Specials

Episodes • 2009

1. Retrospective

45 min

The cast and crew reflect on 15 years in the ER. From the pilot to the finale the stories from Country General have impacted audiences all around the world. Now, the most recognized drama bids farewell.

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3. Ambush (West Coast)

45 min

The plot of the episode "Ambush," which aired in 1997, revolves around a PBS documentary crew filming a "typical day" in the emergency room at Chicago's County General Hospital. The episode was notable for being filmed and broadcast live twice: once for East Coast viewers and again for West Coast viewers.

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4. Prescription for Success: The Birth of ER

45 min

An absolutely incredible supplement that mixes clips from the show and recently filmed interviews with the principals and the stars and it gives us a great breakdown on the genesis of the first season. We learn about the birth of the show (based on Crichton’s actual experiences while training as a physician), the trials of having the show picked up for television, Spielberg and Amblin’s eventual involvement in the pilot and how Crichton’s mention of Jurassic Park to Spielberg slowed the development down on ER, the circumstances around casting the actors for the main roles and how close relationships were formed with the original cast, finding the perfect location, and so on.

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5. First Year Rotation: Caring for ER

45 min

The trials and tribulations of the first season including shooting 80-pages of script (basically, feature length) in seven days, the non-stop schedules needed to get the show made on such short time frames, the difficulties (and eventual triumphs) of working with a steadi-cam which was very unconventional at the time, the writers used on the show and how ideas became story lines, as well as touching on great episodes from the first season.

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6. On The Cutting Edge: Medical Realism on ER

45 min

This supplement gives us interviews with the technical advisors/consultants on the show, as well as other members of the cast and crew (including Spielberg and Crichton) and we learn how everyone involved strived for realism in every aspect of the show – starting with the script and on to the technical choreography, terminology, and props.

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7. Post Operation Procedures: Post Production in the ER

45 min

Here we learn about post production on the show and the short amount of time the editors, producers, and composer(s) have to get a show ready to run on the tube. Those involved said that there are usually eight days of shooting and after that, only three or four days before the show airs. We learn how the show is edited, how the sound and music are added and dubbed, and how all those involved in post production strive for realism in their work as well.

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