Chicago Hope, la vie à tout prix

Chicago hope is an absolute classic. David E Kelley triumphed again with this one. Although even I must admit the show grew a little tiresome at the end of its' run, it was still streets ahead of the opposition. The first few years, particularly 94,95, and 96 were just amazing eps', with great true to life (mostly!), well-rounded and heartfelt characters like the eel, camille , schutt and geiger, keeping me tuning in week after week. An awesome show, with such amazingly talented writers and actors! Although not always action packed, the shows deep and subtle storylines would get you hooked, whether 11 (like I was) or 111! I used to love this show so much that i used to beg permission to stay up until 10.30 on a school nite to watch this, and i am sure there were many others just like me! If there are repeats on, please catch them if you can, it will be well worth it! Oh and look out for cameos' by the likes of Julia Styles, Ryan Phillipe, Mena Suvari etc.

When Chicago Hope first came on the air in 1994, the cast was superb, it starred Adam Arkin, Mandy Patinkin and Hector Elizondo, what a shame that Mandy Patinkin Left. I really thought he made the show work out well and gave it humor and excitement. I hope he returns.

Chicago hope is one of the best medical dramas, and television shows in general, I have ever seen. The cast is amazing and includes some of Hollywood's top names. The show follows the lives of numerous doctors through their daily work and personal routines. The show tends to be very dramatic, but it has comedic elements. Each character has their own way of dealing with personal loss and trauma, which is a very common element in Chicago Hope. The characters are all different, with diverse personalities and temperaments. Though there is some jargon, it is mostly explained clearly and easy to follow. I find myself relating to some of the characters and their problems. The episodes are very touching and realistic. The on screen chemistry between the characters is incredible. A glimpse into the everyday life of a typical inner city hospital physician. Two thumbs way up!

I don't really care for the genre of "doctor" TV shows, but to give Chicago Hope credit, it does have more appeal than the majority of them. I was once a faithful viewer in its first season, after seeing the characters played by Mandy Patinkin and Hector Elizondo on a brilliant "cross over" episode of Picket Fences. Back then, Chicago Hope was admirable for its "quirky" plots and great character development, but over the years it has adapted more of the "formula" doctor show(6 thousand subplots and little chance to "bond" with the characters)and I have moved on. I still catch an occasional rerun on the show, and while it would not convert me back to being a regular viewer.

I do enjoy the characters of Adam Arkin and Hector Elizondo and the others aren't bad, except Christine Lahti's "feminist" character gets tiresome, and tends to overuse and ugly word that is a part of the male anatomy. Nevertheless, even an episode consisting of her, Jayne Brook and Stacy Edwards going to the mountains that I thought I would loathe did not turn out to be too bad, considering. Mark Harmon and Peter Berg's characters bring a slight amount of life, but as I said, it's still not enough to make me watch the show regularly and I hope it does not steal viewers away from Frasier, as it prepares to face against it in the 1999-2000 season. It's not THAT great.

ER was satisfactory but Chicago Hope was superior with mature cast of characters played by a stellar cast of actors and actresses. I loved the relationship between Mandy Patinkin and Adam Arkin. It appeared to be doing fine until Peter MacNichol who played the lawyer Alan Birch left the show and joined Ally MacBeal. Roxanne Hart played a nurse who was married to Arkin's character. Hector Elizondo appeared to be the heart and soul of the show. Christine Lahti later joined the show but the show lost it when cast members like McNichol and Patinkin who chose to leave for other opportunities and spend more time with his family. When ER and Chicago Hope first came on, I have to say that Chicago Hope had a greater edge than it's sister show also set in Chicago but ER seemed more elementary and spent more time dealing with personal relationships. I think Chicago Hope tried to do both very well and it would have had the original cast stayed on board.