So I was watching old reruns of ER while cooking today, and now I have

[hedgehog]

three questions:

1. Does every episode involve one or more gang shootings?

2. Does Chicago actually have a daily gang shooting?

3. How many people watching ER assume that Chicago actually has a daily gang shooting because that's what they see on TV?

[Bluebear]

1. For your research pleasure:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=gang+shooting&target=article

:hi:

[undeterred]

2. No, not every episode

But the hospital is modelled after Cook County Hospital in Chicago, which is an inner city hospital, and believe me, they see gang violence every single day of the year. Its actually an excellent place for surgical residents to train because they have so many stabbings and shootings. I took a tour of the hospital (before ER was on the air) and there was more than one police officer stationed in the emergency room at all times.

Chicago has daily gang shootings, and most of them don't even make the news. But if you hung around the emergency room at Cook County hospital you'd see a lot of health problems related to violence- much more than at the teaching hospitals in Chicago like Northwestern, University of Chicago, and Rush Presbyterian.

[Warpy]

3. "ER" represents the shift from hell all hospital workers have to face

but if it happened on a daily basis, there would be no more hospital workers after a few years. It would be like being a medic in Iraq. Burnout and PTSD would render most of them incapable of functioning.

Gang shootings happen in most big cities. We have our share of them here in central NM. Most are non fatal and don't make the news.

Since "ER" is a weekly show, assume it covers that week's shift from hell.

[Kikosexy2]

10. It's overrated...

and over the top drama...I never cared for this show since its debut...all the characters are so unlikable..especially Eric LaSalle's character in the early ERs...a major turn-off of a show...

[undeterred]

13. He's been gone from the show for years.

And I can't think of any other show that has kept me interested in its characters for 12 years.

[Kikosexy2]

14. And now...

don't tell me...Your a GA fan (Grey's Anatomy)...LOL..

[undeterred]

16. still an ER fan

They are still making the show.

[Warpy]

18. I watch it for the medical mistakes, which are pretty funny

They obviously didn't spend much money on script consultants.

As for the unlikable characters, you'd find a lot more of them than you know in most hospitals. The patients generally don't get the real person, though. They do try to put on a more pleasant face for people who are sick and scared.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

4. I grew up in the Bronx

then I moved to a rual area in upstate New York. People always assumed the Bronx was gun-crazed.

[Lost-in-FL]

5. In real life I belive there are more victims of

bad vehicle accidents than daily shooting by "gangs" specifically. There are lots of gunshot wounds victims but due to varied reasons (robbery, family feuds, accidental shooting, isolated fights, suicide by gun, etc.). No only gang related.

[LSK]

6. not on every night, just on thursdays when the show is made

:D

[freeplessinseattle]

7. usually just once a season, if that

maybe whatever channel that is is trying to copy MSNBC's Crime Christmas special.

[Annces]

8. Chicago does have a lot of gang shootings

I don't know if it is every day. On hot summer nights, there are often rashes of shootings.

[madrchsod]

9. yes they do

cook county hospital has the best er in the nation when it comes to treating gunshot wounds
people probably do think that but other cities are worse

[elehhhhna]

12. Their burn unit is also one of the best in the country.

[SoyCat]

11. Years ago when I had a television I used to put on ER and mute it and just glance that way

occasionally. I only wanted to snatch a few scenes of George Clooney. I know nothing of the plot lines but damn, Clooney did look good!

[Hippo_Tron]

15. IMO, Chicago Hope is a better show because of the reasons you mentioned

ER is gunshot after gunshot which is what sells. Chicago Hope takes place at a private research hospital where the doctors actually solve complicated problems.

I'm convinced that ER is still on the air and Chicago Hope is not for the same reason that The Practice lasted a lot longer than Boston Legal probably will. People aren't interested in watching rich doctors or rich lawyers.

Of course I think that House trumps them all.

[knitter4democracy]

19. Yes, House rocks!

All the docs we know love that show (mostly because House says what they all think but never say). Hubby loves watching that to figure out the disease before the team does. He hates Cartman's numbing technique for lumbar punctures, though. Gets him going every time. :eyes:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

17. Have you ever seen "The Real ER"?

I used to have a dish, and would watch it on TLC. They went to a different emergency room each episode. Yeah, there was drama, but the pace wasn't nearly so hectic--in fact I think one doctor said that if the ER staff was like the folks on the TV show ER they would all be dead in a week!