Product Description

For the millions of viewers of this hit TV show this is the ultimate companion.
Each eposide is examined with key storylines pulled out.
All the various actors in the show are profiled alongside the character they play.
A must for all fans and spanning the 9 series of the show this is the ER Bible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #119573 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Customer Reviews

Good, but could be so much more
After many years of Virgin publishing ruling the territory of unnoficial guides, Contender have started to muscle in on the act. Their guides to Six Feet Under and 24 (series 1 and 2) have so far been pretty good, striking the essential balance between plot, retentive trivia and honest review.

Unfortunately, their guide to ER lacks a lot. Firstly, the book is aimed at those who have never seen the show before. The first third of the book is taken up with character biographies. The current main cast, previous main stars, and other medical staff. It is nice to place an actors name to the nurse who always hovers in the background, but we don't really need to know when they went on strike over the colour of their uniform (a fictional example of the level of detail). If a character has been party to an important plot line, then I' for one would prefer to read about it in the summary for the episode(s) in which it occured.

The downshot of this space filling exercise at the start of the book is that there is very little space left to discuss the show itself. Out of the eight seasons covered (8 years, or the on-screen life of Mark Greene, depending how you look at it) and 180-odd episodes, only 28 are given any kind of review. These few, these precious few, are headed 'One To Watch', a title unrequired by any seasoned ER fan. We know that 'Love's Labour's Lost' is One To Watch. The only effect gained by pointing it out is do belittle the surrounding episodes, an injustice to the series.

A book like this does not need two sets of colour photographs inserted into it. It is unnoficial, meaning that none of the shots can have been seen before - if they hadn't, that would imply a degree of sanctioning from the production company, which would detract from any kind of impartiality suggested by the 'Unnoficial' moniker.

What a fan of this show wants in an episode guide to ER is opinions, something he can argue with. When Mark Jones flags up 'All In The Family' (where Lucy dies) as a flagship episode, all the reader can do is nod his head in agreement. I would prefer the author to have the guts to say , for instance, 'Mars Attacks is an example - albeit rare - of ER slipping in quality and providing a filler show.' That way, I can engage with the text, and feel a need to rewatch the show. If this means two volumes in order to accomodate these, then hey, we'll pay.

Ultimately, this is where the guide falls down. However well-researched and accurate in detail it is, it sets itself up to be a replacement to the show itself, as opposed to a simple aide-memoir, something you can dip into when you want to find out when Mark got his brain tumour. This book could have been more. Lets hope that upcoming releases from Contender improve in this noticeable slip in quality.

A book that ER fans won't want to put down!!!!!!
This book is wonderful for all ER fans! It has a detailed episode guides of seasons 1 to 8 including fascinating notes on ones that Mark thinks are most worth watching. There is also detailed biographies of all the current main chracters, main supporting chracters and past main chracters and past supporting chracters. This includes relationships and there conduct in the ER. Also has interesting little facts on them (triva.)

Mark has written two other books "The ER Files" and "The New ER Files so clearly knows his stuff. The only thing that this book lacks is the authors fascinating views on chracters and relationships he includes in previous books.Also the die hard fan would say that he doesn't discuss the possibility of Dave being a father and that Carter and Anna never dated when he says they did.

great but...
its so good. it helps so much. i don't know how. i don't follow the show all too well but this book has certainly helped me. the only problem is that its a book. therefore there is no update!!! my copy only goes up to season 8 so i have no idea what's happened in season 9 and 10!! im now planning to buy the dvds but i mean, get this by all means. just be prepared to be annoyed by the lack of update...