Netflix has just added one of the most iconic TV shows of all time | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV
Netflix is streaming an iconic series for the first time (Image: Getty)
The most iconic medical series of all time is available to stream on Netflix UK for the first time. ER, the long-running drama praised for its strong writing and star-striking power, was a ’90s juggernaut only to be canceled in 2009.
TV shows and movies come in and out of Netflix regularly, but not ER. This is the first time the series has been transferred to a broadcaster in the UK. Now, the entire 15-year-old acclaimed series has arrived on Netflix.
For viewers unfamiliar with the show and why it is so famous, ER offered a realistic look at a busy Chicago hospital emergency room and, of course, made George Clooney a household name.
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George Clooney became a star from the emergency room (Image: Getty)
ER was created by the late author and screenwriter Michael Crichton, who wrote 25 books, including the novel Jurassic Park and the screenplay that resulted in the hit Steven Spielberg movie.
The medical drama is based on Crichton’s experience working in a busy emergency room as a Harvard-educated medical student. The script, written decades before the series, was reworked by Spielberg and showrunner John Wells, who directed the series’ legendary first episode.
The rest is history. The series has been critically acclaimed for 15 years, and now every episode is at your fingertips to revisit or experience for the first time.
And with 331 episodes, there’s plenty to keep track of. The program was a traditional network drama of old times, when TV shows ran like clockwork with 20+ episodes each year.
Cast of the first series of ER (Image: Getty)
It was a runaway success. The Television Academy, the organization behind the Emmy Awards in the US, described the show’s impact: “For television viewers in 1994, there was life before and life after watching the pilot episode of ER.”
They state: “ER will not only become one of TV’s biggest hits, but it will also become the standard by which all subsequent medical dramas will be measured. Because ER has proven to be more than just capturing traumatic, life-or-death situations through the exciting lens of the Steadicam. ER was a show about relatable medical professionals who made tough sacrifices every day, so we didn’t have to.”
The ER is the medical drama of all medical dramas. It may have been three decades since it first wowed TV viewers, but viewers old and new haven’t stopped singing its praises.
Sherry Stringfield as Dr Susan Lewis (Image: Getty)
A newcomer to the series asked other Netflix subscribers: “ER has just appeared on UK Netflix. Should I try it?”
One replied: “The critically acclaimed television show that actually propelled many actors to stardom and became a huge success? The one that broke ratings records? The one that influenced all the television shows you said you liked? No, no you shouldn’t.”
“I have a penchant for medical dramas but there’s only so much cheese I can stomach outside of a sitcom but ER is low on cheese but tight on drama and solid acting throughout,” a second replied.
“The first 6 seasons of ER are some of the best television ever made,” another wrote.
