MovieChat Forums > Chicago Hope (1994) Discussion > Hope vs. ER

Hope vs. ER

posted 20 years ago by xabat77
29 replies | jump to latest

I know when they both first came out, everyone (including myself) was puzzled why 2 medical shows would go head to head in the same timeslot. That obviously didn't last long.

Now, I won't deny ER is a top notch show, even now, however I would contend that in the first season of both shows, Hope was better. Mandy Patakin is just an incredible actor, and the ensemble cast was terrific in year 1. Unfortunately, after Mandy left, ER jumped far ahead, and when Mandy came back in '99, it was too late.

[–] SAXF005 20 years ago

Hope's better than ER. Although it had it's share of love affairs, it just never seemed as soap opera-y to me, which now that it's on again, might not be true. It just never SEEMED that way before.
ER seemed to be all about the ratings. Hope was about the story.

Cheers.
J.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
-HST

[–] ssweet6 17 years ago

I started watching it recently for the first time on the Health Channel....Chicago Hope that is....

I was an ER fan but Hope is much better written and funny and the characters are full and well developed....the scene where they are all exposed to something and Camille's affair is exposed to Aaron is beautifully written and funny and dear.....you just can't top the writing here....

[–] Deadlock616 19 years ago

ER is way better than Chicago Hope.

[–] magicpowers 19 years ago

I never could get into ER, but I've always loved Chicago Hope.

I was glad when Camille became a druggie, made her more interesting, but it looks like they're concluding the story line quickly. She cracked me up when she took a joint from Richard Pryor, then a little while later she's asking everyone if they got matches or a lighter. Also when Nylond told her to sleep on it, "I'll write you another scrip."

I miss Geiger, but not as much as I thought I would, too many other great characters. I really miss Alan Birch! I just hope Discovery Health doesn't start shuffling them around again, they are already reruns from when I started watching not too long ago. What did they do, only buy a few eps?

Only users lose drugs

[–] Zyad 18 years ago

It seems you have never watched ER. No one sees ER and not get into it (specially the time of the show when Hope was running). And if you liked Hope, that makes it impossible for you to not like ER!

"Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing around on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash" .... Garland (The Marietta Mangler) Greene

[–] yeehahthegreat 7 years ago

I did. I couldn't get into ER at all, and always wondered why there is so much fuzz about it. At least it gave us George Clooney.

I did get into Chicago Hope, though. It had a touch of realness that ER was missing somehow.

[–] Zyad 7 years ago

OMG! A reply after 10 years!! 

We agree to disagree here. After 10 years, ER is still the best TV show I've ever seen and the most realistic one too!

[–] yeehahthegreat 7 years ago

Haha, I didn't see it's ten years. I thought it would have been August of this year -_-!!

Anyway, enjoy ER :)

[–] Zyad 18 years ago

ER by far. Chicago Hope is realy a good show, but ER is the best. Simply the best show ever on TV, and I'm talking about the first 8 or 9 seasons.

"Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing around on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash" .... Garland (The Marietta Mangler) Greene

[–] WolfofWar 18 years ago

ER WAS awesome. But as of late, all the good actors left and it just doesn't have it's flair.

Back in the day, ER wiped the floors.

Namaste.

--The Peace Puppy--

[–] rogerscorpion 15 years ago

ER was about adrenaline. It was an ER--after all.
Chicago Hope was about character studies--with some beloved actors. I preferred Hope.

Carpe Noctem

[–] stpcbe 18 years ago

ER SUCKS

[–] suganspice70 18 years ago

ER was great! That was until Mark, Ross, Carol, Carter, Lewis and all the good people left....Eric La Salle too....when they left, everything went to pants and i agree with stpcbe

[–] catarina_ramos_r 18 years ago

Without a doubt ER is much better. The show itself, the story, the actors...all better. That's why ER it's on 13th season and Chicago Hope just lasted 6 seasons.

[–] binky-the-doormat 18 years ago

I prefer Hope. I liked ER, at least until all the good actors left. But Hope had Arkin, Patinkin and Lahti, who are just simply the best actors you could have in one show! I always thought, if I ever need a doctor, it has to be Shutt, because he is just the best. It was funny to see Arkin in another role, as a cop or something. Well...

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] bingbingbingbing 17 years ago

Chicago Hope was so much better than ER.. I miss it..

[–] rogerscorpion 17 years ago

I much preferred Hope--especially the first season--w/Patinkin--& David Kelley @ the helm. ER was all about adrenalin. Moved too fast. It's an ER--after all. Kelley creates great, eccentric characters. It employed actors I've enjoyed for years, too.
After the first season--Kelley turned the show over to others whose work I didn't enjoy quite as much, but the actors still rocked. Loved Arkin, Lahti & Vondie Curtis-Hall.

Carpe Noctem

[–] quinnie-3 16 years ago

Without any doubt Hope was by far the better show. Hector, Adam, Alan, Chrissie, Mark and of course Mandy were great - super chemistry and great story lines. Series 6 lost the plot quite a bit and that was that. Hector Elizondo was always the star of the show in my book - but then I am extremely biased as far as Hector goes he is the best in every show, film he appears in.

[–] peter_boulos 16 years ago

Loved this show but ER was by far the best.

I didn't get into ER until the end of Season 4 but have caught up. ER is definitely the best show ever made in the history of television, followed closely by 24.

[–] Lakemystery3 16 years ago

ER is easily the best drama when it comes to Plot Driven episodes. With plot driven dramas, the character is not really a vital part of the story: what they believe, how they would act, etc.

Chicago Hope is by far the best drama when it comes to Character Driven episodes. I don't think ER could spend as much time with two or three characters as Chicago Hope did. Perfect example, Jeffrey Geiger's trial for his mental compitency.

ER deals with the medical cases first and the characters second. Chicago Hope focusses on the characters first, then the medical cases.

"She flattened a Dear John with a John Deere." - Douglas Wambaugh

[–] jeff_shan 16 years ago

I loved both shows when they were on together. However, I felt more compelled and drawn into Chicago Hope than I did ER. It was easier to become close to the characters in Chicago Hope. I think that was not as easy to do with ER because it was faster paced. I continued watching ER, after Chicago Hope ended, but was really disappointed once all of the good characters of ER started leaving. I own seasons 1-7 of ER, and will someday start watching them, because I know I missed a lot. (And I have seasons 8 and 9 to buy, still.) Someday, hopefully, I'll be able to say I own all of Chicago Hope's seasons as well! Someday. :o)

[–] carmelaparker 16 years ago

Much as I loved ER, I do enjoy the slower pace and concentration on the lives of the Doctors that comes with Chicago Hope. And who can't love Adam Arkin? Worth his weight in gold!

[–] macleod_conner 16 years ago

Chicago Hope was leaps and bounds better than E.R. E.R. was usually overly dramatic and each episode was blown out of proportion to something far greater than what it was. E.R. was usually just more of the same, and lots of bad acting by George Clooney early on. Ever notice how he's always looking down at his clipboard and rarely looking up for any extended period of time like most people do? It's because he had his lines on his clipboard because he couldn't memorize them. There was very little originality on E.R., which is why I gave up watching it after the first one or two seasons, whereas Chicago Hope remained brilliant from beginning to end, both in terms of originality and depth of writing. The characters were fully fleshed out, there weren't any stereotypes there, just very real, intriguing people that dealt with complex medical ethics. E.R. was more about the big explosions, wrecks and surgery drama. Chicago Hope was definitely a character study with well told stories, excellent acting and the chemistry between the superb cast was amazing. CH went in some many different directions, never being pigeon holed, while E.R. never strayed too far from the same formula, and that made it boring.

Chicago Hope outclasses E.R. in every conceivable way, except for perhaps some moments of intense action, but Chicago Hope was an intelligent drama, not an action show, which was a major part of E.R.

[–] wiserkyla77 16 years ago

I agree!! Everything about this show was far better than
ER. I was kind of sad when it went of the air. But
now I can watch old episodes on line. YEAH!!

[–] 16 years ago

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