Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t the first medical drama to steal our hearts. Before we were introduced to the surgical interns of Seattle, viewers were captivated with the thrilling and suspenseful inner world of ER. The NBC series premiered back in 1994 and quickly became the longest-running primetime medical drama with a whopping 15 seasons under its belt. The show was a big success both critically as the most nominated drama program in history and with fans who loyally followed the show from beginning to end. ER has been over for quite some time now, but it’s still well loved by fans. Here’s a look back at 10 things you might not have known about the medical drama ER!
10. It Began as a Movie Script
The original idea of “ER” came from best selling novelist, Michael Crichton, who had written a 180 page long movie script that featured more than 100 characters. Crichton wrote the script based on his time at Harvard Medical School in the 1960s, but didn’t get around to pitching the idea until 20 years later. The character of John Carter, who couldn’t start an IV, was based off Crichton himself. When the feature was pitched to NBC as a medical drama, Crichton was at the peak of his career with the success of Jurassic Park and had Steven Spielberg on board as a producer. A little wary about the whole thing, NBC greenlit the project to be featured as a two-hour movie, but after a lot of twists and turns it was renegotiated into a six-episode order.
Courtesy Everett Collection
