Ok, we are in the new season only two months and I'm already seeing re-runs. I get enough re-runs on TNT every night at 7pm, can't we all just get new ER?

I just wanted to know if anyone felt the same way and what we could do about it, if anything.

Thanks Heather

-- Heather Purves (hpcp@gte.net), December 03, 1999

Answers

I agree ... after having a new episode for the first time on Thanksgiving, I guess ER felt like they did enough and now we have reruns until the season finale. Just kidding, but it sure would be nice if the writers were less lazy and wrote NEW episodes instead of recycling old ones. I think this week is supposed to be a rerun also. Story ideas I'd like to see as new episodes ... Carol's conversation with Doug about the babies' birth (she asked if she could make a long-distance call to Seattle from her recovery room in the T'giving episode); more on either Luka or Kerry (didn't Kerry redeem herself in a big way during Carol's labor?); or how about more on Mark and his dysfunctional family (poor Elizabeth, but she did hold her own pretty well with them!)

-- Cindy (tailchasers51@hotmail.com), December 06, 1999.

I do feel the same way Heather, but I'm afraid it's a network thing. You've probably noticed a pattern by now that the networks have adapted: They usually save up their best and newest episodes for the sweeps months only. Unfortunately, there are only three sweeps periods: November, February, and May- which means that ANY other time of the year is subject to a cheat. If you include the opening of the season (September thru October), that only amounts to four/five months when the networks really care about new episodes. Have you noticed that the main events throughout ER (Susan's departure, Doug's departure, Carol's babies) have all occurred in sweeps months? And right after those events, there is always a lull of anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks worth of reruns. Chances are the same thing will happen right after February and right before May.

-- Chris A. (movibuf@juno.com), December 08, 1999.