10 TV Moments That Were Almost WAY Darker

Before Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy graced our screens, ER set the gold standard for all hospital dramas to follow. Launching the career of star George Clooney into the stratosphere, the show fused tense medical drama with an endless string of love triangles to great effect, winning over both audiences and critics (for its first few seasons, anyway).

However, like the show which followed in its wake, ER was never afraid to portray the gritty reality of hospital life. In-depth surgeries, all manner of shootings and beatings, and even deaths from malpractice were all part of life in the busy, bloody emergency room, and the show’s pilot was supposed to set up this grim atmosphere a little too intensely.

The pilot originally included the death of fan favourite Nurse Carol Hathaway, instead of seeing her saved from a suicidal overdose in the opening episode. Luckily the creators recognised that audiences loved the character and opted spare her, which was just as well given how important Hathaway was to the series at large.

Julianna Marguiles’ beleaguered nurse went on to become a central player in the show until her eventual departure, fortunately not in a body bag, at the end of season five.