Everyone has that one TV show they really love, the one that means more than most, right? For me, that show is definitely ER, and all fifteen seasons will be available on Netflix in the UK starting February 9th.
The way we can watch this show now is amazing. Back in the mid-1990s, I was watching it with my girlfriend on a small, portable TV in a pretty rundown apartment – something I never would have imagined possible back then.
Looking back, it felt like witnessing something incredibly complex and serious. All the medical jargon – things like blood tests and EKGs – were completely foreign to me, but it gave the impression we were getting a rare glimpse into the real, fast-paced world of hospital care.
The show featured incredibly brave moments, like when Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney) put himself in danger to save a boy stuck in a flooded storm drain. It felt dramatic and larger than life – even though it was being broadcast on a small, older television without high-quality sound.
ER was a constant in our lives for a long time. We started watching when we were students, just like the character Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle). By the time the show ended, after fifteen years, we were bringing our second child home from the hospital. Those births were actually a little stressful, because we’d seen every possible pregnancy complication on the show!
Despite realizing this, it doesn’t really change anything. Every winter, we’ll still watch the first season’s ‘Blizzard’ episode – it just feels like Christmas with a big car crash in the snow! And each year, we’ll share with our grown children how much we loved the show when we were their age. They’ll politely listen for a moment, then return to seeing us as they always do – just the people who handle their finances.
I’m still hoping ER will eventually become available on streaming services. Maybe Gen Z will discover it and realize that Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) can be just as inspiring to them as he was to those of us who watched it originally, even more so than things like video games or online personalities.
Even though we only revisit old episodes of ER occasionally, it’s much more than just a holiday show. In fact, it deserves more recognition, particularly from critics who point to shows like The Sopranos as the start of television’s recent period of high quality.
Looking back to 1994, when the TV show ER first aired, marks the real beginning of what we now call ‘prestige television.’ While shows like Hill Street Blues, Twin Peaks, and St. Elsewhere had previously experimented with complex dialogue, moral gray areas, artistic ambition, and realistic portrayals of professionals, ER uniquely combined these elements with widespread mainstream success. It was both critically acclaimed and hugely popular – a rare achievement at the time.
Want to see this content?
We can’t display this content because of a security measure called reCAPTCHA. If you’re signed in to Contentpass, please sign out to see it.
Consider these shows: Hill Street Blues was praised by critics, but didn’t capture a huge audience. St. Elsewhere explored interesting moral dilemmas, but lacked a strong sense of momentum. And while Twin Peaks pioneered a new kind of serialized storytelling, its strange and unusual style led to conflicts with the network.
Despite occasionally creating truly awful episodes like ‘Love’s Labor Lost’ – featuring a disastrous misdiagnosis by Dr. Greene that stayed with the character forever – ER consistently won awards and remained a ratings success. However, it’s rarely mentioned alongside critically acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad or The Wire. It begs the question: why is that?
Has the show been forgotten because it aired on NBC instead of HBO? Did the increasingly elaborate stunts actually hurt the series – as evidenced by Dr. Romano’s unfortunate helicopter accidents? And did the show continue for too long, especially considering it ended with a completely different cast than the one it started with?
The series finale, particularly the last scene, beautifully demonstrates how consistently true ER remained to its core themes. We still see patients arriving by stretcher, and doctors continuing to treat and train. In a touching return, Carter – who started as a young, inexperienced doctor – now appears as a wise and experienced mentor, quietly sharing his knowledge with Rachel, Mark’s daughter, who is pursuing her own career in medicine.
As ambulances arrive, Carter calls out to Dr. Greene, and the camera pulls back to show the ongoing cycle of hospital life. This scene perfectly illustrates the show’s themes: shifts keep happening, valuable lessons are always being learned, and what truly matters is how characters impact those who come after them.
The show established its unique style in 1994 and consistently maintained it for fifteen years. It would have been even more fitting if it had only been broadcast on small, low-quality portable televisions.
ER is coming to Netflix UK on Monday 9 February 2026.
Don’t miss out on ER! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.
Authors
David Brown is a Deputy Previews Editor at TopMob, focusing on crime and fantasy television. He’s been featured as a commentator on BBC News, Sky News, and Radio 4’s Front Row, and his writing has appeared in publications like the Guardian, the Sunday Times, and the i newspaper. He’s also contributed as a writer and editor to the National Television Awards and has worked on documentaries about prominent figures including Lenny Henry, Billy Connolly, and Take That.
Read More
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD version 1.1.0 update now available, adds Dixie Kong and Switch 2 enhancements
- Ashes of Creation Rogue Guide for Beginners
- Sega Insider Drops Tease of Next Sonic Game
- When to Expect One Piece Chapter 1172 Spoilers & Manga Leaks
- Hytale: Upgrade All Workbenches to Max Level, Materials Guide
- Fantasista Asuka launches February 12
- All 6 Takopi’s Original Sin Episodes, Ranked
- Star Trek 4’s Cancellation Gives the Reboot Crew an Unwanted Movie Record After TOS & TNG
- Arc Raiders Guide – All Workbenches And How To Upgrade Them
2026-01-27 00:35