ER Turns 30

 

It's crazy that today is the 30th anniversary of my all-time favorite television series, ER. It's just hard to fathom about it because it was the series that hooked me to loving television. 

I was only five when ER premiered on Monday, September 19th, 1994. While I may not remember much from the beginning, I do remember the meaning of "appointment television" because every Thursday night at 10/9c, my grandmother, mother, and I would watch ER. 

What made me a fan of the show was its fast-paced nature, intensity, and, of course, the characters. The one thing that can really separate it from any other medical drama is the music score. What James Newton Howard and Martin Davich have done for the series is remarkable, with emotions and intense themes that make the show so different. 

Dr. Mark Greene is my favorite television character because he is a caring doctor and a natural human to whom we can all relate in some way or form. He helped set the tone when things got tough and brought the team together (even though Dr. Morganstern started the phrase). 

But I've loved and (sometimes hated) the characters on the show. The original six are the group that still stands out in the show's 15-season run. Would I love to see Dr. Susan Lewis stay long instead of leaving during season three and have a love relationship with Greene? I would love to see that as it would have probably changed a bit of the show's future. 

To come to terms with being a fan of the series, I would have to go to the hospital when I got sick at a younger age. My mother would ask the nurse or doctor if Dr. Greene or Ross was on the floor. I'm pretty sure I met Dr. Greene, but he wasn't like Anthony Edwards, to say the least. I bet doctors and nurses would get those questions from patients who come in during the early days of the shows running. 

This show has a personal meaning to me, as I watched it with my grandmother. She had passed away four years ago, but I was her homecare aide for eight-plus years of taking care of her. While we used to watch during its original run, we watched the series when it began to re-air on PopTV.

Rewatching the series brings up a lot of emotions, but it's good because I remember specific episodes like "Such Sweet Sorrow" when Carol was leaving to be with Doug. I told my grandmother that it was Geroge, but she didn't believe it until the camera closed up on them. 

Even rewatching "On the Beach" or "Loose Ends" brings a lot of crying time. Especially when Mark loses her dad and sees him washing him up, they both tell each other that they love one another, which reminded me of when I took care of my grandmother. 

I'm so glad the series had such a resurgence when it began streaming on Hulu in 2018. It proves that this show while being a 90s show, is still relevant, and getting new fans to watch and talk about it makes me so happy. 

As I said from the beginning, ER is my all-time favorite show, and nothing has or will ever come close to that. On this day, I'll be rewatching the two-hour pilot movie (still the best TV pilot of this day) that started it all with a celebration and remembrance of what a series this has been in the television world.