Post by Raffy on Mar 29, 2009 9:28:51 GMT -5
John Carter was the Steri-Strip of ER
By Ben Beagle
bbeagle@batavianews.com
Sunday, March 29, 2009 7:11 AM EDT
We knew him simply as Carter. But Dr. John Truman Carter III was not just another doctor in Chicago’s fictional County General emergency room. Carter was the Steri-Strip that held “ER” together for most of its 15-season run.
Carter, an original cast member, appeared for the first 11 of “ER’s” 15 season, returning repeatedly in the year’s since he left as a regular player in the frenetically paced, groundbreaking medical drama.
In some respects, “ER” -- when it was doing its most compelling episodes -- was the story of John Carter. We were introduced to him as an awkward medical student and watched him grow into a compassionate, confident doctor. With the series ending its run Thursday it’s appropriate that Carter’s story wraps up with him opening a new medical facility for the underprivileged.
We first met Carter in the pilot episode back in 1994. He was a third-year medical student, young and insecure. During that first day, Carter sutured minor injuries, took verbal abuse from his senior resident and gruff mentor Dr. Peter Benton -- who was the drill sergeant to Carter’s soldier-in-training -- and repeatedly stuck a loud, cranky patient while trying to hook him up to an IV.
“I wanted to make Carter clumsy, naïve, give him these physical tics,” Noah Wyle, the actor who played Carter, recalled in an interview published today in the Los Angeles Times.
We watched Carter grow into a strong, passionate doctor.
At first, Carter was not portrayed as a gifted medical student -- though he was dedicated and compassionate to patients. In the 1996 episode, “John Carter, M.D.,” Carter skipped his medical-school graduation to stay with a young patient needing a liver transplant.
Working in the ER we saw his confidence grow. He would often do things outside the norm to help his patients.
Through several years of cast changes, Carter -- especially after the death of Dr. Mark Green -- was the stabilizing force that kept an ER on a course that seemed a scalpel’s-width from going over the edge. (Admittedly, some of the story lines did get a little far fetched. … R.I.P. Dr. Romano.)
We followed Carter through the ups and downs of traumas both personal and professional.
Carter -- a character reportedly inspired by series creator Michael Crichton who wrote the show's original pilot while a third-year medical student in the 1970s -- got his first major story arc in the show’s sixth season. He was a victim of a stabbing attack by a schizophrenic patient that also killed a medical student. Carter lost function of one of his kidneys in the attack. As Carter moved toward recovery, we stayed by his side as he goes through chronic pain, guilt and a drug addiction. Dr. Benton would help him through rehab.
Later, Carter would have romances and breakups, and deal with family dysfunction, and the losses of his grandmother and stillborn son.
Wyle left after 11 seasons, but made repeated visits to "ER" ever since. This season, he returned to Chicago from Darfur (where he had been helping his African wife, Kem, at a clinic) with a failing marriage and his remaining kidney also failing.
Actor Noah Wyle was just 23 when he began playing Carter, but with 254 episodes he has appeared in “ER” more frequently than anyone else.
In the early seasons, the then-unknown Wyle was often overshadowed by other actors. Anthony Edwards’ Dr. Green kept the ER together for eight seasons, the focal point of such acclaimed episodes as “Love’s Labor Lost.” George Clooney became a star playing the womanizing, roguish Dr. Ross.
But they all left, followed by a revolving door of interns, attendings and residents. (Remember Dr. Dave, anyone?)
But through it all, we had Carter.
We watched become the strong, confident commander of the ER. (And we even kept watching when he left the ER to go to Africa).
Over these last few weeks, many familiar faces have returned for sometimes extended cameos, reminding us of the days when “ER” anchored NBC’s must-see Thursday night. Back then, “ER” was ground-breaking TV: a show that took a chance that viewers’ wouldn’t get lost by unfamiliar medical jargon, and trusted that we could follow multiple storylines and keep up with the show’s fast pace.
We still got glimpses of those glory days, but it’s been several seasons since “ER” -- once the most-watched show on TV -- was even a top 20 show.
I’ve been dutifully watching each episode, but it hasn’t been appointment TV for me in years. Instead, I’ve been recording episodes weekly for the past three or four seasons, and while I once watched before the next episode was recorded, I’m now more likely to watch two or three episodes at a time.
That’s changed slightly these last few episodes. Maybe it’s nostalgia. But mostly it’s been Dr. Carter.
We’re both a bit older than when we started, but beneath the stubble there’s still an eager face and a story to finish.
***
“ER” ends its run Thursday with a two-hour finale at 9 p.m. The final episode will be preceded at 8 p.m. by a retrospective. Here’s NBC’s official description for the final episode:
'ER' SERIES FINALE -- NOAH WYLE RETURNS ALONG WITH MANY ‘ER’ ALUMS-- ALEXIS BLEDEL (“GILMORE GIRLS”) AND ERNEST BORGNINE (“FROM HERE TO ETERNITY”) GUEST STAR—Gates (John Stamos) works on a young teen brought in with alcohol poisoning after playing a deadly drinking game with friends. Dr. Carter (guest star Noah Wyle) opens a new medical facility for the underprivileged in Chicago and some old friends from County General all come to show their support. It’s Sam’s (Linda Cardellini) birthday and Alex (Dominic Janes) and Gates surprise her with a special gift. Meanwhile, Carter works with an intern to save a mother in labor with twins.
www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2009/03/29/entertainment/doc49cef9e98028e298401898.txt
By Ben Beagle
bbeagle@batavianews.com
Sunday, March 29, 2009 7:11 AM EDT
We knew him simply as Carter. But Dr. John Truman Carter III was not just another doctor in Chicago’s fictional County General emergency room. Carter was the Steri-Strip that held “ER” together for most of its 15-season run.
Carter, an original cast member, appeared for the first 11 of “ER’s” 15 season, returning repeatedly in the year’s since he left as a regular player in the frenetically paced, groundbreaking medical drama.
In some respects, “ER” -- when it was doing its most compelling episodes -- was the story of John Carter. We were introduced to him as an awkward medical student and watched him grow into a compassionate, confident doctor. With the series ending its run Thursday it’s appropriate that Carter’s story wraps up with him opening a new medical facility for the underprivileged.
We first met Carter in the pilot episode back in 1994. He was a third-year medical student, young and insecure. During that first day, Carter sutured minor injuries, took verbal abuse from his senior resident and gruff mentor Dr. Peter Benton -- who was the drill sergeant to Carter’s soldier-in-training -- and repeatedly stuck a loud, cranky patient while trying to hook him up to an IV.
“I wanted to make Carter clumsy, naïve, give him these physical tics,” Noah Wyle, the actor who played Carter, recalled in an interview published today in the Los Angeles Times.
We watched Carter grow into a strong, passionate doctor.
At first, Carter was not portrayed as a gifted medical student -- though he was dedicated and compassionate to patients. In the 1996 episode, “John Carter, M.D.,” Carter skipped his medical-school graduation to stay with a young patient needing a liver transplant.
Working in the ER we saw his confidence grow. He would often do things outside the norm to help his patients.
Through several years of cast changes, Carter -- especially after the death of Dr. Mark Green -- was the stabilizing force that kept an ER on a course that seemed a scalpel’s-width from going over the edge. (Admittedly, some of the story lines did get a little far fetched. … R.I.P. Dr. Romano.)
We followed Carter through the ups and downs of traumas both personal and professional.
Carter -- a character reportedly inspired by series creator Michael Crichton who wrote the show's original pilot while a third-year medical student in the 1970s -- got his first major story arc in the show’s sixth season. He was a victim of a stabbing attack by a schizophrenic patient that also killed a medical student. Carter lost function of one of his kidneys in the attack. As Carter moved toward recovery, we stayed by his side as he goes through chronic pain, guilt and a drug addiction. Dr. Benton would help him through rehab.
Later, Carter would have romances and breakups, and deal with family dysfunction, and the losses of his grandmother and stillborn son.
Wyle left after 11 seasons, but made repeated visits to "ER" ever since. This season, he returned to Chicago from Darfur (where he had been helping his African wife, Kem, at a clinic) with a failing marriage and his remaining kidney also failing.
Actor Noah Wyle was just 23 when he began playing Carter, but with 254 episodes he has appeared in “ER” more frequently than anyone else.
In the early seasons, the then-unknown Wyle was often overshadowed by other actors. Anthony Edwards’ Dr. Green kept the ER together for eight seasons, the focal point of such acclaimed episodes as “Love’s Labor Lost.” George Clooney became a star playing the womanizing, roguish Dr. Ross.
But they all left, followed by a revolving door of interns, attendings and residents. (Remember Dr. Dave, anyone?)
But through it all, we had Carter.
We watched become the strong, confident commander of the ER. (And we even kept watching when he left the ER to go to Africa).
Over these last few weeks, many familiar faces have returned for sometimes extended cameos, reminding us of the days when “ER” anchored NBC’s must-see Thursday night. Back then, “ER” was ground-breaking TV: a show that took a chance that viewers’ wouldn’t get lost by unfamiliar medical jargon, and trusted that we could follow multiple storylines and keep up with the show’s fast pace.
We still got glimpses of those glory days, but it’s been several seasons since “ER” -- once the most-watched show on TV -- was even a top 20 show.
I’ve been dutifully watching each episode, but it hasn’t been appointment TV for me in years. Instead, I’ve been recording episodes weekly for the past three or four seasons, and while I once watched before the next episode was recorded, I’m now more likely to watch two or three episodes at a time.
That’s changed slightly these last few episodes. Maybe it’s nostalgia. But mostly it’s been Dr. Carter.
We’re both a bit older than when we started, but beneath the stubble there’s still an eager face and a story to finish.
***
“ER” ends its run Thursday with a two-hour finale at 9 p.m. The final episode will be preceded at 8 p.m. by a retrospective. Here’s NBC’s official description for the final episode:
'ER' SERIES FINALE -- NOAH WYLE RETURNS ALONG WITH MANY ‘ER’ ALUMS-- ALEXIS BLEDEL (“GILMORE GIRLS”) AND ERNEST BORGNINE (“FROM HERE TO ETERNITY”) GUEST STAR—Gates (John Stamos) works on a young teen brought in with alcohol poisoning after playing a deadly drinking game with friends. Dr. Carter (guest star Noah Wyle) opens a new medical facility for the underprivileged in Chicago and some old friends from County General all come to show their support. It’s Sam’s (Linda Cardellini) birthday and Alex (Dominic Janes) and Gates surprise her with a special gift. Meanwhile, Carter works with an intern to save a mother in labor with twins.
www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2009/03/29/entertainment/doc49cef9e98028e298401898.txt