyle asked executive producer John Wells to change it as he had a big issue with the idea. The actor believed his character only saw Lucy as a “little sister” and would never sleep with her, so the scene was changed and the two doctors only exchanged a kiss.

Dr. Weaver’s Limp Became A Real Problem

After many years of faking Dr. Weaver’s limp on ER, Laura Innes developed back problems that required that a change be made to her character. According to E! Online, the actor’s spine was starting to curve to one side and was causing her issues.

To solve this problem, in season 11, the show’s writers weaved in a storyline that saw Dr. Weaver undergo hip surgery to remove the need for the actor to limp and use a crutch.

Benton & Corday Separated For A Specific Reason

Eriq LaSalle’s character, Peter Benton, had several romances during his time on ER, and many fans particularly liked when he dated Alex Kingston’s Dr. Corday. However, their affair was cut short per Eriq LaSalle’s request.

According to The New York Post, LaSalle was uncomfortable with the fact that his character’s relationship with Dr. Corday, a white woman, was depicted in a much more positive way than his previous romances with Black women. LaSalle discussed the issue with the show’s producers and Benton and Corday parted ways.

Quentin Tarantino Directed An Episode

Many ER actors ended up spending some time behind the cameras over the course of the show. Laura Innes, for instance, directed several episodes of ER. But the show also had guest directors, like Quentin Tarantino.

After he met Clooney on the set of his film From Dusk Till Dawn, Tarantino directed an episode of ER‘s first season, for which he only shot one take of each scene. According to E! Online, he made $30,000 for directing the episode titled “Motherhood,” which came out a few months after Tarantino won an Oscar for Pulp Fiction.

George Clooney Really Wanted To Be In ER

For many fans, it is hard to imagine the first few seasons of ER without George Clooney in the role of Dr. Doug Ross. But Clooney reportedly “begged” to be part of the ER adventure.

According to Elle, executive producer John Wells revealed that the actor was adamant about getting a part in the show and came to his office, refusing to leave until he was allowed to audition. Wells added, “George got his hands on the material and was like a dog with a bone.”

Season 14 Was Supposed To Be The Last

For a while, there was competition between Grey’s Anatomy and ER, which was the longest-running medical drama on television before the Shonda Rhimes show snatched the crown. However, its 15-season run was really supposed to be 14 seasons.

According to Elle, the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike caused the 14th season of the show to be cut down to 19 episodes and the producers felt it did not give them enough time to give the series a proper send-off. Therefore, NBC agreed to renew the show for a 15th and final season.

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