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Despite the authenticity of its hospital scenes, ER has not escaped criticism from the medical community. Dr. Gerald P. Whelan, a member of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, complained in the Los Angeles Times that ER shows untrained medical students doing procedures they would never be allowed to perform in a real emergency room. "The American public is being presented with a picture of emergency medical care that is 20 years outdated," he wrote. Dr. Lance Gentile, an emergency-room physician who is on the ER staff as writer and technical consultant, dismisses such complaints. "These groups are concerned with the public's perception of emergency medicine," he says. "The fact is that in real-life emergency rooms, supervised students do give medical care."
ER is populated by journeymen TV actors who redefine that overused term, "ensemble cast." Anthony Edwards (who had a recurring role in Northern Exposure and supporting roles in such films as Top Gun) is probably first among equals, but with his thinning hair, glasses and unassuming manner, he never steals a scene. George Clooney, as playboy pediatrician Dr. Doug Ross, is the most traditional hunk of the bunch, but the actor is self-effacing to a fault. "The writers are so good that even I can't screw up," he says. "For an old TV actor, it's great to have Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton come by and talk to you. It's so nice to be on a quality show. You can hold your head high."
All of TV is high on ER's success. The show is giving another boost to the comeback of serious TV drama. It has shown that the networks can still create hits without the help of surefire time periods. And it has proved that viewers will try something challenging when given a chance. As Crichton relates, "People in the entertainment business said, 'Viewers won't understand this show.' Finally, there's a recognition that people are smart." Television sometimes is too.