As much as I enjoy the often-hollow pursuit of watching television, I rarely have the time to watch every show that appears interesting, and even less often watch any show when it originally airs. All the little complications of life’s time-consuming intricacies generally force me to record favorite shows, and watch them at my leisure (plus I can fast forward through those pesky Mentos commercials). The big problem with this however, is that all the VCRs and tapes in the world can’t capture every single show that I’d like to try out. And as a result I often miss some really outstanding ones. Even shows that everyone tells me I have to watch are passed over. Such was the case with “E.R.” “E.R.”, from what I’ve been told, is one of the best medical dramas ever. My friends tell me that the quality of the series has rarely wavered even now that it is in its tenth season. It was created by one of my favorite authors, Michael Crichton.

It has been a launching pad for several A-List careers, most notably that of George Clooney. The series has won multiple awards over the years and in spite of all of this, I have yet to see a single episode. Until now.

Warner Brothers, in its infinite wisdom has added “E.R.” to the list of the multitude of TV series being released onto the DVD market. Not only does this release mean that fans can throw away (or re-use) their piles of videotapes, but the series can now reach new legions of fans.

I finally set aside some time to acquaint myself with the first season of “E.R.” and see if it lived up to all the hype. By the time I got through the first 3 episodes, I found myself hooked on yet another TV show. Though it followed many of the conventions of nighttime dramas, complete with a little bit of soap opera, I could also see where it started to break new ground in its presentation. Without becoming too long-winded, I can see that, at least on its first season, “E.R.” is a damn fine show. Great writing and direction, as well as fine performances by the first of an ever-changing ensemble cast, lifted the show above many of its counterparts. It was even good enough to attract the attention of directors like Mimi Leder (“Deep Impact”, “Pay it Forward”) and Quentin Tarantino (“Pulp Fiction”, “Kill Bill”) who lent their talents to some of the episodes.

The first season set of “E.R.” is a modest four-disc affair. It might have been more, but Warner wisely utilized both sides of each disc to minimize the size of the set. It includes a booklet with synopsis for all the episodes. The set offers up the original pilot episode plus all 24 episodes of the season. I found the transfers to be extremely clear and sharp. And as the series recently began airing its episodes in Widescreen, these episodes have also been digitally transferred into Widescreen.

As with any show of this caliber, how it came to be is just as interesting as the series itself. Warner has included several documentaries that feature interviews with the original cast and crew, and give quite an in-depth look at how everything came about. One even goes so far as to focus on how the ‘reality’ of the series compares to the reality of an actual ER. There is also commentary available on three of the episodes. The pilot episode offers up two commentaries, but the one I most recommend is that by Crichton. This guy is probably one of the smartest people on the planet and listening to him talk about the show, as well as his own experiences as a medical student is fascinating.

I have to admit to having gotten hold of this DVD set at an interesting time. The very week it showed up on my doorstep, I had to take my wife to the hospital to check up on her pregnancy. As it turned out, there were a few minor complications and we had to deliver the baby a whole two months early. (Both Mom and Baby are doing fine) So I set up a DVD player in the hospital room, and watched many of the episodes over the five days we spent there. How appropriate… yes?

Even after spending that many days in the hospital, I can’t attest to the reality of the series. I mentioned the show to a few doctors and they just kind of rolled their eyes and clucked their tongues. And besides, who says it even has to be realistic? It is a TV show after all.

Episodes:
Pilot
Day One
Going Home
Hit and Run
Into That Good Night
Chicago Heat
Another Perfect Day
9 ½ Hours
ER Confidential
Blizzard
The Gift
Happy New Year
Luck of the Draw
Long Day’s Journey
Feb 5, 1995
Make of Two Hearts
The Birthday Party
Sleepless in Chicago
Love’s Labor Lost
Full Moon, Saturday Night
House of Cards
Men Plan, God Laughs
Love Among the Ruins
Motherhood
Everything Old is New Again

Starring: Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Sherry Stringfield, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Eriq La Salle
Extras: Four Making-of Documentaries, Audio Commentary on Three Key Episodes by Series Producers and Crew, First Year Intern Handbook, Additional Scenes and Outtakes
Specifications: Widescreen Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date:8/26/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give E.R. - Season 1 a B.