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From: "Rose \"MotherFAQer\" Cooper" <cooper@acm.cse.msu.edu> Newsgroups: alt.tv.er,rec.arts.tv,alt.answers,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: ER FAQ 5.00, Section 5: Specific Questions (5/8) Followup-To: alt.tv.er Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 04:49:15 -0500 Organization: Michigan State University Lines: 1380 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.05.9811280428130.22866-100000@sparty.cse.msu.edu> Reply-To: erfaq@digiserve.com NNTP-Posting-Host: sparty.cse.msu.edu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Sender: cooper@sparty.cse.msu.edu Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hecate.umd.edu!haven.umd.edu!news.cs.jhu.edu!news4.his.com!news.lightlink.com!Supernews60!supernews.com!news-stk-2.sprintlink.net!news-west.sprintlink.net!news-peer1.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!msunews!sparty.cse.msu.edu!cooper Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.tv.er:44723 rec.arts.tv:309514 alt.answers:38288 rec.answers:45524 news.answers:145377 Archive-name: tv/er-series/questions Posting-Frequency: monthly URL: http://www.digiserve.com/er/erdex.html ER FAQ 5.00: Specific Questions Asterisks (*) below denotes information updated or added since the last version of the FAQ. MeMiceElfAnI Productions Copyright 1997-99 by Rose Cooper; content cannot be used without expressed written permission of the author. Last Updated: 11/27/98 by Rose "MotherFAQer" Cooper SECTION FIVE: SPECIFIC QUESTIONS 5.01 Where does "ER" take place? "ER" takes place in Cook County General Hospital, and is based on Cook County Hospital, a real hospital in Chicago. The hospital is sometimes referred to, on the show and in real life, as "CCH". [Note: this is not to be confused with the actress who plays Dr. Hicks, who is also known in real life as CCH [Pounder]. See alt.tv.er for theoretical enunciation. See section 5.38 for actual answer.] 5.02 Where is "ER" filmed? "ER" is filmed both in California and in Chicago. The hospital who`s exterior is seen on the show is the University of Illinois Hospital at 1720 W. Taylor Street, which is part of the University of Illinois Medical School. (This is not to be confused with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Hospital, which is eight blocks to the east). The U of I hospital is about a half-mile from the real Cook County Hospital. Other exterior location shots are filmed elsewhere in Chicago, much to the delight of resident ER fans and enthusiasts. In an article published earlier this year, Jefferson Graham of "USA TODAY" writes, "As always, ER will go to Chicago four times this year to shoot street scenes, an undertaking few dramatic shows tackle." Sometimes, characters can be seen walking in parts of Chicago which are actually quite a distance from where Cook County Hospital is supposed to be; this is artistic license for the purpose of having scenic locations. *5.03 What are some other "ER"-like shows on television? Debuting the same week as "ER" was CBS`s "Chicago Hope", which has developed its own following. Some viewers like both shows. "Chicago Hope" premiered in the same timeslot as "ER" but soon was moved to a different night because it was getting severely beaten in the ratings. Produced by the creators of "Picket Fences", "Chicago Hope" actually has more in common with that show than with "ER". Unlike the fast-paced action and snappy plot movement of "ER", "Chicago Hope" tends to be talkier and more ponderous. It also exhibits a consistent streak of dark humor not generally seen on "ER". Fans of "Chicago Hope" can discuss the show on Usenet in alt.tv.chicago-hope. As a mid-season replacement in early 1995, Fox unveiled "Medicine Ball", a medical drama which imitated "ER" in some ways but made deliberate attempts to appeal to a younger audience by using youthful attractive actors and generally employing less sophisticated storylines. "Medicine Ball" was not renewed by Fox following its tryout period. *New for the 1998-99 season is "L.A. Doctors", on CBS. Blink, and you may miss it. *5.05 Why does "ER" show reruns all the time? More so than most shows, the fans of "ER" definitely notice when the series airs a rerun, due especially to the show`s dedicated following and serial story nature. I think sometimes fans have a tendency to exaggerate when it comes to the reruns; generally, "ER" shows about the same number of new episodes as other shows. The first season of "ER" was comprised of twenty-five episodes, which is slightly above normal. The second through fourth seasons of "ER" consisted of twenty-two episodes when finished, which is very normal; it is expected that season five and beyond will follow suit. It may be that "ER" shows an unusually high number of reruns because the show is rarely pre-empted for other shows. In nineteen months on the air, "ER" has only been pre-empted five times. Hence, when other shows are replaced by specials and special broadcasts of other series` (such as the frequently-pre-empted "NYPD Blue"), "ER" may be showing yet another rerun. "ER" is a proven ratings winner even during rerun periods, so NBC doesn't mind programming them. Another slight difference may be due to what is known as "sweeps" months: February, May, August and November, when the ratings battle is especially intensive. "ER"'s producers are especially mindful of sweeps periods, and perhaps more so than some other shows, elect to pack these months with new episodes, thus thinning out the crop throughout the remainder of the season. *This, of course, applies only to first-run "ER", and only to NBC (for the most part). "ER" on US TNT is all reruns, all the time--on purpose. See section 5.11 for more on TNT. 5.06 What is "ER: The Movie"? This is a title sometimes used to refer to the two-hour pilot of the series, titled "24 Hours" ("ER" has never been shown in movie theaters). ' [Uh, with the recent spate of TV shows making their way to The Big Screen, maybe that should say, "...hasn't been shown in movie theaters--yet."]. The pilot is available on videotape; it is currently the only episode which is, in the U.S. If you see "ER" in an American video store, that`s what it is. See sections 5.08 and 5.11 below for more on this episode. 5.07 How does "ER" perform in the ratings? "ER" ended its fourth season one place behind "Seinfeld", and is still currently the highest-rated one-hour show airing in the United States. [And since "Seinfeld" is no longer with us...]. The highest-rated episodes of "ER" to date were "Hell and High Water" [207], airing the week of 11/13/95, and the season four finale, "A Hole in the Heart" [422], shown originally on 5/14/98. "Hell and High Water" captured a 28.4 rating and a 47 share, which means that 47% of all people watching television in the U.S. were watching "ER"; "A Hole in the Heart" garnered a Nielsen 28.8/45 rating/share ratio. With that, the finale just barely squeaked by "Ambush" [401], aka "ERLive", the live fourth season premier which had a Nielsen rating/share of 28.5/45 with an audience of 42.7 million U.S. viewers. Current-week Nielsen ratings can be found on the "USA Today" web pages <http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/tv/letindex.htm>. The rec.arts.tv FAQ <http://members.aol.com/IJBall/WWW/ratv/FAQL.html> explains, in some detail, why full Nielsen ratings are not available on the 'net. 5.08 How can I get copies of past episodes on videotape? As stated previously, there is only one episode of "ER" commercially available on video in the U.S. right now: "24 Hours", the pilot episode. "24 Hours" runs two hours when shown on television with commercials; on videotape, the episode is roughly an hour and a half. Currently, the tape itself is only available at Blockbuster video outlets in the States, but with the advent of "ER" on TNT, that might be a moot point; see section 5.11 below. Previously, on the ER FAQ...[like Pembleton on "Homicide: Life on the Street", I've always wanted to say that], this appeared: More episodes are available on video in Great Britain. In addition to the pilot (called "The Beginning" in the U.K.), three more tapes have been released, each with two episodes on it. They are: Volume 1 - "Into That Good Night" / "Chicago Heat" Volume 2 - "Happy New Year" / "Feb 5 `95" Volume 3 - "Sleepless in Chicago" / "Love`s Labor Lost" ...to which, "Charlie" added: "The channel which broadcasts ER in the UK, channel 4, held a vote at the end of Series 3 called 'By popular demand', viewers got to choose their 3 favourite episodes (one from each season) and they were shown over a 3 week period. These were then released on video in the UK. The episodes were: Series 1 - Everything old is new again Series 2 - Hell and High water Series 3 - Union Station" Ed Griffiths, my "UK Man On The Scene", counters: 1. The 'ER by Popular Demand' was not chosen by three episodes, one from each season; it was just any three episodes. It just happened that one from each season was chosen, by chance; 2. ER: The Beginning and ER: By Popular Demand were deleted on the 2nd February 1998; 3. ER: By Popular Demand is still available from <http://www.imvs.com>, which ships internationally, but only in PAL format; 4. The 3 volumes of ER: Series 1 were deleted a long time ago, three volumes from Series 2 were planned, but were taken off the shelves on the day they were released, because of 'copyright problems'. And no-one ever saw them ever again :) They've never been re-issued. If you`re missing any of the other episodes, you`re probably out of luck unless you tape them when they air again (again, see section 5.11 below). Some people arrange to trade copies of episodes over the Internet, but this is illegal, and I can`t officially encourage it. 5.09 How can I contact the actors on the show? You can send your letters to: Attn: [Actor's Name] c/o Crichton TV 4000 Warner Brothers Blvd. Production Building #1 Burbank, CA 91505 A user named Heidi (mclev2147@aol.com) reportedly sent a letter to Julianna Margulies using this address and got a response and an autographed publicity picture back. 5.10 How can I submit a script to "ER"? Like most shows, "ER" takes scripts only from writers with agents. If you have an agent, you likely already know the process for this. 5.11 Is "ER" in syndication? The cable channel TNT (Turner Network Television) has bought the syndication rights to "ER" episodes through 1998. Apparently-- unfortunately--this currently only applies to the US version of TNT <http://tnt.turner.com/series/er>. Reruns of "ER" began Sunday September 6, 1989, on US TNT, at 8pm Eastern, with a showing of the 2-hour pilot, "24 Hours". It was shown again at 5pm Eastern on September 7, followed by the next episode in the series, "Day One", at the regularly scheduled 7pm Eastern rerun slot. It is supposed to be shown in consecutive order every weekday (Monday-Friday) in that time period (check the ER Episode List <http://digiserve.com/er/erlist.html#tnt> for updates). In addition, TNT kicked off the festivities with an special TNT edition of the CNN show, "Larry King Live", on Saturday September 19 at 9pm Eastern, with the cast taking viewers' questions from the set of "ER". 5.12 What Emmy award(s) was "ER" nominated for this year? The 1997-1998 Emmy nominations were announced on July 23, 1998. "ER" received sixteen nominations--tied with "The X-Files" as most nominated series--in the following categories: Casting, Series Directing, Drama Series (Thomas Schlamme, "Ambush") Single-Camera Picture Editing, Series (Kevin Casey, "Exodus") Lighting Direction (Electronic) ("Ambush") Lead Actor, Drama Series (Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene) Lead Actress, Drama Series (Julianna Margulies as Nurse Carol Hathaway) Supporting Actor, Drama Series (Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter) Supporting Actor, Drama Series (Eriq LaSalle as Dr. Peter Benton) Supporting Actress, Drama Series (Laura Innes as Dr. Kerry Weaver) Supporting Actress, Drama Series (Gloria Reuben as Jeanie Boulet) Guest Actress, Drama Series (Swoosie Kurtz as Tina-Marie Chambliss) Outstanding Drama Series Sound Editing, Series ("Exodus") Sound Mixing, Drama Series ("Ambush") Sound Mixing, Drama Series ("Exodus") Technical Direction/Camera/Video, Series ("Ambush") For more Emmy information, check out the official Emmy web page at <http://www.emmys.org>. The 1997-1998 Emmy telecast was shown on Sunday September 13, 1998 on NBC; ER won two awards: Sound Editing, Series ("Exodus") and Technical Direction/Camera/Video, Series ("Ambush"). 5.121 What other awards has "ER" been nominated for/won? To date, "ER" has received 14 Emmys. ER was nominated for seven 1997 Golden Globe Awards, as follows: Best Television Series - Drama Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama Julianna Margulies Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama George Clooney Anthony Edwards Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture made for Television Gloria Reuben Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture made for Television Eriq La Salle Noah Wyle -(Information courtesy "NBC: TV Central") The 1997 Golden Globe Awards show was broadcast on January 18th, 1998. Anthony Edwards won in his category. The previous Sunday (1/11/98), ER won Best Dramatic Series in the dubious [ahem] "People's Choice Awards". ER was nominated for three 1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards, as follows: Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series: Anthony Edwards Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series: Julianna Margulies in ER (Warner Bros/NBC) Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series -(Information courtesy The Screen Actors Guild <http://www.sag.com/>) The Fourth Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards was shown on March 6, 1998 on TNT; ER swept all three categories. If anyone has complete information about "ER"'s achievements in any other entertainment industry awards, please email me <erfaq@digiserve.com>. 5.13 Does Michael Crichton have any real medical experience? Michael Crichton graduated from Harvard Medical School. While a student, he worked at Massachusetts General Hospital, and it was his experiences there that form the core of his non-fiction book about working at a hospital, "Five Patients". 5.14 Why was Carter around for so long as just a medical student? In real life, the rotation for a medical ER student is supposed to be a maximum of six to twelve weeks, yet Carter was on his rotation for a year of the series. There`s no real explanation for this, just that the character is very popular and the writers suspended disbelief by having him stay. In the second season, there was slightly more justification for Carter`s presence, in that he received a surgical sub-internship to work at the hospital at the end of the first season. I`m told that sub-internships (or "sub-I`s") still only last a little longer than a med student rotation, so Carter`s year-long stay is still somewhat unrealistic. In the third season, Carter undertook his actual internship, so his presence finally made real sense. [The fourth season, of course, really confused things when Carter`s newly-assigned med students were shown, er, rotating correctly. Ahh, TeeVee.] 5.141 Is he still an intern? Good question. A plot twist that carried over from the end of season three, through season four, had Our Man Carter switching his internship from surgery (S3) to emergency medicine (S4). Part of this "twist", by necessity, meant that he would in effect be a second-year intern [technically, a second-year overall resident, while at the same time, a first-year ER intern. And Hilarity Ensued.]. Unless he can find more Angst to pursue, residency-wise, S5 should find him a full-fledged second-year ER resident/third-year overall. [And apparently, it has. Beard-n-all.] *5.142 So what's with that Beard, anyway? The Beard Is Life! [No wait, that's the spice. Not to be confused with the Spice Girls. Though some Internet Loonies think the Beard is quite Scary. I know the Spice Girls scare the beejezus outta me. And boy, do I digress.] Except for the thought that the current (as of 9/24/98) Noah Wyle/John Carter Beard is a bit too shaggy (as opposed to the season 5 opener Beard, which I kinda liked), I think it adds Character to his character. But why ask me, wadda I know? Let's ask The Beard, Itself. Alan Sepinwall, of the "Star-Ledger" did. Like ta see it? here it goes...<http://digiserve.com/er/erthebeard.html> *...and there it goes: The Beard, He Is No More; a casualty of "Stuck On You" [506], beardless Carter returns. Let us bow our heads, Doug-like, in a Moment Of Silence. No sticking your tongues out, you no-beard-Carter fanatics. 5.15 Why was Carter referred to as "Doctor" while he was still a student? The explanation given is that patients are made to feel more at ease if they believe they`re being examined by a real doctor. [This makes it all the more interesting that in season five, Carter refers to his own medical student as "Miss Knight" in front of patients. Hmmm...] Some people have reported that this is semi-common, or at least acceptable, practice at some hospitals; others have claimed that this is totally unethical. Students are given nametags that have their names on it, but not "Dr." or "M.D.". They`re taught not to be forward with the fact that they`re only students, but not to be evasive about it either. At the end of the second season, Carter graduated from med school and received his medical degree, so he`s officially a doctor now. 5.16 Is Carter wealthy? In the episode "Love Among the Ruins" [123], it's revealed that Carter's father is one of the wealthiest men in Chicago, worth $178 million. (In that episode, a rich patron of the hospital who recently paid for a new cardiac wing discovers that his son and Carter went to prep school together.) Carter's wealthy background isn't brought up much [make that, wasn't...until the fourth season, in the "How To Get That Anna Chick All Hot And Bothered" arc], but it's fairly evident that he doesn't have a problem affording things, unlike the heavily-indebted residents. ...of course, "wealthy" is relative </bad pun>: Gamma Carter, in retaliation for Carter not being fully up-front about Chase's drug addiction (which she believes, in turn, "caused" Chase's overdose), took away Carter's Trust Fund in "Gut Reaction" [418], with the Ensued Hijinx beginning in "Shades of Gray" [419]. Poor Little Rich Boy... *5.17 Is [Character X] a resident or an attending physician? *As we near the middle of season five, this is the lineup, generally speaking: -Lucy Knight, the New Kid On The Block, is a third-year medical student, pretty much like Carter was when he first arrived on the scene at County. [Contrary to the funny, but erroneous, Young Female Doctor Void-filler tag bestowed upon the actress playing her, the Knight character isn't yet a doctor. Though that mever stopped anyone referring to Young Carter thusly...] -John Carter and Maggie Doyle are both third-year residents; however, as noted above, Carter is only a second-year ER resident, so Doyle outranks him [but since Doyle will likely continue to be doyled, you wouldn't know it from watching...] -Peter Benton is in the sixth year of his surgical residency *(Elizabeth Corday's training made her the equivalent but in season five, she majically became an intern again. This is the part requiring Math.) -Mark Greene was a fourth-year resident in the first season of the show; now, he is finished with his residency, and works as an attending, as does Kerry Weaver [who, by her own hand, resigned first as *ACTING* Chief, then as -Interim- Chief. But that's Another Story]. Most of the "upper-level" doctors seen on the show, like Hicks, Kaysen, Vucelich, etc., are also attending physicians. -Prior to season five, Doug Ross was a Pediatric Fellow--that is to say, he is finished with his residency (which is traditionally two years long), but instead of working as an attending (at that point), his position with the hospital was there because of a fellowship grant. *In season five, Doug gave up his Fellowship and became a Pediatric Attending. See FAQ Section 6 ("Medical Questions") for detailed info on the ER hierarchy. 5.18 Did Carol try to commit suicide? Why? In the show`s pilot episode, "24 Hours", Carol attempted suicide by swallowing a bottle of pills. Originally, the writers had planned to kill Carol off at that point, but test audiences liked the character too much, so she made a recovery in the second episode. Since it happened before the first episode took place, the impetus for Carol`s suicide isn`t very well documented, but we do know that it partially resulted from a recent, badly-ended relationship with Doug Ross, and stemmed from other factors as well. *5.19 So, are Doug and Carol hitched yet? At a time before the first episode took place, Carol and Doug were involved in a relationship that lasted for two years. It is known that the relationship ended partially, but possibly not completely, due to Doug`s habits of drinking and womanizing. During the first season, Doug tried to win Carol back, but by that point, she was engaged to be married to John Taglieri. In "ER Confidential" [109], Carol reveals to Tag that she slept with Doug in a moment of weakness after she had started seeing Tag (at a time before the series began). Carol and Doug shared an unexpected kiss in "Another Perfect Day" [107]. Also, during another brief period of vulnerability, after her adoption of a little Russian girl with AIDS was rejected, Carol tried to kiss Doug, but he gently declined her advance ("Sleepless in Chicago" [118]). After Carol broke up with Tag at the end of S1 ("Everything Old Is New Again" [125]), she hooked up with Raymond "Shep" Shepard, an EMT/Paramedic that she got along famously with. Until he went bonkers over what he saw as his contribution to crispy-crittering his partner Raul ("The Healers" [216]). Things went rapidly downhill, she showed him The Hand, and he left... ...so anyway, after Carol broke up with Tag at the end of S1, and Shep in S2, both she and Doug appeared to be over each other, and their relationship matured into a healthy, supportive friendship... ...which, at the end of the third season ("One More For The Road" [322]), evolved into a deeper relationship. It remains to be seen whether it will stay "healthy" and "supportive", though it appears to be, at least much more so than the first go-round. In "Ground Zero" [406] and later, "Fathers and Sons" [407], they expressed feelings of love for each other... ...which, in "Do You See What I See?" [410], led to a proposal of sorts. Uh, of marriage. I think. Paramedics have come and gone, but they're still hanging on. By a thread? Hmmm... And we won't even mention the "She's Having My Baby" season five arc. [Nope, won't mention it at all. Nosirree, not one little peep. Won't hear a thing from me about it. Nuh uh. Not a thing. My lips are sealed.] [Tune in tomorrow for another edition of, "As The Bedpan Turns"...] 5.20 Was/is Doug an alcoholic? Early in the series, much was made of Doug`s drinking problem, but this particular character trait isn`t emphasized as much as it is with some of television`s other alcoholic characters. In a second season episode, "And Baby Makes Two" [205], Harper asks Doug how he handles all the trauma and stress of being a doctor, to which he replies, "Usually I drink, but I`m not a very good role model." Later in the season, however, Mark and Susan were seen buying marguerita mix for Doug`s birthday, so one might presume that his problem isn`t so bad that his friends are willingly encouraging it. My take on this is: While it`s certainly not healthy for Doug to be drinking, we haven`t seen it adversely affect his work performance (i.e. he doesn`t come in to work drunk, or drink at home when he`s supposed to be at work). This leads me to suspect that Doug`s drinking problem is not as serious as alcoholism is generally portrayed on television, or perhaps that it has been tempered in recent times. There`s nothing unrealistic about the depiction of Doug`s drinking, at any rate; many people all over the world drink on a regular basis, often for the wrong reasons, yet manage to keep it from destroying their livelihood. -(Information courtesy Scott Hollifield). 5.21 Does Doug have a son? Yes. Though the writers seem to have forgotten it. Thank goodness. Only two episodes mention it, however. In "Hit and Run" [104], Doug is asked by a patient`s father if he has any children, and he says that he has a son. In "Luck of the Draw" [113], he`s asked the same thing by a patient, and replies, "I have a son; he`s eight." Having overheard this, Nurse Wendy Goldman later says, "I didn`t know you had a son. What`s his name?" Doug says, "I don`t know, Wendy, I`ve never seen him." The conventional wisdom is that this son is the result of a liaison Doug once had with a woman he no longer keeps in touch with, and that the child was very likely born after Doug and the woman had severed ties. One theory is that Doug left this woman after finding out she was pregnant, because he couldn`t bear the responsibility of fathering a child. [My personal favorite theory is that Doug was a circus worker who, upon being stomped upside the head by an elephant with Issues, Got Amnesia and...uh, wait, that's my favorite "Days Of All My Young And Beautiful Children" theory. Never mind...] 5.221 Are George Clooney and Rosemary Clooney related? Rosemary Clooney, a prominent cabaret singer from the `40s and `50s, is George Clooney`s aunt. Rosemary guest-starred on two episodes of "ER" [103 and 111] as Mrs. Cavanaugh, a.k.a. "Madame X", a mystery woman with Alzheimer`s who wandered the halls of the hospital singing. Her character`s name wasn`t revealed until near the end of her second appearance, when her daughter showed up to claim her. Although her voice has deteriorated somewhat to emphysema, Rosemary Clooney still enjoys a successful career, singing in concert halls and recording big band and jazz standards. 5.222 Are George Clooney and Nick Clooney related? Again, yes! Nick Clooney is George`s father (and Rosemary`s brother). Nick Clooney has had a fairly prominent career in broadcasting, and is best known for hosting movie presentations on cable television`s American Movie Classics. AMC even has a Web page for Nick, if you can believe that, with a picture and some biographical information. It`s at: <http://www.amctv.com/aboutamc/nickclooney/> 5.23 Is George Clooney leaving the show? Yep. The end of the fifth season will be his last as a regular. For those one or two Doug/Clooney worshippers out there, there's yet hope: first, he's not gone yet [repeat after me: "*end* of the fifth season...*end* of the fifth season..." Now, breathe...good...]; second, he remains on Good Terms With The Brass, and wants to come back from time to time to maybe, say, visit with Carol and the quints. [oops] At any rate, the producers don't yet know (or, to probably be more accurate, still aren't telling) how Doug Ross will be "written out"; again, in an interview with Jefferson Graham of "USA TODAY", when he asked Lydia Woodward directly about the issue, she said they "haven't decided" how they'll write Clooney out of the show, but "we are talking about it". And what of last year's rumor about "ending with a bang"? "'I would seriously doubt it,' she says. 'But I would hesitate to rule anything out.'" And The Man Hissef? Oh, I think he'll be Alright. Call it a hunch. His production company has a deal with CBS (originally with NBC) to develop pilots. Plus, he's been in a movie or two...but do I hear someone out there moaning, "well, so was Caruso"? Hmmm...time will tell... 5.24 Is Sherry Stringfield ever coming back? The short answer is: We don`t know. My own personal prediction is: Probably not. Sherry left the show in 1996 for a variety of reasons, one of which was that she wanted to spend more time with her boyfriend. She and said boyfriend have since split amicably, prompting much speculation that Sherry may now be "free" to return. Such reasoning overlooks a couple of things: One is that Sherry`s agreement with the producers involved extracting her from her contract with "ER". In return, she is legally obligated to stay off of television for the remainder of that contract, which would conclude sometime around the end of 1998. While it`s possible that she and the show`s producers may find some way for her to slide out of that obligation, just as they did for her to slide out of her contract in the first place, I don`t like to bet on lightning striking twice in the same place. Another thing to keep in mind is that Sherry`s boyfriend was far from the only thing that motivated her to leave "ER". She was getting exhausted and stressed-out due to the rigors of the show`s grueling shooting schedule, and apparently was even beginning to question whether or not she wanted to work in television at all. She was *so* willing to leave, that she and the producers went to these extraordinary measures to get her out of the show. It`s unlikely then, in my view, that she will want to hurriedly reverse such a carefully thought-out decision. -(Information courtesy Scott Hollifield). 5.26 Was Harper`s name "Harper Tracy" or "Tracy Harper"? It`s Harper Tracy. Her first name is Harper, and her last name is Tracy. Confusion over this issue arose when Harper introduced herself [201] to Mark as "Harper Tracy", and Mark, misunderstanding, introduced himself by saying "Greene, Mark." There`s also a certain amount of confusion due to the fact that Carter is called by his last name -- so why isn`t Harper? The fact is that some characters are routinely called by their last names, and some are called by their first names. Carter has stated before that his friends call him "Carter" anyhow. (This hasn`t stopped some characters, like Harper and Chloe, from addressing him as "John".) 5.27 What`s the cause of Kerry Weaver`s disability? The source of Kerry`s leg injury has never been mentioned on the show, despite some people thinking that they may remember having heard it. Recently, Laura Innes stated in an interview that she and the writers have come up with a specific origin for Kerry`s disability, but it won`t be worked into the show until they have an appropriate story to put it in. [Though I have no idea why they don't just find Lucy...I mean, Baby Suzie's Elephants.] 5.28 What`s the "Top Gun" connection to "ER"? Several "ER" actors appeared in the film _Top Gun_, which people seem to be constantly discovering anew (and posting their discovery to the net). The actors who fit this description are: Anthony Edwards Plays Dr. Mark Greene on "ER" Played "Goose" in "Top Gun". Rick Rossovich Played Dr. John "Tag" Taglieri on "ER" Played "Slider" in "Top Gun". Michael Ironside Played Dr. William "Wild Willie" Swift on "ER" Played "Jester" in "Top Gun". 5.29 What`s the "China Beach" connection to "ER"? One of "ER"`s writer/producers, John Wells, served a similar function on ABC`s critically-acclaimed Vietnam drama "China Beach". He reportedly brought some of his old "China Beach" staff members with him to "ER". Two actresses from that show have also made appearances on "ER". Marg Helgenberger, who played K.C. Koloski on "China Beach", has a recurring "ER" role as Karen Hines, Doug`s former love interest. Megan Gallagher, otherwise known as Wayloo Marie Holmes on "China Beach", has also appeared a couple of times on "ER" as Kathy Snyder, the hospital`s legal counsel. (Some speculated that Kathy was a potential romantic match-up for Mark Greene when the two bumped into each other at a singles bar.) Christine Elise, who played med student Harper Tracy in "ER"`s second season, also appeared on China Beach, coincidentally playing the grown daughter of Marg Helgenberger`s character; like Marg`s "ER" character, Christine`s China Beach character was named Karen. Several other China Beach supporting characters have shown their faces on "ER", including Colleen Flynn (Colleen Richard), who played Jodi O`Brian in "Love Labor`s Lost" [119], and Brian Wimmer (Boonie Lanier), who showed up in "Last Call" [304] as a welder attracted to Jeanie Boulet. 5.30 What`s the "St. Elsewhere" connection to "ER"? Eric Laneuville, who played orderly Luther Hawkins on "St. Elsewhere" -- and went on to direct several of that show`s more memorable episodes -- has directed one episode of "ER" as well, "Summer Run" [202]. He also appeared in a brief cameo as an unnamed character in "Do One, Teach One, Kill One" [203]. (It`s also worth noting that on "St. Elsewhere", Eric`s character later received additional training, first as a paramedic and later as a physician assistant [PA], which is what Jeanie Boulet is on "ER".) 5.31 Why did Mark and his wife split up? The troubled marriage of Mark and Jennifer (or Jenn) Greene hit many bumps on the way down. During the first season, Mark drew the wrath of his wife by accepting an attending position at the hospital without consulting her first. Jenn had her eye on a similarly juicy position at a law firm in Milwaukee. Jenn took her position as well, and this caused the two to begin spending time apart. Eventually, Mark compromised by regularly commuting via train from Milwaukee to Chicago, while their young daughter Rachel lived in Milwaukee with Jenn. However, in the episode "Home" [208], Jenn and Rachel were in an auto accident on the way home from an office Christmas party. Only Jenn was hurt, and then not seriously, but when he visited them in the hospital soon after, Mark discovered that the driver of the car was Craig Simon, one of Jenn`s fellow law clerks. Jenn admitted that she`d been having an affair with Craig. Since then, Mark and Jenn have been officially quits. As of the end of the second season, their divorce is more or less final, and they`ve agreed to share custody of Rachel. In addition, Jenn has announced that she and Craig plan to marry, which has probably happened by now. 5.32 Are Mark and Susan going to get together? Always good friends, it looked as if Mark and Susan were finally going to get together romantically during the third season thus fulfilling a lot of viewers` wishes. This story turned into heartbreak for poor Mark, however, when Susan announced that she was leaving for Phoenix to be with her sister Chloe and family. In the episode "Union Station" [308], Susan made good on this ambition, and left on a train never to be seen again. Naturally, this means that Mark and Susan will not be getting together after all. [...so, why does the phrase "famous last words" keep coming to mind? Hmmm...] 5.331 Did Amanda Plummer play Susan`s sister Chloe? No. This is a very common misapprehension, however. Firstly, the actress who played Chloe (Kathleen Wilhoite) and Amanda Plummer share a certain distinctive acting style that makes it easy for some people to confuse the two. Secondly, both actresses appeared on the show "L.A. Law", each one playing a character who was romantically involved with Benny, the mentally disabled man who was a regular character on the series during its later years. Hence, people who answer this question by saying that "Chloe is the same woman as Benny`s girlfriend on L.A. Law" are really only muddying the issue further. 5.332 Does Mariska Hargitay (Cynthia Hooper) look like Sandra Bullock? Yes, definitely. Uh, no, not at all. (In other words, it depends on who you ask.) [However, she unquestionably looks like Kathleen Wilhoite. Or is it Amanda Plummer? I forget. And digress.] 5.34 Where did Div Cvetic (Susan`s boyfriend) disappear to? During the first season, Susan dated one of the psych department doctors, Div Cvetic. However, Div gradually became chronically depressed for reasons that are still a mystery. His depression manifested itself as an increasing hostility toward his patients. He failed to show up for Thanksgiving dinner at Susan`s place, in "ER Confidential" [109], and at the end of that episode, we see a troubled-looking Div darting on foot in the middle of downtown traffic. This is the last we ever see of him. Two episodes later, in "The Gift" [111], Susan arrives home (they were living together) to find that Div had disappeared, and moved all of his belongings out, without any notice or warning. Later in the year (in "Love Among the Ruins", [123]), Susan discovers a recent snapshot of Div in a dating service book owned by a taxi driver who runs the dating service on the side. Div is apparently one of the cabbie`s success stories; he tells Susan that thanks to his service, Div is happily married to a woman to owns a chain of mortuaries. This seems to present pretty firm evidence that wherever Div is, he`s living a life far removed from the show`s characters, and will therefore likely not return any time soon. 5.35 Where did Randi go? (Recurring characters) Randi (as well as E. Ray, Dr. Morganstern, and a slew of other characters) is only a recurring character. Kristin Minter, who plays her, is not a member of the main cast, and therefore will not appear in every episode. In fact, weeks may go by (and have gone by) without her appearing. Unlike the main cast actors, she is signed up for only a handful of episodes at a time, until such time that the producers decide to add her to the main cast (which they may well never do). [Small matter, though. She'll be immortalized forever for "RANDIwear!"; and as with most of the recurring characters, she'll always hold a Special Place In Our Hearts. I have to stop now; I'm getting all misty and sh tuff.] 5.36 Where did "Wild Willie" go? In the episode "Sleepless in Chicago" [118], Dr. Morganstern announces that he`s going to be leaving Cook County to head up a new residency program in Boston. His replacement, Dr. William Swift, appears two episodes later ("Full Moon, Saturday Night"), and it looked like Morgenstern was gone for good. Swift was given the name "Wild Willie" because Tag, who knew him at Ohio State, mentions that they used to call him that. Indeed, this nickname grew to be so pervasive that many "ER" viewers seem to only remember him by it. However, in the first episode of the second season ("Welcome Back, Carter" [201]), suddenly Swift was gone, and Morgenstern was back. The reason for this is that in between seasons, Michael Ironside, who played Dr. Swift, was offered the lead role on NBC`s science fiction series "SeaQuest 2032" (replacing that show`s former lead, Roy Scheider). He took the job, and helmed the sinking series during its third and final season. No explanation was offered on the show as to where Swift went, although we did get a reason why Morgenstern returned [202]: the residency program he was supposed to lead was fouled up by bureaucracy, and never got off the ground. ...but, proving once again that in TeeVee Land, a character shouldn't be counted out until they are dead (and even then...), Wild Willie returned unto the fold: in "Think Warm Thoughts" [411], Swift returned to the ER as an Attending Physician for Synergix, this time without much fanfare. And, just as quickly, left. 5.37 Where did Bob go? A timid Polish woman who worked in the ER during the early first season, she had a name that apparently no one could pronounce (or want to, anyway), so the ER staffers re-dubbed her "Bob". She appeared scatteringly over the course of the first season, gradually asserting herself while working for the administrative desk. An interesting thread was raised with her character in "Blizzard" [110], when Bob impulsively jumped in the middle of a failing operation and saved a patient with some impromptu (and surprising) surgical work. Afterward, she revealed that she had been a surgeon in Poland, but had no license to practice medicine in America. Carter offered to help tutor her if she wanted to pursue it. The last time she appeared, as of this writing, was in "Summer Run" [202], where she was very efficient at carrying out the wishes of new chief resident Kerry Weaver (to Doug`s dismay). Since then, she hasn`t been on the show at all. No one seems to know why, although it`s possible that actress Malgoscha Gebel (who`s been in Schindler`s List among other films) has been busy with other work, or otherwise unavailable. It`s also possible that the writers have simply deigned not to use the character, for their own reasons. UPDATE: "Just wanted to correct question 5.37. Malgoscha's last name is spelled 'Gebel'. She's Polish born and educated, but a German citizen. Currently working in Los Angeles as freelance journalist for German TV. Lives in Berlin part of the year." -(Information courtesy Tim Lowery) 5.371 I`ve seen some people on the Internet use the term "bobbed" in reference to "ER". What does it mean? As mentioned in the previous question, Bob was a character on "ER" who stopped appearing with no explanation provided as to why she wasn`t around anymore. In her honor, members of the alt.tv.er newsgroup have taken to using the word "bobbed" to refer to any character who drops out of the show mysteriously. Susan`s boyfriend, Div Cvetic, was "bobbed", until they finally explained his disappearance [5.34]. Timmy, a character who manned the administration desk, was also "bobbed". In a sense, a character named Dr. Linda Martins was "pre-bobbed", since she was announced at the end of the second season to be the new chief resident, and yet we haven`t seen her at all. The term was first used by Peter J. Evans on 4/28/96 in an alt.tv.er message about Kerry Weaver (although luckily, Kerry was not "bobbed"). In a follow-up message, Kim Rivers was the person who suggested adopting the term as an "official" label. (-Information provided by Scott Hollifield) Recent discussions on a.t.e. have lead The MotherFAQer to question common usage of the verb "to bob". Unlike Scott and some others, I don't think that term can apply equally across the board to just "any" character. If, as noted above, the state of bobness "refer[s] to any character who drops out of the show mysteriously", then I posit that characters whose absence is referenced in any way--no matter how slight--cannot be said to be bobbed. Further, though this is of course simply my opinion (I could gasp!horrors!, be wrong), as I stated in the a.t.e. thread, "Creeping Bobbism...", "... I'd agree with you that characters like E. Ray, the various paramedics, the 'background' nurses, et al, aren't really bobbed when they're gone, since they're not really an integral part of 'everyday' ER to start with. No slight meant to the actors at all, but their characters are akin to the Red Shirts on Star Trek TOS... I'd personally consider Dr. Maggie Doyle bobbed as of now, more so than, say, Dr. Hicks--simply because Doyle had some semblance of a storyline, no matter how slight; Hicks didn't..." ...and from that, and subsequent discussions in that thread, comes the following question: 5.372 ...And what about "Doyled"? On a.t.e., the always-effervescent catherine yronwode (who, by the way, came up with the funky thread title, "Creeping Bobbism"), said: "I agree -- Hicks is around the hospital somewhere, not bobbed (yet) but Maggie was in so many episodes and was often shown in the locker/coffee room, so that i do consider her one the verge of having been bobbed. Or has she actually, truly been bobbed an i just don't realize it yet? Like ai [sic] asked before -- how long an absense must we witness before we realize that there is bobbery afoot?" ...and later, in that same thread, Marny Helfrich asked: "...is there a term for characters who were once regulars and then vanish from sight but are mentioned occassionally?" ...thus, starting the Great Debate (ok, actually, a few folks just threw some terms around). After long, laborious hours of intense negotations in smoke-ridden coffee houses with much bloodletting occuring, terms like "demibob (for demicharacters)" by Rebecca McQuitty, or Scott's "quasi-bobbed" and "proto-bobbed" (my early favorite) were tossed aside like the redheaded stepchyldrun they are in favor of catherine yronwode's "Doyled"--as in: "Was he Bobbed?" "No, i think they're just Doyling him for the time-being." 5.38 What does "CCH" mean in "CCH Pounder"? CCH Pounder is the actress who plays Dr. Angela Hicks, a staff surgeon who is occasionally seen in a supervisory capacity, particularly with Peter Benton. "CCH" are her initials. She doesn`t use periods to set them apart like most people, which is what seems to confuse some folks. (ER`s use of lower-case screen credits has also led some to mistakenly wonder if "Cch" was actually a name.) Her initials are derived from the name she was born with in Guyana: Carol Christine Hilaria. [And, for all those on alt.tv.er who are waiting breathlessly for the Definitive Enunciation Guide, it`s pronounced "CeeCeeAich". The alternative, of course, being "K-E-R-R-Y".] 5.39 What does Quentin Tarantino have to do with "ER"? The popular director of "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" also directed an episode of "ER". Titled "Motherhood" [124], it originally aired on May 11, 1995 (near Mother`s Day). The episode had a few signature Tarantino touches, notably some slightly grislier-than-usual surgery scenes. Having already been repeated twice (most recently in March `96), it probably won`t be rerun (on NBC) for a while. Tarantino did not actually appear in the episode himself, but he did appear with George Clooney in the film "From Dusk Till Dawn", directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Tarantino. 5.391 Are any other famous directors slated to work on "ER"? It was reported not too long ago that Joel Schumacher ("Batman & Robin", "A Time To Kill") would be directing an episode of "ER" at some point during the fourth season. [But some rumors are too nasty to even contemplate.] 5.40 Which "ER" characters are Jewish? In "A Miracle Happens Here" [210], Mark Greene describes himself as "the son of an agnostic Jew and a lapsed Catholic", although he doesn`t identify which side of his family is Jewish. His part of that episode`s story involves him rediscovering an aspect of his faith, and at the end of the show, he helps a Jewish family celebrate Chanukah. Dr. Morgenstern identified himself once as half-Jewish, half- "genuine Highland Scots". In that episode ("True Lies", [212]), Morgenstern celebrates Robert Burns` birthday, a Scottish tradition. 5.41 I heard something on the news about the guy who plays Malik. What happened? ["HE DID IT!!!". Or was it The Paramedic?] Actor/rapper Deezer D. (real name: Dearon Thompson), who plays Nurse Malik McGrath on the show, was arrested on May 16, 1996 in Los Angeles for allegedly making threatening phone calls to his girlfriend and resisting arrest, according to UPI. As of late May, he was awaiting a court hearing. [Funny, I think to myself, how this piece of "news" never went anywhere. But it serves as a great segue to the next bit]: [For a parody on MALIK, The Paramedic, and other ER Conspiracies, check out the "Official 'Malik Did It!!!' Brigade" page at <http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/6038/erct.html>]. 5.43 Did "ER" go live? You betcha! Needless to say, this was an enormous challenge, especially for a show like "ER", with its fast-paced and highly technical production standards. The show was done live on the East and West coasts, with some minor(?) differences due to the nature of live television. According to Mr. Showbiz <http://www.mrshowbiz.com>, "The episode [focused] on Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards), who was brutally beaten last season and was still trying to overcome his feelings of fear. [Writer/producer John] Wells says that Greene is `in the same emotional state we left him at the end of last season, reeling from his violent assault and trying not to admit what`s going on in his life.` The episode [was] shot documentary-style on the show`s regular set, and the cast [rehearsed] the show about eight times before airing." For more details on Live ER, check out Scott Hollifield`s review/summary on the episode <http://www.digiserve.com/er/erambush.htm>, titled "Ambush", and also NBC`s ERLive website <http://www.erlive.com>. 5.431 Will they do it again? Well, in a word, no. Once again, quoting Lydia Woodward, in her interview with Jefferson Graham of "USA TODAY": "'We're still really happy we did it. It was an amazing experience,' says Woodward of last season's live episode. 'But it's not something we want to repeat.'" 5.44 Who played the sleeping doctor in the 9/26/96 episode? In "Dr. Carter, I Presume" [301], Carter has to wake up a sleeping surgeon to ask about a patient`s treatment. The sleeping doctor, whose name is Dr. Karubian and whose face we never see, was a cameo role for none other than David Schwimmer, who plays Ross on "Friends". NBC has confirmed Schwimmer`s appearance and has said that no further appearances are planned. (The doctor was not played by Chicago Hope`s Adam Arkin, as some have speculated.) 5.45 When did Peter and Jeanie date? From the moment Jeanie Boulet was introduced on the show in the first season, it was pretty apparent that the writers were going to have her and Peter get involved romantically; the question was, when? She first appeared as a physical therapist, and was assigned the task of caring for Peter`s ailing mother. Caring for her brought Peter and Jeanie closer, and closer still when Mrs. Benton died. Although Jeanie was married, she and Peter fell into a relationship which was mostly carried on off-camera, during the summer break between the first and second seasons. (In the second season opener, "Welcome Back, Carter" [201], when Peter and Jeanie are shown in bed together, it`s the first notice at all that they`re an actual item.) Despite the fragility of her marriage, Jeanie tells Peter in "Do One, Teach One, Kill One" [203] that she`s not ready to walk out on her husband, and she and Peter part. A month later ("Days Like This", [206]), Jeanie came to the hospital to work full-time as a physician`s assistant, which results in some awkwardness between her and Peter. Despite the fact that her marriage with Al Boulet did eventually end (though they`re still legally married), she and Peter sustain an emotionally distant if generally professional relationship. Recent developments with Jeanie testing HIV-positive (via Al) have not fundamentally changed this. 5.451 "Reese"? "Reece"? How _is_ that child's name spelled? Another good question. And I rail mightily against the answer. Peter Benton and his ex-girlfriend Carla Reese/Reece had a premature [and beautiful--or more precisely, the child playing their son is beautiful; an absolute doll. Early Baby Benton was a _real_ doll. But I digress] baby boy in "Make A Wish" [321]. Up until Phyl Behrer pointed out a scene in "Tribes" [317] that goes against all pre-existing logic, I thought I knew what Carla's last, and the boy's first, name was: "Reese", of course. After all, that's how it's spelled Everywhere Else I Looked. But the evidence in that episode is undeniable. As Phyl said, "at the end of the episode, Peter spots a tape that's labeled: Reece, Carla Fetal Ultrasound And it has the date." Now, I wanted to believe that the (mis)spelling was just an ER goof. But to be so accurate with the date, yet clumsy with the name, would be, well, just plain dumb. So, Bammer sez (against everything that Makes Sense In My World) that "Reece" is the word. sigh. *5.452 Is Reese/Reece...ahhh hell, Baby Boy Benton, deaf? [My oh my, aren't _we_ full of good questions?] As mentioned above, Carla and Peter had Reese/Reece prematurely (er, literally and figuratively); at the end of season 3, it looked like they were Headed For Rough Times with him, in his perilous condition-- but that never really took hold during S4 [aka "the wonder year"; aaka "Cupid's Revenge". But yet again, I digress.] and he seemed to come away totally unaffected. However, S4 ended with a question in the air: is Reese/Reece deaf? *And as we find out in S5, the answer is, yes. 5.46 Is Peter HIV-positive? No. Debate about this arose after Jeanie Boulet was revealed to have been infected with the HIV virus via her husband Al, who was promiscuous during their marriage. Jeanie and Peter had a brief affair during the early second season. In the early third season, Peter was tested, and his test came back negative. There seems to be some isolated confusion about this on Usenet because we the viewers didn`t actually hear anyone tell Peter, out loud, of his HIV-negative status; all we see is Peter`s reaction while listening to an unheard voice on the telephone. Peter subsequently tells Jeanie that his tests came back negative. Some people believed Peter`s reaction to the phone call to be sufficiently ambiguous to cause speculation that his tests were in fact positive, and that he lied to Jeanie, but in my opinion, there is no issue; watching Peter`s expressions and behavior with any amount of attention should confirm that he`s relieved, albeit a little stressed, as a result of that phone call. 5.48 Who assaulted Mark Greene? In "Random Acts" [320], Mark is the victim of a brutal attack by a hooded man, in one of the hospital`s restrooms. Mark had interacted that day with several hostile people, all patients or relatives of patients, and after recovering, was convinced that one of them was the person who attacked him. The most likely suspect, as Mark saw it, was a young black man named Chris Law, whose brother Kenny had died in the ER while undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound. Kenny was an innocent bystander in the gun battle that claimed his life, but Chris believed that Kenny received sub-standard treatment in the ER due to being black, and blamed Mark especially for his brother`s death. He confronted Mark after his mother received the bill from the hospital, saying that they wouldn`t pay it, and if they ever got another bill, "maybe I`m gonna kick some ass. Maybe I`ll start with yours"; (but in "Do you see what I see?" [410], Mark admits that Chris wasn't his attacker, which Chris acknowledges). Mark was also threatened that same day by an irate father who didn`t like the fact that his daughter was being treated by an intern, and also by a deranged patient in a wheelchair. However, the police inform Mark that they`ve checked out all the possible suspects (i.e. people who confronted Mark) and they all turned up clean. Later, a detective tells Mark that they`ve apprehended a man who attacked a doctor at another hospital. This would seem to indicate that the attacker, if it`s the same man, is a serial mugger with a vendetta against doctors. 5.49 Is it "Jorja Fox" or "Jorjan Fox"? The actress who plays Dr. Maggie Doyle currently spells her name "Jorja Fox". In her first few appearances on "ER", it was spelled "Jorjan Fox". This was not a typo on NBC`s part; according to one of the show`s writers, Jorjan/Jorja made the personal decision to change the spelling of her name. 5.50 Is Maggie Doyle gay? It looks that way. While spending some time with Carter at a shooting range in "Whose Appy Now?" [314], Maggie spies a woman who she says is her ex-girlfriend. In a later episode ("Random Acts", [320]), Maggie responds to a deranged patient on a biblical rant by saying, "No meat, no men; I`m your woman." 5.51 Who is currently the ER`s chief resident? At the end of the second season ("John Carter, M.D.", [222]), Susan Lewis was one of the candidates for the position of ER`s chief resident, a title which was then currently held by Kerry Weaver, and the year before by Mark Greene. Mark made a backchannel deal with Kerry to get Kerry to support Susan`s candidacy for the position, but Susan withdrew her name from the running. The position then went to someone named Dr. Linda Martins. Dr. Martins has never been seen on the show, and her name has not been mentioned since that episode, which puzzles fans of the show who tend to keep up with stuff like this. The simple answer is that now that the main characters are advancing, none of them are qualified to be chief resident of the ER anymore, and so the writers have simply elected to ignore the position for dramatic reasons. Mark and Kerry are now both attending physicians who work in the ER, so they pretty much function in the same capacity. (Now that he`s switched his residency from surgery to ER medicine, it`s possible that Carter will be qualified for this position in two or three years.) 5.52 Who wrote the famous "book" about the ER staff? (new info in SPOILER space) **NOTE**: This section contains potential spoiler info; if you do not wish to be thus spoilt, skip to the next section (5.53). In "Random Acts" [320], someone finds a notebook under the admit desk that contains a story written like a sleazy romance novel depiction of the ER staffers` lives. Its characters are thinly-veiled caricatures of the folks who work in the ER - nurse "Carly Halloran" (Carol Hathaway), attending "Martin Bean" (Mark Greene) and so on. To write such a story, someone must know the real ER staffers personally, and thus it must have been one of them, but nobody owned up to being the author. Several characters on the show decided that Carol must have been the one to write it, but Carol steadfastly denied it. It`s possible that this mystery will be cleared up at some point in the show`s fourth season, and it`s also possible that we`ll never know who wrote it. **SPOILER INFO**: In a recent interview, Laura Innes admitted that Kerry Weaver *did* write the book. The interview is available at The Unofficial Laura Innes Fan Page <http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/5999> -(Information courtesy Erin "woodford") [...which, since I'm sitting here thinking about it, makes ya wonder why Kerry said she "didn't know" about Doug & Carol's Thing in "Do you see what I see?" [410]. Of course, Anna saying pretty much the same thing, was a bit curious, since *she* as much told Doug he was Still In Love with Carol in "One More For The Road" [322]. Ah well; subtlety evades me once more...] 5.53 Did Dennis Gant commit suicide? In "Night Shift" [311], the troubled Dennis Gant left work in the middle of a shift and was later brought in as a patient, having been run over by a train. The implication is that Dennis was suicidally depressed and deliberately jumped in front of the train. There seems to be a little debate about this on the Internet since we didn`t actually see the event happen, and since the police ruled the death an accident, but there`s little doubt in my mind that Dennis` death was a suicide, and I`m sure that`s the way the writers meant it to come across. 5.54 Who was Kerry Weaver`s African boyfriend? Even though she became a main character in the second season, Kerry Weaver sort of sticks out because the writers have rarely shown a non-work-related side of her life. One stark exception was in the Christmas episode "A Miracle Happens Here" [210]. Kerry had planned on working through the holidays, until she received a surprise visitor in the ER. A man whom Kerry called "Mlungisi" came in, and the two started kissing and hugging as if they were an old couple. Kerry thereupon announced that she would not be working the holidays after all; apparently Mlungisi had flown in from somewhere in Africa to visit her for Christmas at the last minute. When asked about him later, Kerry replied cryptically, "I had a farm in Africa...", mimicking Meryl Streep from the movie "Out of Africa" (in which Streep played a Danish baroness who lived in Kenya for a time). Mlungisi has never been mentioned or seen on any other episode; that`s long-distance relationships for you. *5.55 Why do the "ER" lockers "move"? Do nurses have lockers? What kinds of production mistakes have been made on "ER"? Must All "ER" Characters, Eventually, Scromp? (ER FAQtoids) *You've seen them, I'm sure: the Majical Mistikal Moving Lockers; one week, Carter's locker is between Doug's and Carol's (and just how'd *she* rate a locker, anyhoo?), the next, it's clear on the other side of the room. How'd they do that? Well, by golly, burning questions like this are Too Big For This Here Section, so Phyl Behrer and I decided that she was gonna tackle them like the quarterback she is ("or something like that") with a lil' sum'n we like to call "ER FAQtoids". And now that Retro's (almost) done, I can Bug Her To Death about it. Watch this space... -- Rose "MotherFAQer" Cooper, Keeper Of The Mostly New And Somewhat Improved ER FAQ EMAIL: erfaq@digiserve.com ICQ: 7760005 http://digiserve.com/er/ http://manetheren.cl.msu.edu/~bambam/