First up, one of the best lyric-less theme songs EVER:
#19. ER (1994-2009)
NBC, Drama
Choice Songs & Scenes:
Bennett & Morris Omaha: (with Miller High Life Delivery Guy tending bar)
Morris Driving:
Christmas Gift:
Set the Tone #1:
Set the Tone #2:
- ER's been a show I've been avoiding writing up for quite some time. Looking over my rankings, this is the last show to be bumped up at least twenty or thirty spots (there's one more that's risen since the thirties and it'll be soon) since the list began, but it definitely deserves a top twenty placement.
ER is about the day-to-day operation of an emergency room at Chicago's County General Hospital and the lives of its staff, patients, and passerby. It's presented in the vein of a lot of early nineties post-thirtysomething drama in that it's realistic. There's no spectacle, no gloss, no stylized drama. Yes, later on it would become known for its big disaster episodes and heavy melodrama, but the first season's biggest thriller isn't a helicopter crash, a hostage situation, or a tank driving through the wall; it's Dr. Greene trying to do childbirth. And it's a heartwrencher. It really isn't until Dr. Ross in "Hell and High Water" that there comes the once a year big story, and that's got nothing on Doctah Clemente going bat**** on the streets of Chicago (by nothing, I mean it's soooo much better).
P.S. You could also make a case for the one episode where there's a blizzard. The first half and some amazing looseness and humor since there were no patients while the second half is frenetic and thrilling because everyone who was hurt in the storm come in droves. Damn good episode.
There's definitely a rotating door for the cast, but the cool thing about the show is that so many come back for cameos or extended roles while others are there with the show for the whole fifteen even if they're not stars. There's both a level of comfort and realism to how it evolves over time. There's a great scene where Morganstern (William H. Macy) comes back in a later cameo with the old chief and it's just beautiful and really bridges gaps between years. I'd link to it if there weren't spoilers in all the related videos.
I've a good few favorites I want to mention. Dr. Carter's as main a character as you could have if only because he lasted the longest of the original cast (and came back so often after he left including a run of episodes for the final season). He was the newbie, a rich kid who went a different route from his parents and wanted to help people. Early on, he was kind of a Wesley, a know-it-all with some annoying attitudes, but very dedicated and eager to learn. He and Dr. Peter Benton are my favorite relationship of the show, and Scrubs totally based JD and Dr. Cox off these two. And Peter Benton, he of the theme song fistpump, is so damn good. He's strong and standoffish, but he delivers great, subtle drama when it's his turn. Easily one of my favorites (as all of the original cast are, except for maybe Susan) even though I can't think of any moments where he interacted with the cast besides Carter or his girlfriend.
Doug Ross (the charming and funny Clooney), Carol Hathaway (the beautiful and talented Julianna Marguiles), and Mark Greene (the "I can't believe he was Goose" Anthony Edwards) are are also big names. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) was always welcome, but she never really stood out. Ross & Hathaway were the big romance of the first seasons and it was totally charming, and the Ross/Greene friendship was fantastic. These three were the core of the show. Benton/Carter pairing was great, but these three grounded the show and were the real stars.