310:
2005, two men in
Florida whose cases were featured on the show sued the producers for breach of privacy, claiming show crew and producers would disguise themselves as hospital personnel to obtain release signatures for the taped footage under false pretenses. Charles Sims, an attorney for the show's producers, has dismissed the men's claims and asserted that all releases were obtained properly.
179:. The show follows the cases coming through Level One trauma centers and high-profile emergency rooms around the U.S. The first season consisted of several half-hour episodes, but by 1998, the series had expanded to a full hour, allowing for more time to follow cases as well as the lives of the doctors involved.
398:
began to air on
Discovery Life. These remastered episodes had a different title, such as Vegas ER and Detroit ER. The episodes are no different than when they originally aired, with the only difference being that they are remastered and have a name inspired by the shooting location. These remastered
297:
frequently featured Marvez-Valls at his home in the French
Quarter, which he shared with his longtime partner, Robert Ripley) and suffering from end-stage AIDS. Dr. Marvez-Valls did not perform tasks that would involve excessive exposure to needles, such as suturing or IV insertion, but he continued
268:
featured a trauma surgical resident who was accidentally stuck with a needle while treating a patient who had shot himself after discovering he had
Hepatitis C; the surgical resident was found to be negative for Hepatitis C but still went through the months of anti-viral medications to ensure he did
309:
from the beginning. In the early 2000s, a group of patients from New Jersey who appeared on the show sued The New York Times Co. In response, one appeals court ruled that the format of the show technically qualified as news and that the series deserved the same protections under the law. Later, in
209:
First-run production ended in 2002, though the show lives on in reruns on
Discovery Life. TLC stopped producing new episodes largely because the show was expensive and time-consuming to produce in comparison to other reality shows (each episode took 1–2 months to shoot and 3 months to edit, though
249:: "Due to the graphic nature of this program, viewer discretion is advised". The warning is needed because the show does not shy away from letting the viewer see blood and gore, or even the death of patients. When the show debuted in 1997, such graphic presentations on television were quite rare.
214:
laws forbade recording patients before they (or their next-of-kin) gave permission. Since most patients were in the midst of a medical emergency, obtaining the necessary production releases became difficult or impossible. (Before the new law came into effect, Trauma's videographers would usually
263:
featured an E.R. intern who was stuck with a needle from suturing up a patient whose health history was completely unknown, including the extensive medical testing and anti-viral drugs the intern needed to take to ensure she did not contract any diseases from the patient. Another episode set in
385:
In
December 2009, TLC aired a three-episode pilot for an emergency room reality show entitled "Emergency Level One". Focusing primarily on the doctors and surgeons, the show was produced by True Entertainment and filmed at Nashville Tennessee's Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
244:
was one of TLC's most controversial shows from the beginning, because it did not sugar-coat or downplay the violent nature of the cases that usually ended up in a big-city trauma center. The show carries a warning at the beginning and on the opening frames of every
189:
Most episodes centered on the physicians and nurses comprising the staff of a typical Level One trauma center, but occasionally a different type of staffer would be profiled to show their unique contributions to that specific hospital. For example, at
284:
featured Dr. Eduardo Marvez-Valls, coordinator of E.R. and Trauma
Medical Residents at Charity Hospital. Marvez-Valls, whose reputation as a dedicated instructor and physician was often featured in interviews with the doctors featured in
452:
198:, the hospital's chaplain (a nun with the Sisters of Charity) was profiled in one episode, and another episode at Charity Hospital profiled the New Orleans paramedics, which was used as the pilot for the show
330:
in a number of large urban centers in the United States. The series lasted from 1998 to 2002. Its spirit lives on in the newer series Boston EMS, which has a similar premise. The second spin-off was
430:
titled "Stuck in a Toilet". A receptionist is talking about a chest cracking that took place in an ER. The other receptionist asks when it happened, to which the other responds with, "last night on
165:) and debuted in 1997. Like much of the medical-based programming on TLC (and Discovery Life as well), the show was designed as a "real-life" version of a popular American TV series. In this case,
478:
210:
several camera crews worked simultaneously at hospitals around the country and each hospital's shooting footage was usually split into two or three episodes). In addition, new
206:'s medical center, allowing the show to profile the co-director of the burn center and one of the burn care technicians as a change of pace from the usual ER/Trauma cases.
182:
The show had no regular cast; every week featured a different hospital and a different group of doctors. Actor
Michael McGlone narrated the series. Composer
627:
728:
718:
703:
698:
713:
708:
723:
302:, practicing medicine in tents and other temporary emergency rooms until his death from AIDS-related kidney disease in 2006 at the age of 52.
574:
346:
was canceled by TLC in 2002, NYT Television still had unused footage from a 3-month shooting session at
Memorial Health Trauma Center in
374:
has a different shooting style, a different narrator, and a different narrative tone, making it more closely resemble an episode of
600:
401:
215:
request permission after they had begun taping. If a patient refused permission, the cases would not be included in a program.)
298:
diagnosing and treating patients in the E.R. and Trauma services at
Charity Hospital even after the hospital was shut down by
523:
662:
639:
191:
354:, a show originally conceived as a limited run series based on life at a single hospital, Charity Hospital in
323:
405:, which is a different and more recent show. A few episodes coincidentally take place at a hospital that
255:
was one of the first reality shows to deal with the controversial issue of health care professionals and
141:
426:
504:
479:"Emmy-Winning, Reality TV Producing Duo Talks Creating Diverse Content Across Two Separate Companies"
548:
409:
shot at, St. Vincent's ER in New York City, along with various other New York hospitals, and star
355:
281:
195:
203:
219:
378:
rather than the mix of hospital life and New Orleans local color that made up the original
265:
8:
256:
635:
260:
162:
604:
347:
299:
246:
223:
230:
410:
211:
175:
132:
692:
670:
453:"Change or Die: Is TLC approaching a tipping point with its reality shows?"
183:
124:
366:, consisted of eight episodes crafted out of the unused footage from the
128:
85:
327:
226:
202:. Another episode followed a burn patient through his recovery at
413:
233:
who were responsible for both the reporting and videography.
150:
139:
was one of TLC's top-rated shows and spawned two spin-offs,
575:"Dying in the E.R., and on TV Without His Family's Consent"
399:
episodes should not be confused with the similarly named
170:
370:
shoot at Memorial Health Trauma Center. This version of
222:
style programs to be shot almost entirely on hand-held
424:
The show was mentioned in the season 8, episode 8 of
131:
from 1997 to 2002 and reruns are currently airing on
350:. To make use of this footage, TLC agreed to renew
161:The show was produced by NYT Television (owned by
169:was designed to capitalize on the success of the
690:
505:"'Glee' and 'The Choir': How Reality Ruined Me"
394:Sometime in the 2010s, remastered versions of
149:. The series itself was nominated for seven
549:"Eduardo Marvez-Valls, doctor and educator"
729:American English-language television shows
502:
337:
660:
601:"Emergency reality series sparks lawsuit"
719:2000s American reality television series
704:2000s American medical television series
699:1990s American medical television series
654:
572:
714:2002 American television series endings
598:
450:
709:1997 American television series debuts
691:
625:
521:
389:
724:TLC (TV network) original programming
619:
476:
305:Patient privacy concerns have dogged
573:Ornstein, Charles (2 January 2015).
451:Douglas, Danielle (16 August 2012).
322:followed the activities of teams of
13:
661:Rosenblum, Michael (19 May 2009).
16:1997 American TV series or program
14:
740:
503:O'Hare, Kate (10 October 2010).
218:The series was one of the first
522:Fisher, Daniel (21 June 2005).
477:Kirst, Seamus (31 March 2016).
269:not later develop the disease.
156:
669:. Rosenblum TV. Archived from
599:Holland, Lila (29 June 2005).
592:
566:
541:
524:"The Real Reality TV - Forbes"
515:
496:
470:
444:
293:, was both openly homosexual (
236:
123:is a medical-based television
53:
1:
437:
411:famed television personality
313:
259:exposure. An episode set in
7:
626:Gaines, Nancy (June 1999).
419:
10:
745:
427:Untold Stories of the E.R.
91:
81:
76:
68:
63:
52:
44:
36:
28:
21:
396:Trauma: Life in the E.R.
376:Trauma: Life in the E.R.
120:Trauma: Life in the E.R.
23:Trauma: Life in the E.R.
338:Life after cancellation
318:In its first spin-off,
272:Episodes shot for both
432:Trauma: Life in the ER
356:New Orleans, Louisiana
282:New Orleans, Louisiana
196:New Orleans, Louisiana
632:www.bostonphoenix.com
358:. The new version of
204:Vanderbilt University
266:Nashville, Tennessee
673:on 19 February 2017
667:www.rosenblumtv.com
457:The Washington Post
390:Remastered episodes
364:Code Blue: Savannah
257:blood-borne disease
186:scored the series.
636:The Boston Phoenix
628:"Loosely Speaking"
579:The New York Times
261:San Antonio, Texas
163:The New York Times
69:Production company
642:on 29 August 2008
348:Savannah, Georgia
300:Hurricane Katrina
247:commercial bumper
116:
115:
105:November 25, 2002
95:February 20, 1997
45:Original language
37:Country of origin
736:
683:
682:
680:
678:
658:
652:
651:
649:
647:
638:. Archived from
623:
617:
616:
614:
612:
607:on June 29, 2005
603:. Archived from
596:
590:
589:
587:
585:
570:
564:
563:
561:
559:
545:
539:
538:
536:
534:
519:
513:
512:
500:
494:
493:
491:
489:
474:
468:
467:
465:
463:
448:
231:videojournalists
192:Charity Hospital
112:
110:
102:
100:
77:Original release
55:
19:
18:
744:
743:
739:
738:
737:
735:
734:
733:
689:
688:
687:
686:
676:
674:
659:
655:
645:
643:
624:
620:
610:
608:
597:
593:
583:
581:
571:
567:
557:
555:
547:
546:
542:
532:
530:
520:
516:
501:
497:
487:
485:
475:
471:
461:
459:
449:
445:
440:
422:
392:
340:
316:
239:
212:medical privacy
159:
135:. At its peak,
108:
106:
104:
98:
96:
17:
12:
11:
5:
742:
732:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
685:
684:
653:
618:
591:
565:
540:
514:
495:
469:
442:
441:
439:
436:
421:
418:
391:
388:
339:
336:
315:
312:
238:
235:
158:
155:
133:Discovery Life
114:
113:
93:
89:
88:
83:
79:
78:
74:
73:
72:NYT Television
70:
66:
65:
61:
60:
57:
50:
49:
46:
42:
41:
38:
34:
33:
30:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
741:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
696:
694:
672:
668:
664:
657:
641:
637:
633:
629:
622:
606:
602:
595:
580:
576:
569:
554:
553:USGW Archives
550:
544:
529:
525:
518:
510:
506:
499:
484:
480:
473:
458:
454:
447:
443:
435:
433:
429:
428:
417:
415:
412:
408:
404:
403:
397:
387:
383:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
349:
345:
335:
333:
329:
325:
321:
311:
308:
303:
301:
296:
292:
288:
283:
279:
275:
270:
267:
262:
258:
254:
250:
248:
243:
234:
232:
228:
225:
221:
220:cinéma vérité
216:
213:
207:
205:
201:
197:
193:
187:
185:
180:
178:
177:
172:
168:
164:
154:
152:
148:
144:
143:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
121:
94:
90:
87:
84:
80:
75:
71:
67:
62:
58:
51:
47:
43:
40:United States
39:
35:
31:
27:
24:
20:
675:. Retrieved
671:the original
666:
656:
644:. Retrieved
640:the original
631:
621:
609:. Retrieved
605:the original
594:
582:. Retrieved
578:
568:
556:. Retrieved
552:
543:
531:. Retrieved
527:
517:
508:
498:
486:. Retrieved
482:
472:
460:. Retrieved
456:
446:
431:
425:
423:
406:
400:
395:
393:
384:
379:
375:
371:
367:
363:
362:, now named
359:
351:
343:
341:
331:
319:
317:
306:
304:
294:
290:
286:
277:
273:
271:
252:
251:
245:return-from-
241:
240:
229:by teams of
217:
208:
199:
188:
184:Chuck Hammer
181:
174:
166:
160:
157:Show history
146:
140:
136:
127:that ran on
125:reality show
119:
118:
117:
22:
677:19 February
646:19 February
237:Controversy
693:Categories
438:References
328:paramedics
320:Paramedics
227:camcorders
200:Paramedics
142:Paramedics
109:2002-11-25
99:1997-02-20
64:Production
56:of seasons
663:"TRAUMA!"
380:Code Blue
372:Code Blue
360:Code Blue
352:Code Blue
332:Code Blue
314:Spin-offs
295:Code Blue
291:Code Blue
278:Code Blue
147:Code Blue
420:Mentions
107: (
103: –
97: (
92:Release
82:Network
48:English
32:Reality
611:19 May
584:18 May
558:19 May
533:18 May
528:Forbes
509:Zap2It
488:18 May
483:Forbes
462:18 May
414:Dr. Oz
407:Trauma
368:Trauma
344:Trauma
307:Trauma
287:Trauma
274:Trauma
253:Trauma
242:Trauma
224:MiniDV
173:drama
167:Trauma
137:Trauma
402:NY ER
342:When
151:Emmys
29:Genre
679:2017
648:2017
613:2016
586:2016
560:2016
535:2016
490:2016
464:2016
326:and
324:EMTs
289:and
276:and
145:and
434:".
280:in
194:in
171:NBC
129:TLC
86:TLC
54:No.
695::
665:.
634:.
630:.
577:.
551:.
526:.
507:.
481:.
455:.
416:.
382:.
334:.
176:ER
153:.
681:.
650:.
615:.
588:.
562:.
537:.
511:.
492:.
466:.
111:)
101:)
59:7
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.