The lives and trials of the staff of a major hospital in Chicago.The lives and trials of the staff of a major hospital in Chicago.The lives and trials of the staff of a major hospital in Chicago.
- Won 7 Primetime Emmys
- 24 wins & 108 nominations total
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I wanted to like this more than I did, my rating reflects my feelings. I've worked in hospitals all my working life, from age 13 as a volunteer until my retirement from being a nurse at 63. This is a well written hospital drama, about the various people who are involved in healthcare, from the physicians to the patients to even the visitors at times. The actors do a terrific job with their roles, but the flaw lies in the writing. In order to make it interesting to the viewing audience, they, well, take artistic license with how things are actually done. Doctors being shown, routinely doing things that are actually done by other healthcare workers in real life is one of the big errors. While this has almost always been done in fictional hospital dramas, that still doesn't make it right.
There is plenty of drama in real life healthcare and the interpersonal dynamics between all the workers, patients, relatives, and friends and all the other people that come and go in an average hospital day, that I have seen over my career. There's certainly no reason to invent false behavior to make it more interesting. FWIW, I have yet to see a hospital show that DOESN'T go overboard falsifying what actually happens, in trying to attract a larger audience.
Still, just like war movies aren't like real war, police dramas aren't like real police work, and cowboy shows aren't like how it was like in the old west, this show is entertaining. Just don't think it's like what happens in real life, or that being a doctor, nurse, technician, or any role in this show reflects what it is like in real life. For the show, 8/10 stars, for the realism, 3/10. Overall, 5/10.
Chicago Hope is a hospital show with amazing cast.Hector Elizondo plays the boss Dr. Phillip Watters.Other doctors include Dr. Aaron Shutt (Alan Arkin), Dr. Jack McNeil (Mark Harmon), Dr. Keith Wilkes (Rocky Carroll) and so on.Mandy Patinkin plays Dr. Jeffrey Geiger, who was gone for a few years but came back in 1999.He fired a few doctors, like Dr. Kathryn Austin (Christine Lahti) and Dr. Robert Yeats (Eric Stoltz).They were replaced by some others, like Dr. Gina Simon (Carla Cugino) and Dr. Jeremy Hanlon (Lauren Holly).To be honest I kind of miss the old characters but these new ones are doing a nice job.Chicago Hope is a great TV show, that is often very touching.It's amazing to watch these people saving lives, but it's sad when they don't succeed in it.Watch Chicago Hope if you want to see TV drama at it's best.
Chicago Hope is full of good actors and dialogue, Hector Elizondo is a notable example. And is fresh in the fact that it has wonderfully light hearted moments which intense programs such as ER lack.
I have two major problems with the show recently, in that it is severely lacking two characters which I believe made it the best series on television rather just the good series it is now.
1) Peter Mchnicol as the eel was a wonderful character and he is missed (although its good to see him on Ally Mcbeal) 2) The major flaw in the series though is that Mandy Patinkin is not there. He is such a wonderfully sincere, intense, and brilliantly funny actor that he gave the series a depth not possible without him. For god's sake bring him back.
Good series, can only be brilliant again with Dr Gieger back at the operating table.
I have two major problems with the show recently, in that it is severely lacking two characters which I believe made it the best series on television rather just the good series it is now.
1) Peter Mchnicol as the eel was a wonderful character and he is missed (although its good to see him on Ally Mcbeal) 2) The major flaw in the series though is that Mandy Patinkin is not there. He is such a wonderfully sincere, intense, and brilliantly funny actor that he gave the series a depth not possible without him. For god's sake bring him back.
Good series, can only be brilliant again with Dr Gieger back at the operating table.
Jeffrey Geiger, played exquisitely by Mandy Patinkin, was the heart and soul of the show. He added depth and realism to a melo-drama. In the times of fix it and get out, like its predecessor ER, Hope added just that hope. This show added something deeper than excitement it added warmth to the over worked doctors. Allowing us to sympathize with the hardship they go through everyday, not just in their work lives, but with their personal ones as well.
I love this show!!! I love the characters--well, not the new ones. I think the 5th season was so great! I mean, Eric Stoltz was on! I think it's horrible how things have been going downhill, and to be honest, I don't think pitting Chicago Hope against Frasier is going to help. Nevertheless, I think the ability to mix the hospital situations with the individual problems of the staff is great. There isn't too much focus on personal problems, but enough so it isn't too hospital-oriented.
Finally, being the sap that I am, I like that they manage to incorporate relationships without them becoming the focus. And I'd just like to say that I really think the Kate Austin/Bobby Yeats thing was brilliant, and should've been pursued. I just saw the episode "McNeil and Pray" and they were great! When she's reaming him out, "Oh come on! I'm sure she wasn't influenced by those seductive blue eyes, boyish good looks, that thing you do with your hair..." Okay, I didn't get it all but it was great! And when they're at the Christmas party and that guy says, "Well okay, whisper to someone you choose" to Bobby and he goes and whispers in Kate's ear, it's priceless! That was definitely my favourite episode-and not just because of that.
Okay, I'm sorry I've gone on and on, but this is the only show I really like to watch on tv.
Finally, being the sap that I am, I like that they manage to incorporate relationships without them becoming the focus. And I'd just like to say that I really think the Kate Austin/Bobby Yeats thing was brilliant, and should've been pursued. I just saw the episode "McNeil and Pray" and they were great! When she's reaming him out, "Oh come on! I'm sure she wasn't influenced by those seductive blue eyes, boyish good looks, that thing you do with your hair..." Okay, I didn't get it all but it was great! And when they're at the Christmas party and that guy says, "Well okay, whisper to someone you choose" to Bobby and he goes and whispers in Kate's ear, it's priceless! That was definitely my favourite episode-and not just because of that.
Okay, I'm sorry I've gone on and on, but this is the only show I really like to watch on tv.
Did you know
- TriviaFeatured the first use of the word "shit" in an American network television broadcast (other than documentaries). Spoken by Mark Harmon in an appropriate context. Very little negative publicity resulted.
- Quotes
Dr. Aaron Shutt: [on why he didn't talk with his wife about the problems in their marriage] I was happy! When you're happy and you're tired you go to sleep!
- Crazy creditsAfter Christine Lahti joined the ensemble cast in Stand (1995), she and Adam Arkin alternated (with one exception) first and second listing in the opening credits. After Lahti left the cast at the end of Season 5, Arkin and Mark Harmon alternated first and second listing.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1995)
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