We might just have the writers’ strike to thank for bringing George Clooney back to the ER! Yep, you read that right; NBC, facing a shortened development season brought on by the 100-day labor dispute, is in the final stages of renewing ER for a 15th season next fall. The reprieve has prompted executive producers John Wells and David Zabel to make ambitious plans for what (finally) appears to be the drama’s last season. “We want to revisit characters that have existed on the show over the years and say where they are now,” says Zabel of stars like Clooney (Doug) and Julianna Margulies (Carol). “We’d love to get them all back in some way, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to. But we’re gonna try.”
He’s already guaranteed a visit by at least one alumnus: Noah Wyle will reprise his role as Dr. Carter for four episodes next season. Goran Visnjic (Kovac) is also expected to make a return engagement. “The toughest will be getting Tony Edwards because his character is dead,” says Zabel, laughing. That’s a little tricky, but there are ways to do it that we’ve thought about. Even if it were like a lost episode from 1996 featuring him and Wyle.”
In the meantime, Zabel will keep the ER buzzing for the remaining six outings this season by bringing on Aida Turturro (The Sopranos) for a three-week stint as a patient and adding a hot new doc (possibly an unknown actor from Australia) who’s supposed to make Dr. Gates (John Stamos) look like a plain white-coat. “He’ll be a sexy rake, a devil you can’t resist,” explains Zabel, adding, “A dynamic new character has the ability to motivate everybody, though it’s easy to get excited about next season considering it will be the last.”
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I watched this show for years when it first cameout,then thanks to TNT after talking a 9yr break I started watching it again and now its going off the air Im so upset this show is reaaly a great show and I will miss seeing it.good luck to all the actors
It used to be a good show, but the last 4 or 5 seasons weren’t enough to keep my attention. Not even my mother’s, who was a huge fan of the show.
I think they should fight like hell to keep Maura Tierney for the last season. She’s been the heart of the show since she joined the cast and a final season without her would seem strange.
My wife and I watched ER faithfully from the pilot episode until about midway through last season. The character turnover was never a problem. That’s life, you know? People come and go. What finally made us turn the show off was the constant preaching. It seems that the writers, more and more, used the show to espouse their own political and social beliefs. Christians and other conservatives were always portrayed as bad, ignorant, stupid, cruel, or otherwise negative. Liberals of all stripes were portrayed as enlightened, open-minded, and morally superior. Nearly the entire regular cast was sexually insatiable, constantly leaping from one empty relationship to another – straight and gay alike. Sure, I get it – that stuff gets ratings. But when ER stopped being about gripping medical drama and solid character development and started being about socio-political grandstanding – that’s when they lost us.
NOOOOOO! Say it ain’t so ER?! I can’t live without you on Thursday nights! Oh wait, I’ve been watching the re-runs with Noah Wyle and Anthony Edwards on TNT…not this soap opera where everyone is hooking up with Neela or Abby! I would love to see Wyle, Clooney, and Margulies come back…but considering she’s got a new show on Fox, Clooney’s a huge star, and Wyle’s doin’ fine living off of ‘Gamma’s’ money…I doubt it…
Cheers to ER, you will live on forever via my DVD player!
I didn’t even know Abby and Luka were off the show yet and they are talking about them making a return engagement.
thank god maura and goran are leaving together and comingback together.if maura stays and they split their chracters i would’ve been so upset that i wasn’t going to watch the show anymore but now they’re leaving together and coming back together gave
me some hope!
I seriously didn’t realize this show was still on.
The overt socialist politics of the writers ruined this show. It used to be fun, edgy and fair. Now it is unwatchable. The vile that has dripped from characters mouths for the last five years is a disgrace.
I like the show now. I don’t see the need to trot out oldtimers. The current cast has done a really good job of creating an interesting drama.
I can proudly say that I have loyally watched ER from the pilot until today. I haven’t missed a season or left the show at any stage. It’s been an amazing journey watching the show change and develop over the years – I can’t believe it’s been 15 years and I’ve watched virtually every episode! The characters I would like to see return are Deb Chen, Kerry Weaver, obviously Carter, Elizabeth Corday, Luka. Everyone pretty much except Michael Michelle. I’ll miss ER but I agree it’s time to go.
Those staff hookups have been going on since the inception of the show. I can think of many over the years off the top of my head. They lost me when they put that little twit who plays Samantha on. I never understood the allure of her character, never liked the motherhood storyline for her and HATED her with Luka. But, having said that, I have watched more that I missed, and when it’s gone, I will miss it.
That episode about the pregnant woman who was in labor, then not, then in, then dies and the child survives with Tony Edwards was the best thing I ever saw on TV. That episode is my all time favorite. I sat gripped to the TV for that entire episode.
I could care less if Doug and Carol came back. Luka and Abby are the show for me. I stopped watching when they broke up and when Luka started to date Samanatha (horrible storyline). Their wedding was marvelous and they truly understand each other. They are the reason for the show so since they are coming back I will watch. I hate most of the characters now like John Stamos character and Nelia, the most annoying whinning character on tv.
I hope to the heavens they can get Clooney and Julianna (isn’t she under contract to Fox, though
) back for a guest stint! ER hasn’t been the same since Doug and Carol left. I loooved them so much.
They wanted to last about 15 years probably because they wanted to break “Medical Center’s record for the longest medical drama on televison. 15 years is pretty nice. I am sure that they will go out with a bang.
They wanted to last about 15 years probably because they wanted to break “Medical Center’s” record for the longest medical drama on televison. 15 years is pretty nice. I am sure that they will go out with a bang.
I never understood why Clooney did not come back for Greene’s funeral. I hope they do all come back. The last 2 years were not that great. I hope George plays ball.
George Clooney has always been pretty grateful to the show…maybe he will? I freeeeeaking love the fact that he came back for Julianna’s exit and Doug/Carol fans got their happily ever after.
I really hope he comes back for the last episode, Julianna too. Doug and Carol are an integral part of why ER has lasted so long. Not the sole reason, but a big part of it.
I don’t see how Doug & Carol are a big reason for ER lasting so long. The show has been on longer since they left than the entire time they were on. They were only on for what, the first 5 seasons, and the has continued on for about 8 seasons since they left. I think they are an overrated part of the show – I never really liked them especially her. But I still hope they come back once.
WAIT. what?? abby’s leaving??? no no no… that’s just not acceptable. hmph.
It is Goran-Luka that is leaving.
I’m glad “ER” will be back for one final season, but I’ll be missing Maura Tierney terribly, even if she does make a guest shot. She has simply amazed me with her talents by making Abby such a flesh & blood character all these years. I’ve long forgotten Doug and Carol, and even Carter. Abby’s my girl.
Hot new doc from Australia? Two words: Rick Springfield!!!
A final season of “ER” without the excellent top notch Maura Tierney? Say it isn’t so!
Wait a sec? Maura Tierney is not on the show full time?
i used to be a HUGE fan of ER but around the time that mekhi pfiffer came on, I soon realized that none of the characters left were likeable and thus, why am I watching a show where I don’t care about a single character. Best character was Gloria Ruben’s Jeannie.
This show has kept my interest since its inception by providing more reality than reality TV has. Being in the medical profession, I always felt so at home with storylines about JCAHO auditors coming, cutbacks, research, nitpicking about overtime and at the same time demanding the work… The guys were intelligent hunks, the girls were hard working and caring, the guest stars were incredible. Yes, I followed the George-Juliana relationship and that’s why I stayed glued to the show for the remainder, long after they left. But Dr. Kovac and Abby took over where they left off, and I was just dying to see them end up together. Samantha made me gag. How could he have put up with her? But I must say I had a hard time seeing Abby with her alcohol problems this season, as much as she loves her son and husband, but it didn’t last long and it was written pretty well. I was glad when that was over. I enjoy seeing them in love much more than in pain.
Alan, I think Doug and Carol, more specifically Doug, is a huuuuuge reason why ER has lasting so long. Do you honestly think hadn’t the mainstream media picked up on Clooney, that ER would have been the hit it was? IMO, Clooney put ER on the map so that it could last this long.
The comments that get me are the ones that complain about the show criticizing right wind causes – that’s becasue the right wing preaches ignorance and the show preaches intelligence. And the one about “Christians and other conservatives”? Since when did a belief in Christ become the equivalent of being a fascist? Does this mean that the Rev. Martin Luther King was a conservative (or at least what passes for “conservative” these days)? I think not, thank God!
I’d like to see Benton