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Not all heroes wear capes. In fact, most of them wear scrubs.

When it comes to medical dramas, ER is the gold standard. The NBC television series is the winner of 128 industry awards, including a 1996 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama. Created by Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton, ER is the second longest-running primetime medical drama (behind Grey’s Anatomy). Some argue that it helped develop and popularize medical dramas as a genre.

If you’ve ever wanted to watch ER, Popverse has you covered! This guide will tell you everything you need to know about NBC’s hit medical drama.

How to watch ER in release and chronological order

Watching ER in order is fairly simple. Unlike Lost or Star Trek, ER has a simple timeline. In other words, there are no complicated time jumps, and the chronological order is the same as the release order. Just start from episode 1, and go from there.

• ER season 1
• ER season 2
• ER season 3
• ER season 4
• ER season 5
• ER season 6
• ER season 7
• ER season 8
• ER season 9
• ER season 10
• ER season 11
• ER season 12
• ER season 13
• ER season 14
• ER season 15

ER and Third Watch had a crossover in 2002. The crossover began with the ER season 8 episode ‘Brothers and Sisters” before concluding with the Third Watch season 3 episode ‘Unleashed.’

It’s worth noting that Third Watch has also crossed over with Medical Investigation, which means that Medical Investigation shares a universe with ER. Despite this cool piece of trivia, there has never been any official crossovers between ER and Medical Investigation.

What actor was on ER the longest?

Noah Wyle holds the record for most episodes on ER. Wyle played Dr. John Carter for the first 11 seasons of ER. He was a guest star in season 12, and he returned for a stretch of episodes in season 15. Altogether, Wyle played Dr. Carter for 254 episodes. This puts him slightly ahead of Laura Innes, who played Dr. Kerry Weaver for 249 episodes.

Was anyone on all 15 seasons of ER?

None of the main cast members were on ER for 15 seasons. The actor who came the closest was Noah Wyle, who played Dr. John Carter for the first 11 seasons, and made guest appearances in season 12 and 15.

However, six characters appear in all 15 seasons. Laura Ceron portrayed a nurse named Chuny Marquez for 249 episodes across the series run. Deezer D played a nurse named Malik McGrath who appeared in 190 episodes across all 15 seasons of ER. Yvette Freeman played a nurse named Haleh Adams who appeared in 182 episodes across all 15 seasons.

Lily Mariye played a nurse named Lily Mariye for 127 episodes across the entire 15-season run. Emily Wagner played a paramedic named Doris Pickman for 168 episodes across the series. Montae Russell played a paramedic named Dwight Zardo for 117 across all 15 seasons of the series.

While these nurses and paramedics didn’t appear in every episode, they hold the distinction of being the only 6 characters to appear in every season of the show.

What was the saddest episode of ER?

There is no scientific way to determine what the saddest episode of ER is. Emotions are subjective, and everyone will react to each episode in their own way. However, looking across the internet, the season 1 episode ‘Love’s Labor Lost’ comes up almost anytime the question is asked. The episode centers around Dr. Mark Greene failing to save a pregnant woman. Losing a patient is never easy, and Dr. Greene blames himself for misdiagnosing the cause of her condition.

It’s a powerful episode, with Anthony Edwards delivering a memorable performance. This aired early in ER’s run, setting the tone for the type of drama viewers could expect from the series. 

How many series of ER did George Clooney do?

George Clooney portrayed Dr. Doug Ross in the first 5 seasons of ER. Clooney returned for a guest appearance in season 6, and for another episode in season 15. Technically, you can say he’s been in 7 seasons of ER, but two of those seasons for just for a single episode each. It would be more accurate to say that George Clooney has done 5 episodes of ER.

What season did George Clooney leave the ER?

George Clooney left ER at the end of season 5. His initial contract had been for 5 seasons, and the actor felt like there weren’t any new stories to tell with Dr. Doug Ross. In addition, Clooney’s film was taking off, making the actor more in demand. Dr. Ross is written off the show after the character cuts some ethical corners in order to give a boy’s mother access to a lethal dose of medication. Dr. Ross resigns his positions and leaves Chicago to start a new life in Seattle.

Why did Carol leave ER?

There are two components to this question. The fictional character Carol Hathaway left Chicago to reunite with Doug Ross in Chicago. Apparently, it worked out between them, because when the characters show up next in the series, they’re happily married.

As for the real life reason…

Julianna Margulies told TV Line that she quit ER after six seasons because she wanted to explore other opportunities, and spiritually she felt it was time to move on. She was offered $27 million to stay, but her mind couldn’t escape a proverb she had seen in a Buddhist book, ‘I knew I wanted to learn more, not earn more.’

When did ER start to go downhill?

This question is a matter of personal preference, as everyone has a different idea of when ER started to dip in quality. In fact, some viewers feel the show maintained its quality across all 15 seasons.

Looking across various social media posts, news articles, and fan rankings, the general consensus seems to be that ER lost its mojo sometime between season 8 and season 10. Season 8 saw the departure of Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards, and some viewers felt the show never recovered from their departure. Other viewers say the storylines and acting began to lose their punch in season 10. Once again, this is all a matter of personal opinion, so feel free to watch the show and judge for yourself.

Why did ER end so abruptly?

On April 2, 2009 ER aired its series finale. There are lots of reasons thrown around for why the show ended, but the simple answer is ratings. ER was once a ratings juggernaut, but the former top-ten series had dropped to 54th place in a ranking of most watched shows. Had the ratings been stronger, NBC might have renewed the show for a 16th season. Instead, Warner Bros. Television was told that ER season 15 would be their final year.

Another factor contributing to the show’s demise was the reduced cast. Over the years, many of ER’s most popular actors had departed the series. Add in the fact that it’s hard for any show to survive for 15 years, and ER’s ending begins to make more sense.  

Is there any chance of a ER reboot or ER reunion?

As of now, there are no plans for an ER revival. Former ER star Noah Wyle attempted to develop an ER reboot in 2020, but it never got off the ground. Wyle had been inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, which put health care professionals front and center. He began receiving letters from first responders, which made him realize that ER still resonates with viewers. Unfortunately, Michael Crichton’s estate shot down negotiations, and the ER revival never got past the idea phase. Instead, Wyle developed a new show about medical professionals called The Pitt. 

Is The Pitt connected to ER?

The Pitt is not a sequel to ER, but it can be considered a spiritual successor. The Pitt is a medical drama set in a Pittsburgh hospital. The Max drama stars Noah Wyle, who was one of the main cast members of ER. However, Wyle’s character on The Pitt is Dr. Michael Robinavitch, not Dr. John Carter. The series was created by R. Scott Gemmill, who once served as an executive producer on ER. Former ER producers John Wells and Joe Sachs also serve as producer and writer for The Pitt.

So yeah, it does share a lot of DNA with ER. However, it’s not a reboot or revival. It just happens to be another medical drama that has some of the same creators.

Despite this, the Estate of Michael Crichton has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Television, accusing them of plagiarizing ER. Warner Bros. Television has called the lawsuit baseless. Michael Crichton initially developed ER in 1994. Crichton, who is best known for creating Jurassic Park, passed away in 2008.

The Pitt may not be an official continuation of ER, but if you’re an ER fan who is looking for something new to watch, it’s worth checking out. 

Is ER on Netflix or Prime Video? Where can I stream ER?

As of this writing, ER is not available to stream on Netflix. ER is available on Amazon Prime, but each episode must be purchased individually. In other words, streaming ER is not included with your Prime Video subscription. If you want to stream ER, Max is your best bet. The streaming service currently has all 15 seasons of the medical drama.

If you want to watch the Third Watch crossover episode, it’s available on Tubi. The episode is called ‘Unleashed,’ and it aired during Third Watch’s third season. Don’t worry, Tubi doesn’t require any form of payment to watch their streaming library.

Please note, the availability of ER could change as streaming licenses expire and new deals are made.

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