1.
ER (TV series)
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It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Television, in association with Warner Bros. ER follows the life of the emergency room of fictional County General Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. The show became the longest-running primetime medical drama in American television history and it won 23 Primetime Emmy Awards, including the 1996 Outstanding Drama Series award, and received 124 Emmy nominations, which makes it the most nominated drama program in history. ER won 116 awards in total, including the Peabody Award, in 1974, author Michael Crichton wrote a screenplay based on his own experiences as a resident physician in a busy hospital emergency room. The screenplay went nowhere and Crichton focused on other topics, in 1990, he published the novel Jurassic Park, and in 1993 began a collaboration with director Steven Spielberg on the film adaptation of the book. Crichton and Spielberg then turned to ER, but decided to film the story as a pilot for a television series rather than as a feature film. Spielbergs Amblin Entertainment provided John Wells as the executive producer. The script used to shoot the pilot was virtually unchanged from what Crichton had written in 1974. Because of a lack of time and money necessary to build a set, the episode of ER was filmed in the former Linda Vista Hospital in Los Angeles. After Spielberg had joined as a producer, NBC ordered six episodes, ER premiered opposite a Monday Night Football game on ABC and did surprisingly well. Then we moved it to Thursday and it just took off, ERs success surprised the networks and critics alike, as David E. Kelleys new medical drama Chicago Hope was expected to crush the new series. Crichton remained executive producer until his death in November 2008, although he was credited as one throughout that entire final season. Wells, the other initial executive producer, served as showrunner for the first three seasons. He was one of the shows most prolific writers and became a director in later years. Lydia Woodward was a part of the first season production team and she took over as showrunner for the fourth season while Wells focused on the development of other series, including Trinity, Third Watch, and The West Wing. She left her executive position at the end of the sixth season. Joe Sachs, who was a writer and producer of the series, believed keeping a commitment to medical accuracy was important, Wed bend the rules. A medication that would take 10 minutes to work might take 30 seconds instead, a 12- to 24-hour shift gets pushed into 48 minutes
2.
John Carter (ER)
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Dr. John Truman Carter III, portrayed by Noah Wyle, is a fictional character from the American television series ER. The character, called simply Carter by most other characters, was introduced in the pilot episode, Wyle decided to leave the show as a regular character at the conclusion of season 11, despite offers to stay. He cited a family and an already lengthy tenure on the show as reasons. Carter was then out of the show by moving to Africa and marrying his love interest, Makemba Likasu. Noah Wyle agreed to make two appearances in Seasons 12 and 13. While he did so in Season 12, his Season 13 episodes were pushed back a year to season 14. Because of the WGA Strike, ER was renewed for a 15th season, Carter arrives to County General as a third-year medical student. Carter is characterized as lacking the ability of the most gifted physicians, for example, on his first day at County, he nearly vomits in the emergency room after seeing a critically wounded patient and has to be consoled by Chief Resident Dr. Mark Greene. Carter does share a very dedicated and compassionate approach with his patients and he was initially interested in surgery and completed the first year of a surgical residency involving mentoring by a surgical resident, Dr. Peter Benton. Extended exposure to the room reveals Carters true passion and he decides to change his specialty to emergency medicine. The change of heart is to Bentons dismay, Carter laments the lack of patient connection in surgery. He specifically regrets the lack of thorough follow-up and care in the surgical field, as a resident his confidence grows, and he often does whatever is in his power to help patients. During Season 6, Carter and his friend and medical student Lucy Knight were stabbed by patient Paul Sobricki, Knight is stabbed in the throat and dies from her injuries, Carter is stabbed in the back and his kidney is damaged, leaving him with lifelong kidney problems. As a result of Carters chronic battle with pain, survivor guilt, although initially opposed to going, Dr. Benton confronts him outside the hospital and boards the plane with him. At the end of the season, Kerry Weaver returns Carters application for Chief Resident because of his addiction, during Season 9, Carter begins sleeping with Abby after they were quarantined in the ER for two weeks because of the outbreak of monkeypox. However, Abbys brother Eric is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and his behavior becomes erratic, meanwhile, the health of Carters grandmother, Millicent, continues to decline, and his mother, Eleanor, has difficulty accepting her divorce from Carters father, Jack. Worse, Abby and Carter continue to disagree over whether or not Abby should be drinking at all and these personal issues come to a head when Eric reappears the same day Gamma dies. Carter is broken by his grief, yet Abby feels it is her duty to go and get her destitute brother, when the uninvited Eric behaves inappropriately at the funeral, even falling into her open grave, it marks the beginning of the end of Carter and Abbys relationship
3.
Susan Lewis
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Dr. Susan Lewis, played by Sherry Stringfield, is a fictional doctor on the television show ER 1994–1996, and again 2001–2005. Susan is one of ERs original characters, first seen in Season 1 as an eager resident and she left County General Hospital and the series in Season 3, but returned five seasons later as an attending physician in Season 8. Susan Lewis eventually checked out of the ER for good in 2005 at the beginning of Season 12 and she was offered a tenured position at a hospital in Iowa. She returned in the final episode, in Season 1, Susan is a second year resident. She is shown to be an eager and competent young doctor working in the department of County General Hospital. She is good friends with Nurse Carol Hathaway, Dr. Doug Ross and especially Dr. Mark Greene, though an extremely capable doctor, Susan is initially seen to have problems asserting herself. This is frequently taken advantage of by the senior and more forthright doctors in the hospital, such as Dr. Peter Benton, Kayson tries to deflect the blame onto Susan and her competence is questioned. Her superior, Mark, is forced to monitor her every move, during the case review, however, the board rules in Susans favor and reprimands Kayson—much to his chagrin. Shortly after, Kayson is rushed into hospital suffering from a heart attack, despite their past disagreement on the issue, Kayson opts for Susans non-invasive form of treatment against the advice of a senior doctor, who is an advocate of surgical angioplasty. Finally asserting herself, Susan stands her ground and refuses to allow Kayson to be treated surgically, following his recovery, Kayson shows his gratitude by asking Susan to be his valentine date, which she awkwardly declines. Susans personal life is far less settled than her professional one, in Season 1, she is seen to have a brief relationship with psychiatrist Div Cvetic, who ultimately has a nervous breakdown and disappears. Susan later learns that he married someone he met through a dating service, most of her problems, however, are family-related. Susans parents, Cookie and Henry, are shown to be flighty and her older sister, Chloe, is the source of most of her distress, with a seemingly never ending series of problems with alcohol, drugs, men, and money. Chloe eventually has a girl, who she names Susan after her sister. During Season 2 however, Chloe begins to use alcohol and drugs once again, already overstressed, Susan clashes with the new Chief Resident, Kerry Weaver, numerous times, forcing Mark Greene to step in between them. Animosity between Kerry and Susan lessens over time, but never goes away completely, realizing that Chloe may never return, Susan considers giving Susie up for adoption. She gets as far as introducing the baby to potential adoptive parents, Susan grows extremely attached to the baby, but she gets a surprise when a reformed Chloe reappears later in the season and tries to reclaim little Susie. Susan cant see past Chloes mistakes, regardless of her recent turnaround, desperate to keep the baby, Susan attempts to fight Chloe for custody, but is forced to reconsider when the judge warns her that she would lose
4.
Mark Greene
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Dr. Mark Greene is a fictional medical doctor from the television series ER, portrayed by the actor Anthony Edwards. For most of his time on the series, Greenes role was that of a mediator and occasional authority figure, Mark was also the only original character to die, and his death at the end of Season 8 marked one of the biggest turning points in the series. Mark Greene, a child, was raised by his mother, Ruth. Kings Bay, Georgia, and Hawaii, where spent three years, Davids longest assignment. Mark had a strained relationship with his father, and was decidedly closer to his mother. He would often act out in an attempt to upset his father, the most memorable time of his childhood was when his family was in Hawaii, a time he would later recreate with daughter Rachel during the last few weeks of his life. While still in school, Mark met and soon after developed a romantic relationship with Jennifer. Presumably their relationship lasted the duration of their time in college and his daughter, Rachel was born shortly afterwards. While in medical school, he met future colleague Peter Benton, while there, Mark developed close friendships with Dr. Doug Ross, a pediatrician, Dr. Susan Lewis, an ER resident, and nurse manager, Carol Hathaway. Although Mark enjoys working the ER, the nights on call. Also, his friendship with Susan is shown as they confide in each other about their personal lives while on break. During the same episode, Jen gets Mark to visit a private practice near the hospital to explore the possibility of leaving his job at the ER, Mark decides the clean medicine isnt his cup of tea. Back at the ER, Mark removes a hangnail from an older woman, later during the night, Mark has to urge everyone to get back to work when Carol is rushed into the ER after a shocking suicide attempt. During the first season, Dr. Greenes marriage becomes increasingly shaky, when offered an attending physicians position by David Morgenstern, Mark readily accepts, much to Jens chagrin. As a newly admitted member of the bar, Jen has been clerking in Milwaukee for a judge and she begins an affair with a coworker, and the marriage soon ends, with Rachel and Jen leaving Chicago first for Milwaukee and later for St. Louis. In Loves Labor Lost, Mark makes miscalculations in treating a pregnant woman that lead to her death in childbirth, in A Miracle Happens Here, a Christmas episode, Mark explains that he is the son of an agnostic Jew and a lapsed Catholic. He lights a Hanukkah candle for a Holocaust survivor, Marks career becomes more difficult as he needs to make decisions that periodically alienate his friends, such as selecting Dr. Marks friendship with Dr. His love life takes a more drastic downward spin when his feelings for Dr. Lewis increase and he suffers emotionally again after he is attacked in the ER mens room in the episode Random Acts
5.
Over the Rainbow
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Over the Rainbow is a ballad, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz and was sung by actress Judy Garland, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Garlands signature song, as well as one of the most enduring standards of the 20th century. Dorothys Aunt Em tells her to find yourself a place where you wont get into any trouble and this prompts Dorothy to walk off by herself, musing to Toto, Some place where there isnt any trouble. Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto and its not a place you can get to by a boat, or a train. Behind the moon, beyond the rain, at which point she begins singing. The song is one on the Songs of the Century list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America. The American Film Institute also ranked Over the Rainbow the greatest movie song of all time on the list of AFIs 100 Years.100 Songs and it was adopted by American troops in Europe in World War II, as a symbol of the United States. Garland performed the song for the troops as part of a 1943 performance, in April 2005, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp recognizing lyricist Yip Harburgs accomplishments, the stamp features the opening lyric from Over the Rainbow. The song was used as a wakeup call in the STS-88 Space shuttle mission in Flight Day 4. The song was honored with the 2014 Towering Song Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was sung at its dinner on June 12,2014 by Jackie Evancho. In April 2016, The Daily Telegraph listed the song as number 8 on its list of the 100 greatest songs of all time, the Over the Rainbow sequence and the entirety of the Kansas scenes were directed by King Vidor, though he was not credited. At the start of the film, part of the song is played by the MGM orchestra over the opening credits, a reprise of the song was deleted after being filmed. An additional chorus was to be sung by Dorothy while she was locked in a room in the witchs castle, helplessly awaiting death as the witchs hourglass ran out. In that extremely intense and fear-filled rendition, Dorothy weeps her way through it, unable to finish, concluding with a tear-filled, Im frightened, another instrumental version is played in the underscore in the final scene, and over the closing credits. On October 7,1938, Judy Garland first recorded the song on the MGM soundstages, in September 1939, a studio recording of the song, not from the actual film soundtrack, was recorded and released as a single by Decca Records. In March 1940, that recording was included on a Decca 78-RPM four-record studio cast album entitled The Wizard of Oz. It was not until 1956, when MGM released the soundtrack album from the film. The 1956 soundtrack release was timed to coincide with the premiere of the movie
6.
Neela Rasgotra
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Dr. Neela Rasgotra is a fictional character portrayed by Parminder Nagra on the television show ER. Following the departure of Goran Visnjic, Maura Tierney, and Mekhi Phifer this left Nagra as the longest term cast member on ER, Parminder Nagras addition into the main cast opening credits was in the 3rd episode of season 10. The character was listed in Wetpaints 10 Hottest Female Doctors on TV, Neela Kaur Rasgotra first appeared in late 2003 at the start of the 10th season as a talented but very reticent medical student from Southall, London, of Punjabi Sikh heritage. Neela is very intelligent but sometimes stumbles in her doctor–patient communications skills and this proves disastrous when she informs the wrong woman of her grandsons death. Nevertheless, she does her job superbly and it is also revealed that Neela had a terrible case of claustrophobia, which she later conquers by gutting out a hyperbaric chamber session that helped save a babys life. At the end of Season 10, Neela and Abby Lockhart both graduate from medical school, however, upon graduating, Neela has an identity crisis and turns down an internship at the University of Michigan, opting to work as a store clerk when no other position turns up. After a few episodes, she asks the ER chief Dr. Kerry Weaver for a job back at County, later, she finds herself back in the hospital after an obsessive-compulsive intern quit and Susan Lewis makes her a job offer, which she accepts. Neelas birthday is April 17,1977 and she becomes close to Dr. Michael Gallant prior to his deployment to Iraq, especially after he took the blame of a patients accidental death, sparing Neelas probable dismissal. During one return visit, they begin a relationship, after which they maintain a regular correspondence. On completion of his tour of duty, they impulsively marry, at this point, Neela was also struggling with her feelings for roommate Ray Barnett, who began to fall in love with her. Neela kept her distance from Ray when she decided to move in with Abby Lockhart instead, Abby and Neela remain best friends through the series, during medical school, Neela would help Abby study and Abby would help Neela with her communication problems. In The Gallant Hero & The Tragic Victor, Neela becomes a widow when Gallant is killed by a bomb near Mosul. She pushes Ray and everyone else away when they try to offer her some comfort, in Twenty-One Guns, Michaels funeral takes place, where she is accompanied by Gregory Pratt. Pratt later receives a call from the ER, both are unaware of the shootings which have taken place there. In Bloodline, Neela and Pratt rush to the hospital when they find out about the shooting, Neela, then taking a surgical elective, scrubs in and operates on Jerry, who eventually recovers from his injuries. Neela reunites with paramedic Tony Gates, still mourning her husband, she gets drunk and kisses him but she apologizes to him later on. Many feelings and tension arise between her, Gates and Barnett in a love triangle. Chief of Surgery Dr. Dubenko has always been fond of Neela and her talents, looking out for her and she later decides to leave the ER and start over as a surgical intern
7.
Jeanie Boulet
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Jeanie Boulet is a fictional character from the television series ER. She was portrayed by Gloria Reuben as a recurring character midway in the first season, Reuben left the series in the 6th season, but in 2008 she reprised the role for one episode. Along with General Hospitals Robin Scorpio, she is one of the regular characters in American television history to contract HIV without eventually being killed off by the writers. Introduced in season 1, episode 14 Long Days Journey, Jeanie Boulet was initially a recurring character involved in the arc of the regular character Dr Peter Benton. Benton was depicted as a talented, self-assured but brooding, defensive, contrastingly, Jeanie was portrayed as emotional, caring and sensitive. Reuben has described Jeanie as strong-willed, sharp and intelligent, but, has a dry sense of humor and she knows exactly what shes doing professionally, but she has a nurturing side, too. The personality differences between the lead to several clashes on-screen initially, as both have different ideas about whats best for Bentons ailing and progressively senile mother. In episode 20 Full Moon, Saturday Night, Jeanie orders for Bentons mother to be held in restraints to prevent injury, Furious, Benton removes the restraints, Benton and Jeanie grow closer as he subsequently accepts her guidance on how to care for his mother. According to Keenleyside, this was a loose thread left dangling to pull back on to sofas next season. He predicts, expect to see them together next September, that way the writers can gloss over all the messy in-between stuff, Jeanie progressed to regular character status by season 2. This leads to hostilities from a dishevelled Benton, who proceeds to make her life a living hell. As season 2 progressed, Jeanie was given independent of Benton. This move was praised by Keenleyside, who commented, this look at Jeanie, free from Bentons brooding presence. If shes allowed to continue to develop her own character, instead of being forced into Bentons background, like Carter, she cares about her work, but shes not afraid to stand up for herself — especially when Benton is in her way. However, he does note that Jeanie is perhaps thrust to the forefront too mechanically and she is forced to carry a heavier story load than her character is capable at this point. Episode 21 of season 2, Take These Broken Wings, marked the beginning of one of Jeanies notable storylines when her husband Al was admitted to the ER, as the second season drew to a close, Jeanies HIV status was left in question, as was Dr Bentons. In the opening episode of season 3, Dr. Carter, ER writers dropped the requisite bombshell that Jeanie had tested positive for HIV, while Benton had tested negative. Jeanies decision not to reveal her serostatus to her employers was the result of an encounter with a patient in the AIDS outpatient ward at County Hospital
8.
Anthony Edwards
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Anthony Charles Edwards is an American actor and director. Additionally, he has appeared in movies and television shows, including Top Gun, Zodiac, Miracle Mile, Revenge of the Nerds, Planes. Edwards was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Erika Kem, a painter, and Peter Edwards. He has two sisters, Heidi and Ann-Marie, and two older brothers, Peter and Jeffrey. Edwards was encouraged by his parents to attend college before pursuing his interest in acting, Edwards early work included a co-starring role in the TV series It Takes Two with Richard Crenna and Patty Duke Astin as his parents and Helen Hunt as his sister. He made a cameo in the hit 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High as Stoner Bud. In 1984, he starred in the hit comedy film Revenge of the Nerds playing the role of Gilbert Lowe. He reprised the role of Gilbert for a few scenes in the sequel Revenge of the Nerds II, Nerds in Paradise. It was Edwards role as LTJG Nick Goose Bradshaw alongside Tom Cruise in the 1986 film Top Gun that brought his first widespread public acknowledgement and his character, who died in an aviation accident, was among the most prominent and popular in the film. He appeared as an ill patient in Hawks alongside Timothy Dalton. He starred in the Cold War era comedy Gotcha. as a student who gets wrapped up in spy antics. He starred in the 1990 movie Downtown with Penelope Ann Miller and he also played widowed veterinarian Chase Matthews, father of Edward Furlongs character, in the horror film Pet Sematary Two, a sequel to the film Pet Sematary in 1989. In 1992 and 1993 he played Mike Monroe in ten episodes of Northern Exposure, Edwards best known role is as Dr. Mark Greene on the long-running TV series ER, whom he portrayed from its premiere in 1994 to the end of the 8th season in 2002. The series also afforded Edwards his first opportunity to direct, Edwards desire to pursue directing led to his request to be written out of the series. He reportedly earned $35 million for three seasons on ER, which made him one of televisions highest-paid actors, Edwards and his co-star George Clooney were the ones who suggested doing an episode of ER live. The fourth-season premiere, Ambush, was performed twice, with an East Coast. Edwards has not won a Primetime Emmy, though he has nominated four times. He won a Golden Globe Award For Best Performance by an Actor-In a TV Series after being nominated four times, and he has two Screen Actors Guild Awards
9.
Kerry Weaver
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In January 2007, Innes left the show after 12 years with the character of Kerry Weaver moving to Florida. Very little of Weavers background was revealed to the early on. Weaver arrived at County General as Chief Resident and later became an attending physician and she was promoted to Chief of Emergency Medicine and finally Hospital Chief of Staff. Her administrative position often forced her to make unpleasant decisions that drew hostility from her fellow physicians, having had some heterosexual relationships, Weaver was eventually revealed to be a lesbian. Her sexual orientation was a key point in some of the episodes, particularly when she fought in court to keep her son, Weaver appeared in the third largest number of episodes after John Carter and Chuny Marquez. She was included in AfterEllen. coms Top 50 Lesbian and Bisexual Characters and these were closely guarded secrets for a woman who wanted to succeed professionally, but feared discrimination. She was also unable to deal with her internalized homophobia. When she was first hired by Mark Greene as chief resident in 1995, early in her position, she would often clash with Doug Ross and resident Susan Lewis over most of the procedures in patient care. In addition, her belief in administrative policies would be dragged out into every unnecessary aspect in the workplace. In Season 3, Kerry became an ER attending physician alongside Mark Greene, as a result, it was difficult for anyone — the audience or any of the other characters — to really know Weaver beyond her tough and bureaucratic professionalism. In an early glimpse into her soul, Weaver defended Jeanie Boulet, played by Gloria Reuben, later Boulet contracts Hepatitis C from a needle stick accident involving an infected patient. They reconciled and were friends again when Jeanie left the ER to be with her new husband and raise her adopted HIV-positive son. Weaver demonstrated a great deal of compassion and a commitment to civil rights. This storyline developed Weavers character beyond that of a stoic, abrasive professional, in future episodes, she agreed to look the other way when Dr. John Carter helped a teenage runaway escape her homophobic parents who sent her away to an ex-gay camp. In 1997, Weaver went through a relationship with Ellis West, an M. D. working for the Synergix Group. Despite his claims to the contrary, she came to the conclusion that West had begun a relationship with her in order to gain her approval of the contract. West said she was wrong and withdrew the proposal, after Carter was fired from his RA position and had nowhere to live, he followed an ad which led him to Dr. Weavers house, she had been renting out her basement apartment to college students. For the first time, the saw the inside of her city home, and noted that she was single and independent, lived in a nice home
10.
Abby Lockhart
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Abby Lockhart is a fictional medical doctor on the television series ER. She is portrayed by Maura Tierney, Abbys full birth name is Abigail Marjorie Wyczenski. The character of Abby Lockhart first appears in season 6 of ER in the episode Great Expectations, guest starring as Carol Hathaways labor, three months later, she became a regular character in February 2000 as a third-year medical student beginning her ER rotation. Lockharts first months in the ER prove challenging for her transitioning from OB nursing to the ER, although Carter is hostile at first, he and Abby become friends over the course of the next season. At the start of season 7, Kerry Weaver breaks the news to her that her registration for her year of medical school has been denied due to lack of payment. Abby confronts her ex-husband who has stopped paying her tuition because he is bankrupt and she resumes her part-time OB nursing job, and soon Weaver offers her a full-time ER nursing position. After several generally rewarding years as a nurse, Abby gets her ex-husband to sign off on a loan so she can finish medical school, the loan defaults, but John Carter pays the deficit. While she fails her first board exam, she passes on her second try. In the 2000–2001 season, Abby is visited by her mother, Maggie, Abbys childhood is revealed to have been very difficult, she was forced to cope with her mothers erratic behavior and long absences and had to take care of her younger brother Eric. Eric is introduced in later episodes and he is in the US Air Force but goes AWOL and is showing signs of bipolar disorder. He refuses to accept it and clashes with both Abby and Maggie as a result, Abbys father, Eddie, left the family when Abby was a child, due at least in part to Maggies uncontrollable behavior. Abby reunites with her father in season 13, when he approaches her under the guise of being a patient named Eddie Jackson before finally revealing his true identity to her. Abby tells him to stay away from her, although she later considers inviting him to her wedding, Abby dates Dr. Kovač, Dr. Carter and Jake, a medical student, but eventually returns to Kovač, with whom she has a son. She befriends many colleagues in the ER throughout the series, particularly female co-workers such as Carol Hathaway and Susan Lewis and her closest friend is Dr. Neela Rasgotra, who graduates medical school with her and lives with her during some of Neelas hard times. As Carter is phased out of the show and Weaver departs midway through Season 13, Abby, Abby never told her family about the pregnancy and Richard was unaware of it until after the abortion. They finally split for good when Richard cheated on her and part of the agreement was that he would pay for her medical schooling. Abby chose to keep her name of Lockhart, claiming its the only good thing I got out of the whole mess. Soon after taking the position in the ER, Abby begins a relationship with Dr. Luka Kovač, the beginning of their relationship is strained when they are attacked by a mugger on their first date, whom Luka kills in defense
11.
Peter Benton
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Dr. Peter Benton is a fictional character that was a regular on the television series ER for its first eight seasons and appeared in two episodes of the shows final season. He was played by Eriq La Salle, Benton was often portrayed as arrogant and irritable, but is nevertheless an exceptionally talented surgeon who is passionate about medicine. It is also revealed that he and fellow emergency room physician Mark Greene had attended school together. Bentons last appearance as a regular was in the Season 8 episode Ill Be Home For Christmas. He also appears later in season 15, although Benton was an original character, according to an interview La Salle gave in 1997, he was cast late in the role, after the first season had already started filming. He recalled, I was surprisingly calm, when casting waits that long, theyre basically waiting for someone to come in and take the role. I was ready and completely focused, I came into the office with a stethoscope and surgical greens I had left over from The Human Factor. When I left, I wanted them to say Thats Dr. Benton, within three days of his audition, La Salle was offered the role of Dr. Benton. Several relationships were scripted into the characters narrative, in Season 4 he began dating Dr. Elizabeth Corday, played by Alex Kingston. Both surgeons, the characters competed with each other professionally and failed to be supportive of each other in their personal crises. According to an article published in Jet in 1999, Eriq La Salle was the reason why the romance dissolved and he was unhappy that Bentons interracial romance with Corday was being shown as less problematic than his prior romances with black characters, such as Jeanie Boulet and Carla Reese. In an interview La Salle stated, As an African-American man, because in real life we romance and get on each others nerves and laugh and do all the things that any other race of people do. So if the time you show a balanced relationship is in an interracial relationship, whether its conscious or sub-conscious. Mindful of the image that he was portraying on television, La Salle asked producers to end Bentons interracial romance, in a subsequent episode, Benton was shown being compassionate to his former girlfriend, Jeanie. Benton was first introduced in the pilot as a second year surgical resident, although he does this technically against regulations, he is supported after the fact by attending physician David Morgenstern. One night when Benton is watching his mother in Jackies home, she falls down the stairs, Benton meets Jeanie Boulet, a married Physician Assistant, at the hospital. Impressed, he hires her to work with his mother as a physical therapist, Bentons mother dies, devastating him, and when Jeanie comforts him, they end up having an affair. In Season 2, Bentons affair with Jeanie ends, Jeanie separates from her husband Al and learns that he contracted HIV from an affair, and furthermore that he passed the disease on to her, however, Jeanie does not pass the virus to Peter
