George Clooney’s Classic 15-Part Medical Series Is “Major Cringe” For Real-Life Surgeon Due To 1 Character Detail

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While George Clooney and his early 2000s show, ER, are often criticized for not being realistic, it’s not the only medical drama to face that kind of scrutiny.

I remember when George Clooney really broke out – it was playing Dr. Doug Ross on that show set in Cook County General Hospital. He and Noah Wyle, who played Dr. John Carter, had amazing chemistry. It’s funny, because Noah Wyle is back playing a doctor now in The Pitt, and that show’s success has really got everyone talking about how TV portrays doctors.

While speaking with ScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns about the second season of The Pitt, Dr. David Shapiro discussed how medical dramas influenced him as he pursued a career in medicine. He admitted that watching the show ER was often awkward, despite its attempts to portray modern medical practices.

Eriq La Salle’s role as Dr. Peter Benton on ER was significant – he was a prominent Black surgeon for the show’s first eight seasons. While praising La Salle’s performance and mentorship, producer John Shapiro pointed out that the character, despite being well-played, also reinforced common stereotypes about surgeons being disrespectful or rude to patients.

He also cited TV doctors like Hawkeye Pierce from MASH, Ben Casey (a surgeon from a 1960s show), and Trapper John (from the 1970s) as examples of a now-outdated and unlikeable surgeon stereotype. Shapiro explained that this kind of bedside manner is no longer considered acceptable for doctors. He added that he hasn’t watched Grey’s Anatomy or St. Elsewhere, so he couldn’t comment on the personalities of those characters.

He admitted that The Resident and The Good Doctor were decent as daytime dramas. He noted that Scrubs focused more on the doctors’ personal lives than actual medical cases. Regarding the film Doctor Strange, he felt it offered a somewhat accurate, yet ultimately outdated, portrayal of surgeons, contrasting the classic image of an arrogant, self-centered surgeon with the reality of modern medical professionals.

Shapiro explained that he hopes people will view surgeons favorably and not be afraid of them. He noted that patients’ perceptions can be shaped by how surgeons are portrayed on television, and while some might assume surgeons are arrogant based on those depictions, “that’s not representative of most of us.”

With shows like George Clooney’s classic medical drama ER and the newer series The Pitt gaining popularity on HBO Max, it’s good to keep in mind that the characters and medical situations depicted are fictional, created for entertainment and not based on reality.

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2026-03-21 19:31