When George Clooney left ER in 1999, executive producer John Wells began to conceive the series finale of his NBC drama. Okay, maybe he was a tad premature, but he realized that it was quite possible that all of ER’s original cast members would eventually jump ship (as they did) and he wanted to be prepared. And he insists that his plans for the two-hour finale on April 2 at 9 p.m. (preceded by a one-hour retrospective) haven’t changed much over the past decade. “I really wanted to say to the audience, ‘This place is still here, and if you took the wrong off-ramp in Chicago, you’d end up in front of the hospital where these people have always worked,’” says Wells, who penned the final episode, which is currently shooting in Los Angeles.
Actually, the long good-bye to County General has been going on since November: Early cast members Noah Wyle (Dr. Carter), Laura Innes (Dr. Weaver), and Anthony Edwards (Dr. Greene) have already guest-starred. And Clooney — whose return as Dr. Doug Ross is one of the worst-kept secrets in TV — will be joined by costars Julianna Margulies (Nurse Hathaway) and Eriq La Salle (Dr. Benton) for much-anticipated cameo appearances throughout March sweeps. Wells won’t say exactly when we’ll see them (nor will NBC confirm reports that Clooney will appear March 12), but he does suggest that fans set their TiVos ASAP. “You should not expect them all to be in the finale,” warns Wells. “We’ve spread them out over the season. I didn’t want to do something like somebody dies, or there is a celebration, or the hospital closes, so that’s why everybody comes back. I wanted it to be natural.” He’ll confirm one star for the finale: Wyle, the one original cast member who has appeared in the most episodes of ER.
For more about ER – including how it almost got pink-slipped by NBC before it went on the air in 1994 — check out the latest issue of EW.
More ‘ER’:
George Clooney will appear on ‘ER’…but when?
‘Gilmore’ girl rushed to ‘ER’!
Ausiello Files ‘ER’ scoops
Kerry Weaver’s return was about 5 seconds long. I want her back too! And what about Dr. Lewis? I’m a bit “meh” about Carol & Doug, but I know a lot of fans want them back……….finally, I thought it was February sweeps. Since when is there a March sweeps?
Instead of February sweeps, there is March sweeps this year. Done due to the digital change that was suppossed to happen on February 17th. Ironically that date was moved though
i want benton, carter, kem, and susan to have happy endings. that’s all
“Doug reunites with Carol”
does the press yearly memory check is do?
Doug and Carol are already reunited they have been since season 6. the only one’s who are being reunited are George and Julianna.
I hope that we see Carter live and marry Kem. Hope to see a happy Doug and Carol. And I can’t wait for a Susan, Benton, Carter reunion. I miss their camaraderie.
Was I the only one that actually hated Kem? Blah. I wanted him to stay with Abby, which by the way…is coming back to? She really needs to be in the last episodes.
Can’t wait to see George Clooney
nancy, Carter and Kem did get married. If you remember in the episode “Darfur”, Carter was wearing a wedding band in his wedding finger.
I haaated Kem as well. What about Deb? Wouldn’t some of the nurses (Haleh or Chuney) have been in more episodes than any doctors. I think that those consistent supporting players have kept ER fluent. They give me comfort and I am glad they stayed. I have watched this show since I was a preteen. I am so pathetically upset that it is almost over. This is the only television series to make me laugh out loud, sit at the edge of my seat, and cry at times.
I love this show and never miss an episode but it has never been the same sinceCarter broke up w Abby. I hope we get some onscreen scenes with them before it is all over. I never got into Carter w Kem.
George is on the March 12th episode with Julianna and also Susan Sarandon and Noah Wylie and Eric LaSalle.
Noah is sick and needs a kidney and there is a patient from a few episodes ago in County Gen who needs a heart.
George and Juliana are in Seattle and that is where the donor comes from – Susan’s grandson. She donates the heart and the kidney to save Noah and the other patient.
Noah is at a hospital in Chicago where Eric works and Eric watches the surgery when the kidney arrives.
George and Juliana are seen in the hospital talking Susan into donating the organs and then a short clip of them at home in their bed.
Most of the regular cast are not in the episode – only the two bad actresses, Sam and Neela, who fly out to get the organs.
Enough already, they need to get this show off the air. It died long ago and none of the stories are even remotely believable.
I LOVED KEM! She’s beautiful and sassy but not annoying and disrespectful like Abby could be at times.
I thought that Carter was a bit too lucky to have her. Still I think that he deserves to have someone like her in his life.
And Carter and Benton together again – only Carter and Kem together would be better.
Doug & Carol – love ‘em but I doubt that we’ll see too much of them
Carter & Benton back – hooray
Carter Benton & Susan back – double hooray
Kem was like a Barbie doll come to life. It’s hard to find someone more beautiful than Thandie Newton. She a gorgeous face, nice body, graceful presence and yet she wasn’t a pushover. She was giving and kind…blah blah blah.
She’s the kind of woman that women love to hate because she’s long and LOVE to hate.
At first, I didn’t know what to make of her but I think that she’s a bit like a female Carter. Perfect on the outside but troubled and pained.
She earned my respect when she saved the people in the apartment building in Chicago and comforted a complete stranger whose mother died.
Now that she and Carter have lost their baby, I think that she’s suffered enough to be with him
I hope that we see them actually get married on this show. We’ve seen so many other parts of Carter’s life that a marriage seems natural.
Wow…can’t believe that there are still Carby fans out there. The whole Carter/Abby thing is such old news. That said, I will be watching the last episodes just to see what transpires between Carter and Kem. They were a beautiful couple, torn apart by tragedy, but I believe they can put the pieces back together again. My fingers are crossed that Thandie Newton will return!!
It was so wonderful to see Benton again. He was my favorite character by a mile, and last night was the first episode I watched since he left the show… and he was just as great as I remembered!
Kem and Carter were a wonderful couple. Abby was a loser. I too hope we see Kem and Carter finally get married. If they split, I will be so pissed!!!!!
Hooray for Carter and Kem. A wonderful couple. A shame we don’t see more of such beautiful couples on tv.
Let’s hope they finally tie the knot!