George Clooney’s March 12 return to “ER” drove viewers to a recent episode, but for doctors, the high point in that episode was Dr. Benton reading the safe surgery checklist before Dr Carter’s transplant surgery — and saving Carter’s life as a result.
“What I love about ‘ER’ is that they address very complex ethical issues with all the nuances we face in our daily lives,” says Sandra de Castro Buffington, director of Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center. “The next day after that episode aired, 150 surgeons were gathered in New York to talk about safe surgery protocols and the organizers made them watch the entire episode.”
The impact made by “ER” expands far beyond its entertainment value, although that has been considerable. At its peak, the series reached 47.8 million viewers, and it remains NBC’s second-most watched drama (behind only "Law & Order: SVU"). Through years of cast changes leading to the departure of every major character, “ER” still soldiered on, providing solid ratings and keeping the quality standard high.
