The 22 episodes of 1997-98 see big changes at County General's trauma center -- changes that begin to take ER in a different direction than that imagined by show creator Michael Crichton. The focus continues to shift from workplace interaction to the personal lives of County General's doctors and nurses. Following the departure of Sherry Stringfield's Dr. Susan Lewis, the series welcomes two new characters for Season 4: Doctors Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) and Anna Del Amico (Maria Bello). This year also sees the winding down of William H. Macy's participation in the show, as his character, Dr. Morganstern, is sidelined early on by a heart attack and delegates his authority to Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes). The season opener, "Ambush," was a network TV prime-time innovation: Ostensibly consisting of footage shot by a TV crew making a documentary, it was broadcast live. Tempers flare in "When the Bough Breaks," which finds the ER flooded with children injured in a school-bus accident. The Christmas episode, "Do You See What I See?" centers on the apparent miracle of Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) curing a blind man, just as Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney) and nurse Carol Hathaway ({|Julianna Margulies|}) tell the staff about their previously clandestine relationship. Doug takes center stage in the season finale, "A Hole in the Heart," which finds him under a cloud after performing an illegal treatment. While still distinguished by top-flight writing and acting, Season 4 reflected a growing problem that was to afflict ER in years to come: too many principals vying for screen time and juicy subplots. Bello, for example, left the show after this one season to establish herself outside the ensemble. This notwithstanding, the 1997-98 run maintains the high standard ER set for itself early on. Ed Hulse

Product Details

• UPC: 012[zasłonięte]599130
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Language: English
• Editions: Digi-Pak
• Time: 16:31:00
• Sales Rank: 8,235

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• ER: Ambush
• ER: Something New
• ER: Friendly Fire
• ER: When the Bough Breaks
• ER: Good Touch, Bad Touch
• ER: Ground Zero
• ER: Fathers and Sons
• ER: Freak Show
• ER: Obstruction of Justice
• ER: Do You See What I See?
• ER: Think Warm Thoughts
• ER: Sharp Relief
• ER: Carter's Choice
• ER: Family Practice
• ER: Exodus
• ER: My Brother's Keeper
• ER: A Bloody Mess
• ER: Gut Reaction
• ER: Shades of Gray
• ER: Of Past Regret and Future Fear
• ER: Suffer the Little Children
• ER: A Hole in the Heart

Features:

Closed Caption; 2 intense examinations of the historic live season opener Ambush:; Anatomy of an Ambush; Live Post Show: How cast and crew wound down after Ambush aired; Outpatient outtakes:; Deleted scenes on select episodes; Cutups: Gag reel; Subtitles: English, Français & Espańol (Episode Only)