ER: The Oral History is a deep dive into the show that began the modern medical drama phenomenon, and it contains new interviews with over 60 people, including John Wells and Noah Wyle (showrunner and star of the original ER, respectively, and executive producers of HBO's The PItt), Eriq LaSalle, Laura Innes, Ming-Na Wen, Paul McCrane, Rick Rossovich, and Goran Visnjic.
Long before Jurassic Park was the embryo of an idea in Michael Crichton's mind, there was ER. A medical student who dreamt of a career in Hollywood, Crichton did what any aspiring writer would: he created a script based on time working in a high-octane hospital emergency department. Of course, nobody wanted it. It wasn't until Crichton turned his attention to dinosaurs and his 1990 novel Jurassic Park became a megahit - and a mega-movie franchise - that Steven Spielberg's camp asked the former doctor what other ideas he was kicking around. Producers weren't interested in Crichton's dream to make a hospital film. But, they were looking for new television series programming and thought there might be something even bigger in the concept than a movie. And, thus, ER was born.
Despite some resistance from NBC's top brass, the Warner Bros. Television drama became an overnight hit with its high-adrenaline storylines, realistic dialogue, and bona fide (not to mention hot) stars in the making in the cast, including Julianna Margulies, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, and an actor who didn't end up amounting to much named George Clooney. ER premiered opposite the popular CBS drama Chicago Hope and quickly cannibalized its competition. It would, in its heyday, average 35 million viewers per season (in an era before streaming and DVRs), and was either the number one or number two most watched show on television for six years.
Over the course of its fifteen years on air ER would feature weddings, births, break-ups, death, and medical conundrums in just about every form you could imagine. Although stars like Clooney and Margulies would come and go, ER introduced (or, in some cases, re-introduced) the world to actors like Maura Tierney, Mekhi Phifer, Linda Cardellini, Ming-Na Wen, and Scott Grimes. It won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and was nominated a staggering 124 times. As popular as Grey's Anatomy is now, there would be no Grey Sloan Memorial without County General.
About the Author :
LYNETTE RICE is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Save a Life, her oral history of the hit medical show, Grey's Anatomy. Previously, she was a senior writer at Deadline, as well as an editor-at-large for Entertainment Weekly and a writer covering TV for The Hollywood Reporter. Lynette wrote about "ER" during its heyday and forged many relationships with some of the most important players on the drama both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Review :
"It's been years since I worked on 'ER, ' and Lynette Rice's oral history brought it all back in vivid detail. Covering the highs, the lows, and the daily challenges of making a TV show work, reading this book felt like being back on the set, meeting (and saying goodbye to) some of my favorite characters all over again. From casual fans to the diehards that were with us since day one, this is a must read." --John Wells, Executive Producer of The Pitt, ER
"Speaking the first line of ER as Nurse Lydia Wright changed my life. I became a proud part of that uniquely creative ensemble, which led to lifelong friendships. Magically, Lynette Rice succeeds in capturing both the profound impact of ER on our culture, as well as the day to day family experience of being on set. Reading this book feels like attending a terrific reunion with all our ER folks, as story builds on story. Come join the party - you will have a fabulous time!" --Ellen Crawford (Nurse Lydia Wright)
"As a kid of the Must See TV generation, I was obsessed with ER. Lynette Rice's ER: The Oral History reminded me why. Featuring interviews with 60 of the medical drama's major players--showrunner John Wells, as well as stars Eriq La Salle, Ming Na-Wen, and Noah Wyle, just to name a few--the book offers never-before-shared insight into the making of the show, covering everything from casting to major writer's room decisions to George Clooney's legendary on-set pranks. While in-depth breakdowns of landmark episodes highlight why ER and its commitment to medical fact over fiction was so ahead of its time. Whether you're an OG fan or just ER curious, Rice's book is a must-read. --Shannon Carlin, author of Witches Run Amok: The Oral History of Disney's Hocus Pocus
"No one reports as thoroughly as Lynette Rice, and here she uses her prodigious skill to bring us inside the most famous emergency room in television history, across its impressively long run, dropping names like Steven Spielberg and George Clooney along the way. A fascinating look behind the scenes of a television institution whose influence has not abated, and the perfect companion to your binge-watch of 'The Pitt.'" --Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia and When Women Invented Television
