The Pitt Vs ER

A comparison provides a view into the evolution of the medical drama

There is absolutely no doubt that The Pitt is an excellent show. It’s the kind of intense medical drama that makes for compulsive watching. Since Noah Wyle is so good in it, and I had never seen ER, a pop culture essential, I decided to check it out. And it’s been an interesting experience.

Firstly, to see George Clooney that young and charming is something else. And then to see Noah Wyle as a fresh-faced boy out of college as trainee doctor is a bit of a mind fuck. I halfway through Season 2 of the ER, and while I am enjoying the experience, ER gets a bit weird at times.

Noah Wyle as Robby in The Pitt (Source: IMDB.com)

Of course, in the ’90s, ER technology and hospital conditions seem dated, which is totally expected and does not mess with the viewing experience. But it’s the social dynamics that are interesting. Set in the Chicago area, there is good diversity in the cast when it comes to Black doctors and nurses. However, Asian representation seems to be missing in the early seasons. This is a hospital and we have no Asian or South Asian doctors? Is that what the ’90s were like? The Pitt has so many Asian doctors that (ahem, some) viewers are legit confused by the three brown women in the show and can’t tell them apart.

The original ER cast (Source: IMDB.com)

Also, the medical terms have changed. While I understand nothing, I feel like the phrases are just not the same anymore. I have seen the word “blood gas” pop up so many times in ER and don’t recall it once in The Pitt. The word “tachy” has made it to every meme of The Pitt, but I haven’t heard it yet in ER. So, I am guessing medical terms also evolve like language over time, and The Pitt is probably the millennial version.

Another day in The Pitt (Source: IMDB)

Some places where ER loses me are when it veers into the sitcom category. There is emphasis on the relationships and romances between the staff. Medical professionals are kissing in corridors, which would not fly in the 21st-century workplace. Also, anyone seems to walk in and out of the ER, which seems very different from the heavily guarded doors of The Pitt. I wonder if this has changed over the last two decades, with increasing gun violence and concerns for protecting healthcare workers.

The one episode that really got me was the Thanksgiving one, which in itself was hilarious. But on what planet would one literally pluck a turkey in the ER? Was it funny? Yes. Would it grossly violate CDC guidelines? I sincerely hope so.

The ultimate will-they won’t they couple of ER (Source: IMDB.com)

Both shows also have very different intentions with storytelling. The Pitt is heavily focused on the American healthcare experience in a typical ER. Its ‘what-happens-in-12-hrs’ format zooms in on the various medical cases that come through the door, and how the various doctors and nurses respond to a constant state of crisis. Yes, there is personal interaction, but it’s through their individual behavior and brief snatches of conversation that we learn about them. The one-hour episode flies by, and it’s widely acknowledged that the ending credits of a The Pitt episode are always unexpected.

In ER, because of the more traditional 20+ episode format for cable television, there is more room to meander and breathe. You have the medical cases, but there are moments when literally nothing happens in the ER. So the doctors have time to be friends, lovers, and career rivals. My takeaway is that this is a more relationship-based hospital drama. So far enjoyable, but not addictive. I will not deny that, having sampled a season and a half, I am yet to watch some of the best of ER in its 15-season run.

What is heartening in both shows is they show the important work that the healthcare providers do in emergency care, and how committed they are to helping people and saving lives. The job is underpaid, thankless, and sometimes heartbreaking, but these people persevere.

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