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ER season 1

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ER
Season 1
DVD cover
Starring
No. of episodes25
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 19, 1994 (1994-09-19) –
May 18, 1995 (1995-05-18)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes
Further information: List of ER episodes

The first season of the American fictional drama television series ER aired from September 19, 1994 to May 18, 1995. This season, containing 25 episodes, is the longest running of the series.

The two-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 ER's 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, James Hayman, and Donna Deitch.

Cast

Main cast

Supporting cast

Doctors and Medical students
Nurses
Staff, Paramedics and Officers
Family

Notable guest stars

Episodes

See also: List of ER episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		US viewers
(millions)
11"24 Hours"Rod HolcombMichael CrichtonSeptember 19, 1994 (1994-09-19)47507923.8[32]
22"Day One"Mimi LederJohn WellsSeptember 22, 1994 (1994-09-22)45660123.0[32]
33"Going Home"Mark TinkerLydia WoodwardSeptember 29, 1994 (1994-09-29)45660223.9[33]
44"Hit and Run"Mimi LederPaul ManningOctober 6, 1994 (1994-10-06)45660426.8[34]
55"Into That Good Night"Charles HaidRobert NathanOctober 13, 1994 (1994-10-13)45660326.7[35]
66"Chicago Heat"Elodie KeeneStory by : Neal Baer
Teleplay by : John Wells		October 20, 1994 (1994-10-20)45660527.3[36]
77"Another Perfect Day"Vern GillumStory by : Lance Gentile
Teleplay by : Lydia Woodward		November 3, 1994 (1994-11-03)45660625.7[37]
88"9½ Hours"James HaymanRobert NathanNovember 10, 1994 (1994-11-10)45660728.3[38]
99"ER Confidential"Daniel SackheimPaul ManningNovember 17, 1994 (1994-11-17)45660824.5[39]
1010"Blizzard"Mimi LederStory by : Neal Baer & Paul Manning
Teleplay by : Lance Gentile		December 8, 1994 (1994-12-08)45660929.1[40]
1111"The Gift"Félix Enríquez AlcaláNeal BaerDecember 15, 1994 (1994-12-15)45661027.8[41]
1212"Happy New Year"Charles HaidLydia WoodwardJanuary 5, 1995 (1995-01-05)45661130.4[42]
1313"Luck of the Draw"Rod HolcombPaul ManningJanuary 12, 1995 (1995-01-12)45661231.2[43]
1414"Long Day's Journey"Anita AddisonRobert NathanJanuary 19, 1995 (1995-01-19)45661334.0[44]
1515"Feb 5, '95"James HaymanJohn WellsFebruary 2, 1995 (1995-02-02)45661434.0[45]
1616"Make of Two Hearts"Mimi LederLydia WoodwardFebruary 9, 1995 (1995-02-09)45661534.2[46]
1717"The Birthday Party"Elodie KeeneJohn WellsFebruary 16, 1995 (1995-02-16)45661632.7[47]
1818"Sleepless in Chicago"Christopher ChulackPaul ManningFebruary 23, 1995 (1995-02-23)45661735.0[48]
1919"Love's Labor Lost"Mimi LederLance GentileMarch 9, 1995 (1995-03-09)45661834.4[49]
2020"Full Moon, Saturday Night"Donna DeitchNeal BaerMarch 30, 1995 (1995-03-30)45661932.9[50]
2121"House of Cards"Fred GerberTracey SternApril 6, 1995 (1995-04-06)45662035.3[51]
2222"Men Plan, God Laughs"Christopher ChulackRobert NathanApril 27, 1995 (1995-04-27)45662133.5[52]
2323"Love Among the Ruins"Fred GerberPaul ManningMay 4, 1995 (1995-05-04)45662231.5[53]
2424"Motherhood"Quentin TarantinoLydia WoodwardMay 11, 1995 (1995-05-11)45662333.1[54]
2525"Everything Old Is New Again"Mimi LederJohn WellsMay 18, 1995 (1995-05-18)45662433.6[55]

Reception

Critical reactions for ER's first season were very favorable. Alan Rich, writing for Variety, praised the direction and editing of the pilot[56] 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."[57]

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,[57] while Rich felt both shows were "riveting, superior TV fare."[56]

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".

References

  1. ^ Episodes 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18.
  2. ^ Episodes 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 24, 25.
  3. ^ Episodes 20, 21, 22, 23, 25. Also, Seasons 4 and 8.
  4. ^ Episodes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 23 (photo only, uncredited).
  5. ^ Episodes 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9.
  6. ^ a b Episode 2
  7. ^ a b c Episode 24.
  8. ^ Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, ??, 24.
  9. ^ Episodes 1, 2, 3, 12.
  10. ^ Episodes 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
  11. ^ Episodes 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 25.
  12. ^ Episodes 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25.
  13. ^ Episodes 1, 2 (credited, but unseen), 5, 6, 17, 23, 25.
  14. ^ Episodes 1, 3 (uncredited), 25.
  15. ^ Episodes 4, 8, 13, 17, 18, 23.
  16. ^ Episodes ??, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24.
  17. ^ Episodes 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.
  18. ^ Episodes 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 25.
  19. ^ Episode 20.
  20. ^ Episodes 6, 7, ??, 22, 24
  21. ^ Episode 1 (uncredited)
  22. ^ Episodes 1, 2, 3, 5
  23. ^ Episodes 2, 3, 5, 6.
  24. ^ Episodes 3 and 11 (uncredited)
  25. ^ Episode 5
  26. ^ Episode 9
  27. ^ Episode 3
  28. ^ Episode 15
  29. ^ Episode 18
  30. ^ a b Episode 19
  31. ^ Episodes 7, 10, 11
  32. ^ a b "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. September 28, 1994. p. 3D.
  33. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. October 5, 1994. p. 3D.
  34. ^ Graham, Jefferson (October 12, 1994). "CBS edges into No. 1 spot, but can it stay?". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  35. ^ DeRosa, Robin (October 19, 1994). "Regular series put ABC back on top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  36. ^ DeRosa, Robin (October 26, 1994). "'Grace' leads ABC to tie with CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  37. ^ DeRosa, Robin (November 9, 1994). "'Cagney & Lacey' makes winning return". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  38. ^ DeRosa, Robin (November 16, 1994). "CBS' 'Scarlett' sweeps to No. 1". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  39. ^ DeRosa, Robin (November 23, 1994). "'Scarlett,' CBS' sweeping epic". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  40. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 14, 1994. p. 3D.
  41. ^ DeRosa, Robin (December 21, 1994). "ABC's winning way with comedy". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  42. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. January 11, 1995. p. 3D.
  43. ^ DeRosa, Robin (January 18, 1995). "'ER' rolls into the No. 1 spot". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  44. ^ DeRosa, Robin (January 25, 1995). "'ER' helps NBC to No. 1". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  45. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. February 8, 1995. p. 3D.
  46. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. February 15, 1995. p. 3D.
  47. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. February 22, 1995. p. 3D.
  48. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. March 1, 1995. p. 3D.
  49. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. March 15, 1995. p. 3D.
  50. ^ DeRosa, Robin (April 5, 1995). "Oscar show, celeb chats keep ABC on top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  51. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. April 12, 1995. p. 3D.
  52. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. May 3, 1995. p. 3D.
  53. ^ DeRosa, Robin (May 10, 1995). "Ratings go to the movies". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  54. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. May 17, 1995. p. 3D.
  55. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. May 24, 1995. p. 3D.
  56. ^ a b ER Review (Variety Magazine) – Rich, Alan: ER - Pilot Review (from 19 September 1994), accessed on December 31, 2008
  57. ^ a b 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
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