There have been many successful medical dramas over the years, but even after over two decades, one remains a masterpiece. Medical drama is one of the most popular branches of TV, and it has seen some ofthe best TV shows of all time, though most haven’t been safe from controversies.
In recent years,Grey’s Anatomy,The Good Doctor, andThe Pitthave kept the world of medical dramas afloat, all of them with a different style. However, these and many other shows wouldn’t be what they are if it weren’t for a classic medical drama that came out 21 years ago, and which continues to be a masterpiece of the genre:ER.
ER Is A Classic Medical Drama Everyone Should Watch Once
Created by Michael Crichton (author ofJurassic Park),ERaired on NBC from 1994 to 2009, for a total of 15 seasons. For years,ERheld the record for the longest-running primetime medical dramain American TV history, but it has been dethroned byGrey’s Anatomy.
ERtook place at Cook County General Hospital to follow the staff of the emergency room. Along with everything they went through at the hospital,ERalso focused on the personal lives of the staff, with both sides often overlapping. Of course,ERwas heavy on drama with its staff and the patients they attended, but it also had its dose of comedy.
ERis not only one of the best TV shows of all time, but one of the most influential, as well.ERchanged the branch of medical drama with its realism, visual style, fast-paced storytelling, complex and well-developed characters, medical accuracy, and suspense.
On top of that,ERhad a solid cast throughout its 15 seasons, which was in constant change, but the show made sure to give closure to most of them.ERfamously starred George Clooney and Noah Wyle at some point, along with Anthony Edwards and Julianna Margulies.
ERis a must-watch even for those who aren’t into medical dramas, as the stories are so engaging, the medical cases intriguing, and the characters so interesting that it’s hard to stop watching.
21 Years After Its Ending, ER Still Mostly Holds Up Today
AlthoughER’s quality declined in its final seasons, it’s still worth watching, and it doesn’t feel outdated.ERis considered one of the most accurate medical dramas, though its cases were often dramatized, sped up, and even exaggerated for narrative and dramatic purposes. The personal and emotional struggles of the characters are some ofER’s biggest hooks, and viewers can surely still relate to them.
With TV shows having shorter seasons nowadays,ERmight seem like an overwhelmingly long TV show, but it’s so well-made that it’s worth the commitment – and fans of medical dramas will see why it’s so influential and how it has shaped recent and current medical dramas.
