It might not have remained the best, but there is no denying that without E.R., there would be no Grey’s Anatomy. That ABC series took the formula created by E.R., and it twisted it to its own needs. The two series are very similar, yet very different. E.R. was a series that pulled me in right away from the first episode. I wanted to follow the lives of these doctors and nurses. A lot of the same faces were on the series from the very beginning. The nursing staff remained the same almost through out. It was natural to see these faces together.

Yes, many did come and go over the years. However, many were a staple of the series, and they did make their returns to the series in recent weeks. Even Dr. Greene made his own come back, and we saw his daughter return to the series for the series finale. This return showed that everything was coming full circle for the series. In recent years, I had stopped watching the series, but I did tune in this week. I also tuned in for George Clooney’s return. I really thought that episode would have been a good way to close thing out, but it was nice seeing everyone come back together one more time. What did you think of this week’s series finale of E.R.?

Now on this week’s episode, we saw the return of those three faces to the series, along with Peter Benton. No, Doug and Carol didn’t return to County General, but some of County General came to them as a transplant case brought Neela and Sam to Seattle. Doug and Carol are still together, and happily. However, we see John Carter at Northwestern as he waits for a kidney transplant. He receives a visit from an old friend in Benton, and for me the scenes between the four former cast members were golden.

The same banter and relationships were still clearly there between them, and the final moments with Doug and Carol in bed saying good-night would have made a perfect end to this series. There really couldn’t have been a better ending. As a fan of the series, I felt the series had come full circle with those final moments. Carol and Doug didn’t even know the one doctor who received a kidney because of them was their one time friend. John finally seemed to be able to find his own happiness and reach out to his wife once he knew he would be okay. However, this was not the end of the series. There is three more episodes left. What does E.R. have in store to top this?

George Clooney may have done work before then with his appearance on The Facts Of Life. However, it was turn as Dr. Doug Ross on ER that really earned his star status. We do know he will be returning to the series for its final episode. We might also see Anthony Edwards appear one more time, and Noah Wyle has also made his way back to the series for some episodes. He returned this week, and it looks like he is sick.

Will ER kill off John Carter before the series is all said and done? Anything is possible with ER. That is one series that the statement works especially well for. The final episode is set for April 2nd, and the series final season was extended in recent months to include four more episodes.

NBC has announced that commercial spots in the final episode of ER are going for $425,000. A normal thirty second commercial spot during the series usually goes for $135,000. Is ER’s final episode worth almost half a million dollars for just that amount of time? ER has been a big show, but it isn’t the Super Bowl either. What do you think?

There has been no real reason given for this second delay. There have been some changes to the cast that we haven’t even had the chance to see yet. Chris Noth left the series, and Jeff Goldblum came in to fill that void left by his exit. Is Mr. Big too busy with his Sex & The City? No exact date has now been given for the series’ return, but it will be this summer. That is unless it is delayed again.

Other news out of NBC today includes the announcement of another former E.R. star returning to the series. George Clooney finally gave in this week, and many were wondering if his on-screen wife would be a part of the deal. Juliana Marguiles had been holding back from returning, but with Clooney’s return, she has changed her tune too. She will be returning to the E.R. set in the days ahead to film scenes. Glad to see these two both returning together.

George is big man actor now. He can’t find the time to do a television show right? Well, wrong. Something has changed his tune, and he will be returning to the set of E.R. later this week to a closed set for filming of scenes. No word on just how they will bring Doug Ross back, and his significant other from his time on the series is still a hold out. Will Julianna Marguiles stop saying no now that George has decided to come back.

We even saw Dr. Mark Greene, played by Anthony Edwards, return to the series.  Yes, he’s dead, but they figured out a way to connect the present on the series to an event in the past. This allowed us to see the favorite doctor one more time before the series comes to a close. E.R. has been a top series on NBC for fifteen series, and while all good things do have to eventually end, this one is stretching it out as much as they can. What do you think of George returning to E.R.?

The doctor’s that made their way back during this week’s episode helped make E.R. what it is and was. No, E.R. is not the same series it was when it started, but it is still a damn good television show, and it is going out still pretty on its game. Dr. Greene was there day one, and it was good to see him back once again to help us say good-bye to this series. The way it was done was creative. It tied the past with the present.

The current doctor in change of the E.R. had been to that E.R. before when her son died in Trauma one. Apparently, the doctor on her son’s case was Doc Greene. She flashed back to that time when a case similar to her son’s was brought in. Doing it this way developed her character and it made her more likable. There is a reason she is so straight forward and closed off. It was nice to see those once familiar faces walking the halls of Country General again. Can’t wait for others to pop up. Yes, I’m waiting for Doug Ross too! No idea if we’ll get our wish though.

George Clooney had been fighting a return. Now it looks like he is fighting less, and he might return for an appearance. This is according to a recent interview Wyle did. Wyle has also said that Eriq La Salle is set to return. He is also directing an episode set to air this season. He will return in front of the E.R. camera later this season to share scenes with Carter. La Salle’s character was a mentor and friend to John Carter during his run.

I was a fan of E.R., and I am still a fan of the series. The series did lose me for a year, but I’ve started watching the series again with this new season, and it has pulled me right back. We’ve seen the exit of some great characters including Abby and Pratt, but we’ve seen some old faces pop up as Shane West returned and we also get to see Dr. Greene come back for a brief appearance. E.R. is one of the best series on television, but all good things do come to an end.

Many have come and gone over the years. Some have just faded off into the proverbial sunset, while others have died. We’ve seen deaths by accident, murder and some dying of natural causes. One of the hardest character deaths in the history had to be that of Dr. Mark Greene. He died of a brain tumor a few seasons back. Played by Anthony Edwards, he was a huge part of what made the series what it became as a staple of the the must see Thursday night NBC line-up.

Word has it that Edwards has agreed to return to the series in its final season. This might be in the form of a flashback. When the end was first announced, some said it would be nice to see a scene with Ross and Greene to end the series. I spoke of that before, and I would love to see Clooney change his mind and make it happen! Come on, George! What do you say? You can do it.

ER

The series has been one of NBC’s over the last fourteen seasons, and we’ve seen many faces come and go. ER has been the starting point of break out point for several actors that had made their way to other projects on both the small and big screens. I’ve been a fan of the series myself over the years, but I’ve stopped watching myself the last couple of seasons. I’m not the only one to have stopped watching. While still powerful, the series has been dragged along past its prime. A drop in ratings has been noticeable since season twelve. Perhaps even before that.

As for the fifteenth season, there is word that the series is trying to bring back some of our past favorites to update us on their lives since they left the ER. One they are looking to grab for an episode is George Clooney. He says he hasn’t been asked yet though, and he would more than likely not return if he was asked. Some others I would like to see are Noah Wyle, Sherry Stringfield, and Julianna Margulies. So many have come and gone over the years though. One big episode to send off this series would be nice to see.

There is even word that they want to try to get Anthony Edwards back in some way. His character, Dr. Mark Greene, was a huge focal point of the series until his death of a brain tumor. Yes, the character is dead, but there are ways for him to make an appearance. A ghostly one or even in the form of a never before seen episode from before he passed on. Personally, I want to see Mark’s ghost sit down and talk to Doug Ross. A powerhouse scene with both Clooney and Edwards would be great to see.

As far as ratings go, this is the worst season for the show. The average number of viewers has dipped below the 10 million mark for the first time in its history. One has to wonder how much longer the cast will keep their scrubs.

The show’s first 8 seasons were unparalleled in their success (Season 8 cast pictured at right). The show was George Clooney’s springboard. For other stars like Stanley Tucci or John Stamos, it was an opportunity to reinvent themselves. There were Emmys and critical praise.

In my opinion, all the past positives do not mean the show has become immortal. If the ratings slide continues, there might be cancellation in ER’s future.

But this was once a great show. Great shows don’t get canceled. Great shows know when to quit. They ride off into the sunset while they are still at the top. Great shows are missed when they are gone.

I’m not suggesting that ER’s chance for a graceful exit is past. But the show’s days are numbered. No one wants it to be remembered as the show that went on 5 years too long and finally got the ax.

Or, this might be it. NBC has made no announcement about the future of the show whose season resumes in April. It would be a shame to see ER go out with a whimper.