The first season of the American fictional drama television series ER aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to May 18, 1995. The first season consists of 25 episodes.
Plot In ER first season, the core cast consisted of Chief Resident 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 an attempted suicide from staff nurse Carol Hathaway, who had previously been in a long-term relationship with Doug Ross, as well as the first day for medical student John Carter.
Originally, Carol Hathaway died by suicide, 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. Her love interest in the first season is John "Tag" Taglieri.
One of the major events this season is a blizzard that sends multiple patients to County General.
Also 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.
Meanwhile, a lovelorn Ross struggles to come to terms with the fact that a recovered Hathaway is moving on with her life while 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 psychiatrist Dr. Div Cvetic.
Carter comes to grips with the fast-paced life of an ER doctor, while trying to win the approval of his demanding supervising resident, Dr. Peter 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 is denied due to her suicide attempt. On her wedding day, her fiancé, 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.
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 physical therapist Jeanie Boulet.
Production The series pilot was executive produced by Michael Crichton 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, and Donna Deitch.
Cast
Main cast Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene – Chief Resident George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross – Pediatric Fellow (Fourth-year Resident) Sherry Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis – Second-year ER Resident Noah Wyle as John Carter – Third-year Rotating Medical Student Julianna Margulies as Nurse Carol Hathaway – Registered Nurse and Nurse Manager Eriq La Salle as Dr. Peter Benton – Second-year Surgical Resident
Supporting cast Doctors and medical students
William H. Macy as Dr. David Morgenstern – Chief of Surgery and Emergency MedicineEpisodes 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18. Sam Anderson as Dr. Jack Kayson – Chief of Cardiology Amy Aquino as Dr. Janet Coburn – Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology CCH Pounder as Dr. Angela Hicks – Surgical/Emergency Medical Attending PhysicianEpisodes 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 24, 25. Ming-Na Wen as Deb Chen – Third-year Medical Student Michael Ironside as Dr. William "Wild Willy" Swift – Chief of Emergency MedicineEpisodes 20, 21, 22, 23, 25. Also, Seasons 4 and 8. Scott Jaeck as Dr. Steven Flint – Chief of Radiology Rick Rossovich as Dr. John "Tag" Taglieri – Orthopedist John Terry as Dr. David "Div" Cvetic – PsychiatristEpisodes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 23 (photo only, uncredited). Tyra Ferrell as Dr. Sarah Langworthy – Third-year Surgical ResidentEpisodes 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9. Perry Anzilotti as Dr. Ed – Anesthesiologist Tobin Bell as Dr. Wertz – Hospital Administrator Patrick Collins as Dr. NetzleyEpisode 24. Marion Yue as Dr. Sandra Li Matt Gottlieb as Dr. Ashley Pierre Epstein as Dr. Alex Bradley – Chief of Staff
Nurses
Ellen Crawford as Nurse Lydia Wright Conni Marie Brazelton as Nurse Conni Oligario Deezer D as Nurse Malik McGrath Laura Ceron as Nurse Chuny Marquez Yvette Freeman as Nurse Haleh Adams Lily Mariye as Nurse Lily Jarvik Vanessa Marquez as Nurse Wendy Goldman Dinah Lenney as Nurse Shirley Suzanne Carney as OR Nurse Janet
Staff, paramedics and officers
Gloria Reuben as Physical Therapist Jeanie Boulet Abraham Benrubi as Desk Clerk Jerry MarkovicEpisodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, ??, 24. Glenn Plummer as Desk Clerk Timmy RawlinsEpisodes 1, 2, 3, 12. Rolando Molina as Desk Clerk Rolando Małgorzata Gebel as ER aide (Dr.) Bogdana "Bob" Romansky Lisa Zane as Risk Management Diane LeedsEpisodes 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. Christine Healy as Hospital Administrator Harriet Spooner Emily Wagner as Paramedic Doris Pickman Montae Russell as Paramedic Dwight Zadro Lee Sellers as Chopper EMT Mike Genovese as Officer Al Grabarsky Rick Marzan as CamachoEpisodes 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 25.
Family
Christine Harnos as Jennifer "Jenn" GreeneEpisodes 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25. Yvonne Zima as Rachel GreeneEpisodes 1, 2 (credited, but unseen), 5, 6, 17, 23, 25. Georgiana Tarjan as Helen HathawayEpisodes 1, 3 (uncredited), 25. Khandi Alexander as Jackie Robbins Ving Rhames as Walter RobbinsEpisodes 4, 8, 13, 17, 18, 23. Beah Richards as Mae BentonEpisodes ??, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24. Tamala Jones as Joanie Robbins Mark Dakota Robinson as Steven Robbins Kathleen Wilhoite as Chloe LewisEpisodes 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Valerie Perrine as Cookie Lewis Zachary Browne as Jake LeedsEpisodes 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 25. Michael Beach as Al BouletEpisode 20.
Notable guest stars
Adam Scott as David KersetterEpisode 20 Andrea Parker as Linda FerrellEpisodes 6, 7, ??, 22, 24 Miguel Ferrer as Mr. ParkerEpisode 1 (uncredited) Troy Evans as Officer Frank Martin Liz Vassey as LizEpisodes 1, 2, 3, 5 John Randolph as Mr. FranksEpisode 2 John La Motta as Ivan GregorEpisodes 2, 3, 5, 6. Rosemary Clooney as Madam X/Mary CavanaughEpisodes 3 and 11 (uncredited) Ken Lerner as Harry Stopek Alan Rosenberg as Samuel GasnerEpisode 5 Vondie Curtis-Hall as Henry Colton/RenaEpisode 9 Anne Haney as Mrs. PackerEpisode 3 Bobcat Goldthwait as Mr. Conally (voice only)Episode 15 Robert Carradine as John KochEpisode 18 Bradley Whitford as Sean O'BrienEpisode 19 Colleen Flynn as Jodi O'BrienEpisode 19 Kristin Davis as Leslie Garrett Morris as Edgar LuckEpisode 9 Debra Jo Rupp as Mrs. Dibble Amy Ryan as Sister Elizabeth Kevin Michael Richardson as PatrickEpisodes 7, 10, 11
Episodes
Reception Critical reactions for ERs first season were very favorable. Alan Rich, writing for Variety, praised the direction and editing of the pilotER Review (Variety Magazine) – Rich, Alan: ER - Pilot Review (from 19 September 1994), accessed on December 31, 2008 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."Deja Vu: 'ER' (New York Daily News) – Minke, Eric: Chicago Hope looks healthier than 'E.R (from 22 September 2008), accessed on December 31, 2008
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".
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