When the long-running medical drama returns Thursday night with the first of six spring episodes, its future is known: The ensemble drama that made a star out of George Clooney will return for a 15th and final season in the fall.
ER executive producer John Wells confirmed that the final season will be 19 episodes, including a possible two-hour finale at the end of February. The season will air over consecutive weeks, without reruns, culminating with the finale.
"This just feels right," Wells told Canwest News Service. "I've been involved with any number of series where the network let us know we weren't going to be able to continue, and we couldn't wrap it up the way we wanted to had we known in advance. This way, we do know."
The once quick-paced medical drama, a cultural lightning rod when it debuted in 1994 in the same week as Friends, was said to be on life support when Hollywood writers went on strike last November. Rumours of its death were greatly exaggerated, however. When ER returns in the fall, the cast ensemble will feature a number of new faces, as well as the early retirement of several veterans.
Maura Tierney, who has played hard-luck nurse-turned-doctor Abby Lockhart since ER's sixth season, will be gone after a few episodes. Goran Visnjic, who plays Abby's husband, troubled surgeon and Bosnian war survivor Luka Kovac, will also leave. Parminder Nagra, Linda Cardellini and John Stamos will all return. Mekhi Phifer's status is still up in the air.Wells said he hopes former cast members will return for ER's send-off. Other than Noah Wyle, though, who is committed to appear in at least four episodes, none have been confirmed. There had been speculation that original cast member Anthony Edwards, whose character Mark Greene died of brain cancer in ER's eighth season, might return in a dream sequence, possibly in the series finale. But Wells said that was just talk at this point. "I'm not quite sure where that rumour came from," Wells said. "People aren't going to come back unless -- and some people may not come back at all, under any circumstances -- they know exactly what we're asking them to do. And we haven't figured that out yet. Over the summer I'll start contacting people again."
Tierney admitted to feelings of bittersweetness about saying goodbye to the program that has been her home for nearly 10 years. She is ER's longest surviving regular cast member; her battered, emotionally bruised character had long been identified as ER's heart and soul. "I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this," Tierney said, quietly. "I'll want to take something iconic, on my last day. I will not be taking my scrubs with me."
Thursday's episode is the first new episode of ER since Jan. 17. The story, "Owner of a Broken Heart," focuses on turmoil in the surgeons' and medical interns' private lives, and hints at serious life changes to come. Aida Turturro and Hal Holbrook will appear in guest roles in future episodes, but Thursday's episode focuses on the regular players.
Ironically, when ER debuted, it aired just one day after another medical drama, David E. Kelley's Chicago Hope, also made its debut. Chicago Hope lasted just six seasons, however. When ER retires, it will be just four years younger than Law & Order, presently in its 18th season. Gunsmoke holds the record as television's longest-running prime time drama series, with 20 seasons.
ER earned a near-record 26 Emmy nominations in its debut season, a total surpassed only by NYPD Blue, with 27. ER holds the record for most Emmy nominations overall, with 120, three more than Cheers. ER won the Emmy for best drama just once, however, in 1996.
Wells is philosophical about ER finally calling it a day.
ER is leaving on its own terms, he said: Even though it's one of the most expensive programs on TV to make -- $13 million an episode during the Clooney-Edwards years -- and even though last fall's weekly average audience of nine million viewers was well off its 1995 peak of 32 million, ER has life in it yet. "I wanted to make sure we're going out while we're still strong, rather than waiting until we had stayed too long at the party," Wells said. "I wanted to be able to do it right."
Elsewhere, John Stamos has reportedly rejected an offer to star in an ER spinoff. The actor, who has played paramedic-turned-intern Tony Gates since 2006, said he did not want the commitment of his own show. NBC and Warner Brothers are believed to have approached him to ascertain his feelings about a new project. An insider told the New York Daily News: "Stamos wasn't having it. He's not interested in being locked into a contract right now. He's got other options open."
ER returns Thursday on CTV and NBC at 10 ET/PT.
