Summary
For 15 seasons,ERdefined what it meant to be a medical TV drama, and though rebooting the beloved series is a nice thought, anERreboot would have been the worst thing the series could do. In a world full ofthe best medical dramas,ERis my absolute favorite. Where other, more modern medical shows verge on corny and highly unrealistic,ERalmost always maintains a sense of truth. The doctors at County General certainly have their romances and dramas, but at the end of the day, their true focus is on helping the people of Chicago.
Another aspect ofERthat I love is that the show never became a franchise. After 15 seasons, the show never delved into spinoffs, sequels, or prequels. However, that almost changed in 2020. While on theStill Here Hollywoodpodcast,ERalumNoah Wyle discussed his failedERrevival. He explained that after receiving an influx of heartwarming fanmail in 2020, he reached out toERproducer John Wells and suggested a “much smaller, and much more contained"show following one character in the present day. Ultimately, Wyle agreed thatit was a good thing the reboot never happened.
ER: The Best Episodes In Every Season, Ranked
There’s a lot to love about ER, one of the most popular medical dramas of all time, including the best episodes of each season.
Too Much Nostalgia Would Ruin An ER Reboot
Although I appreciate Noah Wyle’s intentions, I’m very glad hisERreboot never happened. Mainly, I feel the same way that Wyle does. During his interview, the actor explained thattheERrevival’s failure was a good thingbecause audiences would have been overly concerned with the “brand"and “who’s coming back.“Meanwhile, he was more interested in the new story that they could bring to the table. I feel the same way. As much as I would love anERreunion, the revival’s integrity would be brought down if it seemed like mere fan service.
I believe that shows fueled purely on nostalgia rather than a strong story or characters are often doomed to be less than their source material.
Furthermore, anERrevival would be nostalgic, and sometimes nostalgia hurts more than it helps. With too many references or cameos from the original series,the reboot might have felt like it was simply redoingER. It wouldn’t be able to succeed without the context of its predecessor.Plus, while I lovedthe ensemble cast ofER,it’s a magic that I don’t think can be repeated, especially so many years later. In the end, I believe that shows fueled purely on nostalgia rather than a strong story or characters are often doomed to be less than their source material.
Why The 2020s ER Revival Never Happened
The Reboot Reached Development Purgatory
Based on Noah Wyle’s podcast interview, it isn’t completely clear why theERrevival didn’t happen, but we can posit a few theories. Wyle noted that he teamed up with producer John Wells and an unnamedERwriter to get the reboot started. Though the trio came up with a concept, Wyle explained that “it really never got out of the starting gate.” Then, on top of that, Wyle revealed that negotiations were a “non-starter.“In this way,I would guess that Wyle’s vision did not match what TV executives expectedfrom anERreboot.
According toELLE,Noah Wyle and Laura Innes were two members ofER’soriginal cast who remained with the show for the longest time. They appeared in 13 out of 15 seasons.
As much as nostalgia can hurt a show, it’s an emotion that Hollywood loves to pull on. Therefore, it seems likely that Wyle’s poor negotiations had to do with how much nostalgia theERrevival included. WhileWyle clearly wanted a separate story with a singleERconnecting point,it’s possible that the executives wanted more original cast to return and more nods to the 1994 series. This would compromise Wyle and Wells' idea, causing the show to go nowhere. Regardless of what it all means, I’m just gladERremains untouched by sequels or spinoffs.
Why ER Should Never Be Brought Back
ER Told A Complete Story
It’s tempting to try and bring back the good old days, but television series likeERare impossible to remake.ER’sbest qualities simply cannot be replaced today, including its cast, its topical storylines, and its time period. For me, half ofER’snostalgia comes from the 1990s setting, which a revival could not organically remake. Ultimately, Hollywood could put together an exciting cast and great storylines, and it still would not be the same. It is better to simply rewatchERrather than attempt to make lightning strike twice.
Furthermore,ER’sstory came to a complete ending. Arguably, the showrunners squeezed every bit of story they could out of it. In this way, it makes no sense to go beyondER’s15 extensive seasons. To me, the best thing to do withERis let it rest. There are so many medical dramas out in the world, andERis one of the best among them. In order to keep its title, the show must simply stand on its own two legs without sequels, prequels, spinoffs, or reboots.
