Dubenko? You're weird.

I missed last night's episdoe but it's been rubbish for ages.

I was surprised recently to find out that that show was still around. I haven't watched it since before Clooney left and assumed that it died a few years ago.

I was a passionate fan years ago and spent every Thursday night, in season, on my couch sobbing hopelessly. After Dr. Mark Green died, things were never the same. I hung in for another season or two, but it seemed to have jumped its shark, and I let it go. I wish they'd ended it long ago, on a strong note.

Oi! EJ, not fair. I ran in with metaphorical tissues and chicken soup!

Huh. I saw it last night and I didn't think it was too bad though. I thought the scene where Abby announced her stint in rehab to the entire staff was rather mawkish though. Who would do that?

But then I like John Stamos on there.

Man, I haven't watched it since about 1999 or so. Every year, I'm still kind of surprised to see it still on air.

I loved it for a bit during college/unemployment, but fell out of love after the helicopter accident and the brain death.

What gaspode said. I think the last time I watched it was when Clooney was on it and hadn't jumped to film yet. The only time my teevee dial lands on NBC is when 30 Rock is on and I saw a promo for ER and thought, jeez, that is still on?

I used to love this show. It was appointment television for years. But I stopped watching regularly after Mark Greene died and probably should have stopped a few years before that. Everyone is so freakin' miserable all the time. The whole cast needs a ticklin'."Where's that smile, Maura Tierney? I know it's in there! Is it hiding in your BELLY?!?! No? How about UNDER YOUR ARMS?!?"

Orange Swan, we're on the first episode. I didn't know Abbey goes into rehab.

Accchhhhh! I'm so sorry, essexjan. I just spoiled things for you.

Don't worry about it, OS, I don't know if I'm going to stick with it if it's as bad as it was last night.

I feel bad and disloyal just typing that.

I hardly ever saw ER back in its glory days. Perhaps I just don't have anything better to compare it to and so just don't know from bad...?

I give up on scripted shows very easily. I never watch a show religiously for more than a season or two, and I don't have any that I'm watching religiously now; the whole Grey's Anatomy fiasco (that it was so good and then all of a sudden SO BAD) left me sour. Reality TV for me!

Wow Pink... I was just going to compare to Grey's... and you beat me to it. They got to bad much more quickly than ER, huh?

Over the last few seasons ER has become more and more melodramatic...

Ahhh. People grow old, perhaps becoming overly emotional or picking up a touch of senility in their golden days. TV shows just jump the shark.

Dr. Mark Green died? eh?

show you the last time i watched the show!!!

He didn't just die, ramix--he died in Hawaii, after several emotionally wrought scenes with his older daughter and touching moments of tenderness with the newborn daughter he would never know. To the sound of that mournful yukele version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow that was done by that Hawaiian guy I can't think of who also died young in real life.

I'm surprised they didn't have someone pop out of my tv and spray me with pepper spray, so badly did they want my tears.

And, ramix, the other docs back in Chicago were told of Greene's death by way of a fax - a letter he'd written before he died which his widow faxed to Carter, who read it out loud in front of the assembled distraught staff of County General.

Best episode of recent years was the Ray Liotta one.

Jan, you need to be watching The Wire. I will send you it. You will watch it and be in love with any number of sexy beasts that inhabit the show.

You will watch it and be in love with any number of sexy beasts that inhabit the show.

mmmm Daniels, mmmm Carver, mmmm Stringer Bell.

And I'd totally do Freamon.

I have never watched ER, and I was wondering why I was reading this thread, until I realized that it was to link to this. Bruddah Iz made the world a better place, and I have an idea that somewhere he is passing the joint to Joe Strummer while teaching him the ukulele.

mmmm Daniels, mmmm Carver, mmmm Stringer Bell.

And I'd totally do Freamon.

Jimmy McNulty's ex-wife is pretty hot, too. Plus Omar Little is the baddest motherfucker to ever draw breath. And Chris Partlow and Snoop Pearson are truly fearsome individuals. And Bunk is my dream drinking buddy.

I used to watch ER back in the early days. I lost interest somewhere before Dr. Mark Greene died - though I did turn in for that episode and also fell in love with Iz's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Otherwise, it's just gotten so unrealistic and unbelievable that it's hard to believe it's the same show.

Years ago, i had a daily routine of getting high when they shows ER reruns in the evenings, like my scheduled relaxation time. They hit that post-Greene peak of weekly calamitous tragedy that made it too traumatic for anyone else i knew to want to watch it. When things hit a formula, people cease to care. i like how they can slot people in, in a way, but it has been on a long time and the cop/doc telly domination has spread out over so many shows that the only medical show i will watch is House, and the only law show i trip over is franchise rerun/ detective base.
i know too much about both so they are all broad parodies that hopefully showcase a likable and talented actor or novel plotline.
i don't know about how Abby went to rehab but i'd like to know why, and i know it's easier to search some wittily written online review.

i use to suffer from telly show loyalty but i think it evaporated when i was wondering why i was watching Diff'rent Strokes and realized i had a misplaced network loyalty. Cable finally did it in, and frankly i wish there was a network that could afford to run Xena, Burn Notice, syndicated ya yas, etc. when i was flush with weed.

With immediate alternate channel reruns, web viewers, tivo , torrents, etc. and, oh, life, i don't feel the need to watch anything anymore, and have been stalling on at least three movies i know i will enjoy that have been waiting on, untouched on some surface here, somewhere.
But some shows really benefit from big tv viewing, and some even more from marathon runs.

It would be nice if ER just lasted forever, like the soap it is, because sometimes there is some amazing acting, like when Don Cheadle was on. Buffy had some incredible moments. Any show allowed to hit a stride with do something worth watching and many that don't get that chance.

Who knows what will happen to ER. They are bringing back old people. i bet they'd bring back Clooney and/or wife and twins given the chance. No one knows what will happen with this strike, and the next, and the next--

i hope something changes for the better, and i think many of us have drifted from the set enough to let them burn off the crap and put faith where it's due. If they let it.

i'd rather wait on the next Human Tetris rather than watch American Gladiators two on purpose.

I hardly ever saw ER back in its glory days. Perhaps I just don't have anything better to compare it to and so just don't know from bad...?

Chicago Hope was damn good in its day, as far as I can remember it (big David E. Kelly fan). And House has been one of the most intelligent and thought-provoking hospital dramas I've seen.

BitterOldPunk: thanks for linking to that video!