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Just what the doctor ordered: Clooney returns to ER
Tom Teodorczuk13.03.09
After months of feverish speculation, George Clooney has returned to ER.
The actor had announced he would appear in the final episodes of America's longest-running medical drama but the actual date had been the subject of intense speculation.
Last night, he delighted fans by finally reprising his role as paediatric trauma specialist Dr Doug Ross.
Clooney was joined by several other former cast members, including Eriq La Salle, Noah Wyle and Julianna Margulies, who played his on-off love interest, Carol Hathaway.
In a recent interview, Margulies, 42, spoke of their return, saying: “It was like coming home. We wanted it quiet because neither George nor I wanted to sit on talk shows getting people to watch the final episode of ER. It's the last thing George needs.”
The episode saw Ross and Hathaway, now married with twin daughters and based in a Seattle hospital, persuade a woman, played by guest star Susan Sarandon, to donate the organs of her grandson left brain dead by a bicycle accident.
It concluded with the pair learning that the boy's organs had been successfully transported — though they were unaware his kidneys would save a former colleague at Chicago's County General Hospital — and then declaring their love for each other.
The return of Clooney resulted in ER receiving its best reviews for years. Verne Gay of Newsday observed: “For true blue ER fans, the cup runneth over,” while Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker wrote: “I'm only half-joking when I say that his performance probably did a lot to increase organ donations around the country.”
Clooney, 47, made his name playing Dr Ross between 1994 and 1999.
Created by late author Michael Crichton and produced in its first season by Steven Spielberg, ER has since seen a steep fall in ratings resulting in NBC pulling the plug.
However, by keeping the date of Clooney's return secret, the network is believed to have brought back millions of viewers. It is also thought to have charged $425,000 (£304,000) for each 30-second advertising slot last night, triple the usual rate.
Last night's episode had been scheduled as the final show but to maximise revenues during lean times, NBC is extending the drama by an additional three episodes.
The finale, to be broadcast in the US on 2 April, will be seen in the UK over the summer.
