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ER (season 1)
Encyclopedia
The first season of the American fictional drama
television series ER
aired from 1994–1995 with 25 episodes.
The 2-hour pilot episode aired on September 19, 1994 and was followed by 24 other episodes, including the season finale that aired on May 18, 1995.
Dr. Mark Greene, pediatric resident Dr. Doug Ross
, second-year resident Dr. Susan Lewis
, medical student John Carter
, head nurse Carol Hathaway
, and second-year surgical resident Dr. Peter Benton
. The series premiere "24 Hours
" sees Dr. Greene considering a move into private practice at the request of his wife, Jen. The episode also sees a suicide attempt from staff nurse Carol Hathaway, who had previously been in a long-term relationship with Doug Ross, and the first day for medical student John Carter. Originally, Carol Hathaway's suicide was intended to be successful, but her death in the pilot was never shown or referred to by other characters, leaving her open for a return. Audiences responded so well to her character that producers decided to offer Julianna Margulies
a permanent spot in the cast.
Over the course of the season, Dr. Greene's marriage begins to disintegrate. At work he experiences problems, after making a fatal error in the treatment of a pregnant woman in the Emmy-winning episode "Love's Labor Lost" he falls into a depression. Lovelorn Ross struggles to come to terms with the fact that a recovered Hathaway is moving on with her life. Dr. Lewis tries to cope with her rebellious sister, Chloe, who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter at the end of the season. Lewis also struggles professionally with cardiologist Dr. Kayson and romantically with mentally unstable psychiatric resident Dr. Div Cvetic.
Carter comes to grips with the fast-paced life of an ER doctor, while trying to win the approval of his supervising resident, Dr. Benton. Hathaway gets back on her feet in the aftermath of her suicide attempt; she gets engaged and tries to adopt an HIV-positive Russian orphan, but cannot, due to her suicide attempt. However, on her wedding day, her fiance, Dr. John Taglieri, questions the strength of her love for him. She admits she does not love him as much as he loves her, and he leaves her shortly before the ceremony. Meanwhile, Dr. Benton is forced to cope with his busy surgical schedule, while caring for his ailing mother. After her death, he becomes romantically involved with her physician's assistant Jeanie Boulet.
Nurses
Staff and Paramedics
Family
and John Wells
, Dennis Murphy produced the pilot episode and Wendy Spence Rosato served as Associate Producer. Crichton, Wells, and Spence-Rosato continued these roles for the series proper while Murphy was replaced as producer by Christopher Chulack
. Also joining the production team were Mimi Leder
, Robert Nathan
, and Lydia Woodward
as supervising producers and Paul Manning
as Co-producer.
Crichton wrote the series pilot and is credited as the creator of the series for the rest of the season. Producers Wells, Nathan, Woodward, and Manning were regular writers for the first season. Medical specialist and technical advisor Lance Gentile
made his television writing debut in the first season. His first teleplay "Love's Labor Lost" won multiple Emmy Awards. Medical student Neal Baer
was the season's other regular writer. Tracey Stern
contributed the script for a single episode.
Producers Leder and Chulack were regular directors on the first season. Rod Holcomb
directed the pilot episode and returned for a regular season episode. Charles Haid
, Elodie Keene
, and Fred Gerber
also helmed multiple episodes. Film director Quentin Tarantino
contributed a single episode. Other single episode directors include Mark Tinker
, Vern Gillum
, James Hayman
, Daniel Sackheim
, Félix Enríquez Alcalá
, Anita Addison, James Hayman
, and Donna Deitch
.
, writing for Variety
, praised the direction and editing of the pilot while Eric Mink, writing for the New York Daily News, said that the pilot of ER "was urban, emergency room chaos and young, committed doctors." However some reviewers felt the episodes following the pilot didn't live up to it with Mink commenting that "...the great promise of the "E.R." pilot dissolves into the kind of routine, predictable, sloppily detailed medical drama we've seen many times before."
Due to the show launching on NBC at the same time that CBS
launched its own medical drama Chicago Hope
, many critics drew comparisons between the two. Eric Mink concluded that ER may rate more highly in the Nielsens but Chicago Hope told better stories, while Rich felt both shows were "riveting, superior TV fare."
The show's first season won several major television awards. Julianna Margulies picked up an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, while Mimi Leder won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing a Drama Series for the episode "Love's Labor Lost". "Love's Labor Lost" also picked up the 1995 Writers Guild of America Award
for Episodic Drama and the 1995 American Cinema Editors
Award. "Day One" picked up two awards for Cinematography at the American Society of Cinematographers
Awards of 1994 while Charles Haid won the Directors Guild of America Award for Primetime Drama Series for the episode "Into that Good Night" with Rod Holcomb also picking up a Directors Guild Award in the Dramatic Specials category for his work on "24 Hours".
The first season received a number of nominations for other awards which are listed in the List of ER awards and nominations.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
aired from 1994–1995 with 25 episodes.
The 2-hour pilot episode aired on September 19, 1994 and was followed by 24 other episodes, including the season finale that aired on May 18, 1995.
Plot
In ERs first season, the core cast consisted of Chief ResidentResidency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
Dr. Mark Greene, pediatric resident Dr. Doug Ross
Doug Ross
Dr. Douglas "Doug" Ross is a fictional character from the television series ER, portrayed by George Clooney. George Clooney's removal from the main cast opening credits was in the 16th episode of season 5.-Plot details:...
, second-year resident Dr. Susan Lewis
Susan Lewis
Dr. Susan Lewis, played by Sherry Stringfield, is a fictional doctor on the television show ER between 1994–1996, and again from 2001-2005....
, medical student John Carter
John Carter (ER)
Dr. John Truman Carter III, portrayed by Noah Wyle, is a fictional character from the television series ER. The character, called simply "Carter" by most other characters, was introduced in the pilot episode and appeared for eleven consecutive seasons. Wyle decided to leave the show as a regular...
, head nurse Carol Hathaway
Carol Hathaway
Nurse Carol Ross is a fictional character on the popular television show ER, portrayed by Julianna Margulies from 1994 to 2000. Julianna Margulies' removal from the main cast opening credits was in the final episode of season 6....
, and second-year surgical resident Dr. Peter Benton
Peter Benton
Dr. Peter Benton is a fictional character on the television series ER for its first eight seasons. He was played by Eriq La Salle. Benton was often portrayed as arrogant, irritable, or even hostile, but he is nevertheless an exceptionally talented surgeon who is passionate about medicine...
. The series premiere "24 Hours
24 Hours (ER)
"24 Hours" is the first episode of the American Medical drama ER In the pilot episode of 'ER' overworked residents are the heroes of County General Hospital as they make life-and-death decisions on a daily basis. They include Dr. Mark Greene , a married chief resident who's being wooed by a...
" sees Dr. Greene considering a move into private practice at the request of his wife, Jen. The episode also sees a suicide attempt from staff nurse Carol Hathaway, who had previously been in a long-term relationship with Doug Ross, and the first day for medical student John Carter. Originally, Carol Hathaway's suicide was intended to be successful, but her death in the pilot was never shown or referred to by other characters, leaving her open for a return. Audiences responded so well to her character that producers decided to offer Julianna Margulies
Julianna Margulies
Julianna Luisa Margulies is an American actress and producer.After several small television roles, Margulies achieved success in her regular role as Nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama ER, for which she won an Emmy Award...
a permanent spot in the cast.
Over the course of the season, Dr. Greene's marriage begins to disintegrate. At work he experiences problems, after making a fatal error in the treatment of a pregnant woman in the Emmy-winning episode "Love's Labor Lost" he falls into a depression. Lovelorn Ross struggles to come to terms with the fact that a recovered Hathaway is moving on with her life. Dr. Lewis tries to cope with her rebellious sister, Chloe, who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter at the end of the season. Lewis also struggles professionally with cardiologist Dr. Kayson and romantically with mentally unstable psychiatric resident Dr. Div Cvetic.
Carter comes to grips with the fast-paced life of an ER doctor, while trying to win the approval of his supervising resident, Dr. Benton. Hathaway gets back on her feet in the aftermath of her suicide attempt; she gets engaged and tries to adopt an HIV-positive Russian orphan, but cannot, due to her suicide attempt. However, on her wedding day, her fiance, Dr. John Taglieri, questions the strength of her love for him. She admits she does not love him as much as he loves her, and he leaves her shortly before the ceremony. Meanwhile, Dr. Benton is forced to cope with his busy surgical schedule, while caring for his ailing mother. After her death, he becomes romantically involved with her physician's assistant Jeanie Boulet.
Main cast
- Anthony EdwardsAnthony EdwardsAnthony Charles Edwards is an American actor and director. He has appeared in various movies and television shows, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Top Gun, Zodiac, Revenge of the Nerds, Northern Exposure and ER.-Early life:Edwards was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Erika...
as Dr. Mark GreeneMark GreeneDr. Mark Greene was a fictional medical doctor from the television series ER, portrayed by the actor Anthony Edwards. For most of his time on the series, Greene's role was that of a mediator and occasional authority figure, and he was considered the main character of the series for the first eight...
- Chief Resident - George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
as Dr. Doug RossDoug RossDr. Douglas "Doug" Ross is a fictional character from the television series ER, portrayed by George Clooney. George Clooney's removal from the main cast opening credits was in the 16th episode of season 5.-Plot details:...
- Pediatric Resident - Sherry StringfieldSherry StringfieldSherry Lea Stringfield is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Dr. Susan Lewis on the medical television drama ER, a role for which she received three Emmy Award nominations. Stringfield was a member of ER's original cast, but she quit the show during its third season,...
as Dr. Susan LewisSusan LewisDr. Susan Lewis, played by Sherry Stringfield, is a fictional doctor on the television show ER between 1994–1996, and again from 2001-2005....
- Second Year Resident - Noah WyleNoah WyleNoah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
as John CarterJohn Carter (ER)Dr. John Truman Carter III, portrayed by Noah Wyle, is a fictional character from the television series ER. The character, called simply "Carter" by most other characters, was introduced in the pilot episode and appeared for eleven consecutive seasons. Wyle decided to leave the show as a regular...
- Third Year Medical Student - Julianna MarguliesJulianna MarguliesJulianna Luisa Margulies is an American actress and producer.After several small television roles, Margulies achieved success in her regular role as Nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama ER, for which she won an Emmy Award...
as Nurse Manager Carol HathawayCarol HathawayNurse Carol Ross is a fictional character on the popular television show ER, portrayed by Julianna Margulies from 1994 to 2000. Julianna Margulies' removal from the main cast opening credits was in the final episode of season 6.... - Eriq La SalleEriq La SalleEriq La Salle is an American actor and director, known for his portrayals of Darryl in the 1988 comedy film Coming to America and Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC drama series ER.-Early life:...
as Dr. Peter BentonPeter BentonDr. Peter Benton is a fictional character on the television series ER for its first eight seasons. He was played by Eriq La Salle. Benton was often portrayed as arrogant, irritable, or even hostile, but he is nevertheless an exceptionally talented surgeon who is passionate about medicine...
- Second Year Surgical Resident
Supporting cast
Doctors and Medical students- William H. MacyWilliam H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
as Dr. David Morgenstern - Chief of Surgery and Chief of Emergency Medicine - Sam AndersonSam AndersonSam Anderson is an American actor.-Early life:Anderson was born in Wahpeton, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. During the 1970s, Sam taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California.-Career:Anderson is perhaps best known for his roles...
as Dr. Jack Kayson - Chief of Cardiology - Amy AquinoAmy AquinoAmy Aquino is an American television, film, and stage actress.-Background and education:Aquino is the daughter of Adele and Salvatore Aquino...
as Dr. Janet Coburn - Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology - CCH PounderCCH PounderCarol Christine Hilaria Pounder , known professionally as C. C. H. Pounder , is a Guyanese-American film and television actress...
as Dr. Angela Hicks - Surgical Attending Physician - Ming-Na WenMing-NaMing-Na is a Macanese-born American actress. She has been credited with and without her family name, but most credits since the late 1990s have been without it...
as Deb Chen - Third Year Medical Student - Michael IronsideMichael IronsideMichael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
as Dr. William "Wild Willy" Swift - Chief of Emergency Medicine - Scott JaeckScott JaeckScott Jaeck is an American actor who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 29, 1954. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 1973. He attended the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He is married to actress Mariann Mayberry, a member of the Steppenwolf...
as Dr. Steve Flint - Chief of Radiology - Rick RossovichRick RossovichRick Rossovich is an American actor.Rossovich was born Frederic Enrico Rossovich in Palo Alto, California. His brother, Tim Rossovich, is a former professional football player and also an actor.-Career:...
as Dr. John "Tag" Taglieri - Orthopedist - John TerryJohn Terry (actor)John Terry is an American film, television, and stage actor.-Early life:Terry was born in Florida, where he attended Vero Beach High School. He was also educated at the prestigious Loomis Chaffee prep school in Windsor, Connecticut, and began a career building original custom log homes in North...
as Dr. David "Div" Cvetic - Psychiatrist - Tyra FerrellTyra Ferrell-Career:She appeared in Jungle Fever , which starred Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra. She also had roles in films such as Boyz n the Hood , White Men Can't Jump , and Poetic Justice...
as Dr. Sarah Langworthy - Tobin BellTobin BellTobin Bell is an American film and television character actor. After years of work doing stand-ins and background work on films, he got his first major acting job in Mississippi Burning and went on to star in made-for-television films and guest star in television shows throughout the 1990s.Bell...
as Dr. Wertz - Hospital Administrator - Patrick Collins as Dr. Netzley
- Marion Yue as Dr. Sandra Li
Nurses
- Ellen CrawfordEllen CrawfordEllen Crawford is an American actress. Most recently, she co-starred as Edith, in The Man from Earth. She also played Nurse Lydia Wright on ER from 1994–2003 and then again in 2009 for the series finale...
as Nurse Lydia Wright - Conni Marie BrazeltonConni Marie BrazeltonConni Marie Brazelton is an American film and television actress. She's perhaps best known for her recurring role as Nurse Conni Oligario on the hit NBC Medical drama ER.-Biography:...
as Nurse Conni Oligario - Deezer DDeezer DDeezer D , whose real name is Dearon Thompson, is an American actor, rapper and motivational speaker. He is best known for his role as Nurse Malik McGrath in the US TV series ER, and, to a lesser extent, his roles in the films CB4 and Fear of a Black Hat...
as Nurse Malik McGrath - Laura CeronLaura CerónLaura Cerón is an Alma Award winning Mexican-American actress. Her most recognizable role is that of Nurse Chuny Marquez on the television series ER.-Early life:...
as Nurse Chuny Marquez - Yvette FreemanYvette FreemanYvette Freeman is an American actress best known for her role as Haleh Adams, a registered nurse, on the NBC drama ER...
as Nurse Haleh Adams - Lily MariyeLily MariyeLily Mariye is an American actress and filmmaker.From 1994-2009 she had a regular role as nurse Lily Jarvik on the NBC television series ER, for which she has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series four times.Mariye was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and graduated from...
as Nurse Lily Jarvik - Vanessa MarquezVanessa Marquez (actress)Vanessa Marquez is an American actress. She is primarily known for being a recurring character on the first few seasons of ER playing Nurse Wendy Goldman, as well as having a role in the 1988 teacher drama Stand and Deliver...
as Nurse Wendy Goldman - Dinah LenneyDinah LenneyDinah Lenney is an American actress and writer. She is the author of Bigger than Life: A Murder, a Memoir, a 2007 book about the murder of her father, Republican Party politician and businessman Nelson G. Gross.-Biography:...
as Nurse Shirley
Staff and Paramedics
- Gloria ReubenGloria ReubenGloria Reuben is a Canadian singer and actress of film and television, known for her role as Jeanie Boulet on the popular medical drama ER and for her role of Rosalind Whitman in the TV show Raising the Bar.-Life and career:...
as Physician Assistant Jeanie BouletJeanie BouletJeanie Boulet is a fictional character from the television series ER. She was portrayed by Gloria Reuben as a recurring character midway in the first season, then as a regular from season 2 onwards. Reuben left the serial in the 6th season, but in 2008 she reprised the role for one episode.Jeanie... - Abraham BenrubiAbraham BenrubiAbraham Rubin Hercules Benrubi is an American character actor known for his appearances as Jerry Markovic on the long-running U.S...
as Desk Clerk Jerry Markovic - Glenn PlummerGlenn PlummerGlenn E. Plummer is an American film and television actor.Plummer was born in Richmond, California. He has appeared in numerous films and television series, primarily in supporting roles or small bit parts, such as High Top in Colors. His prominent roles came in the films Menace II Society, Speed,...
as Desk Clerk Timmy Rawlins - Rolando Molina as Desk Clerk Rolando
- Malgoscha Gebel as ER aide Bogdanilivestsky "Bob" Romansky
- Lisa ZaneLisa ZaneElizabeth Frances "Lisa" Zane is an American actress and singer who has starred on stage, in film and television.-Personal life:...
as Diane Leeds - Emily Wagner as Paramedic Doris Pickman
- Monté Russell as Paramedic Dwight Zadro
- Lee R. Sellers as Chopper EMTEmergency medical technicianEmergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
- Mike Genovese as Officer Al Grabarsky
- Rick Marzan as Camacho
Family
- Christine HarnosChristine HarnosChristine Harnos is a Canadian film and television actress. Harnos is known for portraying Jennifer, the wife of main character Mark Greene on ER , Rimmer in the Action/Horror film Hellraiser: Bloodline , Dotty from The Girl Gets Moe film, Sarah Hughes in Cold Dog Soup film, Linda Wyatt in...
as Jennifer "Jenn" Greene - Yvonne ZimaYvonne ZimaYvonne Marie Zima is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Daisy Carter on The Young and the Restless.-Early life:...
as Rachel Greene - Giorgi Tarian/George Tarjan as Helen Hathaway
- Khandi AlexanderKhandi AlexanderKhandi Alexander is an American dancer, choreographer, and film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for the roles of Dr. Alexx Woods on CSI: Miami and as Catherine Duke on NewsRadio. She also had a major recurring role on ER as Jackie Robbins, sister to Dr. Peter Benton...
as Jackie Robbins - Ving RhamesVing RhamesIrving Rameses "Ving" Rhames is an American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series.-Early life and education:...
as Walt Robbins - Beah RichardsBeah RichardsBeah Richards was an American actress of stage, screen and television. She was a poet, playwright and author....
as Mae Benton - Kathleen WilhoiteKathleen WilhoiteKathleen Wilhoite is an American film and television actress, as well as a singer-songwriter. She also voiced the title character in the animated series Pepper Ann...
as Chloe Lewis - Valerie PerrineValerie Perrine- Life and career :Perrine was born in Galveston, Texas, the daughter of Winifred , a dancer who appeared in Earl Carroll's Vanities, and Kenneth Perrine, a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army. Owing to her father's career, Perrine lived in many locations as the family moved to different...
as Cookie Lewis - Zachary BrowneZachary BrowneZachary Browne is an American television and film actor.Browne has had guest roles on ER, 7th Heaven, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, among other shows. He was also on 7th Heaven as Stan in 1997. He auditioned for the role of Marty Preston in Shiloh and the director was very impressed with Zachary...
as Jake Leeds - Wolfgang BodisonWolfgang BodisonWolfgang Bodison is an American actor, best known for playing Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson in the drama A Few Good Men....
as Al Boulet - Andrea ParkerAndrea ParkerAndrea Nicole Parker is an American actress and former ballet dancer.-Career:Parker began ballet training at age 6 and at age 15 she joined a professional dance company. She quit her career in ballet after three years of touring and trained to become an actress while working as a bartender...
as Linda Ferrell
Notable guest stars
- Miguel FerrerMiguel FerrerMiguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
as Mr. Parker - Troy EvansTroy EvansTroy Evans is an American football linebacker and special teams player who is currently a free agent. Evans previously played for the St...
as Officer [Frank?] Martin - Liz VasseyLiz VasseyLiz Vassey is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Emily Ann Sago on All My Children, Captain Liberty in The Tick, and Wendy Simms in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.- Career :...
as Liz - John RandolphJohn Randolph (actor)John Randolph was an American film, television and stage actor.-Early life:Randolph was born Emanuel Hirsch Cohen in New York City, the son of Jewish immigrants Dorothy , an insurance agent, and Louis Cohen, a hat manufacturer...
as Mr. Franks - John La Motta as Ivan Gregor
- Rosemary ClooneyRosemary ClooneyRosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
as Madam X/Mary Cavanaugh - Alan RosenbergAlan RosenbergAlan Rosenberg is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union.-Early life:...
as Samuel Gasner - Vondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:...
as Henry Colton/Rena - Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
as Mr. Conally (voice only) - Robert CarradineRobert CarradineRobert Reed Carradine is an American actor. The youngest of the Carradine family of actors, he made his first appearances on television western series such as Bonanza and his older brother David's Kung Fu. Carradine's first film role was in the 1972 film The Cowboys opposite Roscoe Lee Browne and...
as John Koch - Bradley WhitfordBradley WhitfordBradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
as Sean O'Brien - Colleen Flynn as Jodi
Crew
The series pilot was executive produced by Michael CrichtonMichael Crichton
John Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
and John Wells
John Wells (TV producer)
John Marcum Wells is an American theater and television producer, writer and director. He is best known for his role as executive producer and show runner of the television series ER, Third Watch, and The West Wing. His company, John Wells Productions, is currently based at Warner Bros. studios in...
, Dennis Murphy produced the pilot episode and Wendy Spence Rosato served as Associate Producer. Crichton, Wells, and Spence-Rosato continued these roles for the series proper while Murphy was replaced as producer by Christopher Chulack
Christopher Chulack
Christopher Chulack is an American television producer and director. He has worked extensively on ER and has won several awards.-ER:Chulack began working on the NBC medical drama ER as a director and producer with the first season. He was promoted to co-executive producer midway through the third...
. Also joining the production team were Mimi Leder
Mimi Leder
Mimi Leder is an American film director. She was the first female graduate of the AFI Conservatory in 1973.-Movie career:...
, Robert Nathan
Robert Stuart Nathan
Robert Stuart Nathan , sometimes credited as Robert Nathan, is an American writer and producer.He went to Amherst College.- Selected bibliography :* Rising Higher, The Dial Press, 1981....
, and Lydia Woodward
Lydia Woodward
Lydia Woodward is an Emmy Award winning television writer and producer. She has worked as both a writer and producer on the primetime serial ER.-Positions held:*Pan Am *The Riches...
as supervising producers and Paul Manning
Paul Manning (TV producer)
Paul Manning was an American television producer and writer. Manning started as a writer on LA Law. He won an Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1996 for his work on. ER.-References:...
as Co-producer.
Crichton wrote the series pilot and is credited as the creator of the series for the rest of the season. Producers Wells, Nathan, Woodward, and Manning were regular writers for the first season. Medical specialist and technical advisor Lance Gentile
Lance Gentile
-Career:Gentile graduated with a BA degree in psychology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He was a medical student at New York Medical College and completed his residency in the emergency room at Maine Medical Center in Portland...
made his television writing debut in the first season. His first teleplay "Love's Labor Lost" won multiple Emmy Awards. Medical student Neal Baer
Neal Baer
Neal Baer, MD is an American pediatrician and television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the television shows ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.-Education:...
was the season's other regular writer. Tracey Stern
Tracey Stern
Tracey Stern is an American television writer and producer.Stern made her television debut writing for the first two season of ER. She has also worked as a writer on Pacific Blue, Sports Night, Angel, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Leap Years, Touching Evil, Desperate Housewives, The Book of...
contributed the script for a single episode.
Producers Leder and Chulack were regular directors on the first season. Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb is an American television director and producer. He has directed episodes of television series such as Quincy, M.E., The Six Million Dollar Man, Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island, The A-Team , ER, The District, The Lyon's Den, Lost, Invasion, Moonlight, Shark, The Pentagon Papers,...
directed the pilot episode and returned for a regular season episode. Charles Haid
Charles Haid
Charles Maurice Haid III is an American actor and director, with notable work in both movies and television. He is known for his portrayal of Officer Andy Renko in Hill Street Blues....
, Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene is an American film/television director, producer and editor. As a television director her credits include ER, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Charmed, Felicity, The Wire, House, M.D., The Closer, Nip/Tuck and among other series.She has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two for...
, and Fred Gerber
Fred Gerber
Fred Gerber is an American film and television director. Gerber has directed several popular television series which include Family Law, Desperate Housewives and House...
also helmed multiple episodes. Film director Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
contributed a single episode. Other single episode directors include Mark Tinker
Mark Tinker
Mark Tinker is an American television producer and director. Tinker was an executive producer and regular director on the HBO original series, Deadwood. Prior to Deadwood, Tinker served as a director/producer on NYPD Blue which was co-created by Deadwood writer, David Milch. Tinker has also...
, Vern Gillum
Vern Gillum
Vern Gillum is an American television director.His most notable directorial work includes a number of episodes from each of the television series The Big Easy, The Untouchables, Miami Vice, Angel, Profiler, Law & Order and Pros and Cons...
, James Hayman
James Hayman
-Career:His credits include Judging Amy, Ugly Betty, Joan of Arcadia, Kingpin, Jake and the Fatman, The Sopranos, Any Day Now, ER, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Huff, House M.D., The Client, Murder One, Texasville, Northern Exposure, Moon Over...
, Daniel Sackheim
Daniel Sackheim
Daniel Sackheim is an American TV and film director. He has directed several episodes of the TV show The X-Files, 3 episodes of Harsh Realm, House, and Life, the last two of which he also served on as an executive producer.-External links:...
, Félix Enríquez Alcalá
Félix Enríquez Alcalá
Félix Enríquez Alcalá is an American film and television director.-Career:...
, Anita Addison, James Hayman
James Hayman
-Career:His credits include Judging Amy, Ugly Betty, Joan of Arcadia, Kingpin, Jake and the Fatman, The Sopranos, Any Day Now, ER, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Huff, House M.D., The Client, Murder One, Texasville, Northern Exposure, Moon Over...
, and Donna Deitch
Donna Deitch
Donna Deitch is an American film and television director best known for her 1986 film Desert Hearts. The film was groundbreaking as one of the first releases to depict a lesbian love story in a generally mainstream, albeit art house, vein but with positive and respectful themes...
.
Episodes
"Series #" refers to the episode's number in the overall series, whereas "Season #" refers to the episode's number in this particular season.| Season # | |Writer(s) | |Original airdate |
|---|
Reception
Critical reactions for ERs first season were very favorable. Alan RichAlan Rich
Alan Rich was an American music critic who served on the staff of many newspapers and magazines on both coasts. Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, he first studied medicine at Harvard University before turning to music...
, writing for Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, praised the direction and editing of the pilot while Eric Mink, writing for the New York Daily News, said that the pilot of ER "was urban, emergency room chaos and young, committed doctors." However some reviewers felt the episodes following the pilot didn't live up to it with Mink commenting that "...the great promise of the "E.R." pilot dissolves into the kind of routine, predictable, sloppily detailed medical drama we've seen many times before."
Due to the show launching on NBC at the same time that CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
launched its own medical drama Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
, many critics drew comparisons between the two. Eric Mink concluded that ER may rate more highly in the Nielsens but Chicago Hope told better stories, while Rich felt both shows were "riveting, superior TV fare."
The show's first season won several major television awards. Julianna Margulies picked up an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, while Mimi Leder won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing a Drama Series for the episode "Love's Labor Lost". "Love's Labor Lost" also picked up the 1995 Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Episodic Drama and the 1995 American Cinema Editors
American Cinema Editors
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. The society is not to be confused with an industry union, such as the I.A.T.S.E...
Award. "Day One" picked up two awards for Cinematography at the American Society of Cinematographers
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
Awards of 1994 while Charles Haid won the Directors Guild of America Award for Primetime Drama Series for the episode "Into that Good Night" with Rod Holcomb also picking up a Directors Guild Award in the Dramatic Specials category for his work on "24 Hours".
The first season received a number of nominations for other awards which are listed in the List of ER awards and nominations.