"Chicago Hope" (1994)TV series 1994-2000

Creator:

David E. Kelley

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

18 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The lives and trials of the staff of a major hospital in Chicago.

Plot Keywords:

Surgery | Neurotic | Chicago Illinois | Doctor | Eccentric

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 21 wins & 87 nominations

Cast

Adam Arkin	...	Dr. Aaron Shutt (141 episodes, 1994-2000)
Hector Elizondo	...	Dr. Phillip Watters (141 episodes, 1994-2000)
Peter Berg	...	Dr. Billy Kronk (106 episodes, 1995-1999)
Vondie Curtis-Hall	...	Dr. Dennis Hancock (104 episodes, 1995-1999)
Jayne Brook	...	Dr. Diane Grad (103 episodes, 1995-1999)
Christine Lahti	...	Dr. Kathryn Austin (97 episodes, 1995-1999)
Rocky Carroll	...	Dr. Keith Wilkes (96 episodes, 1996-2000)
Mark Harmon	...	Dr. Jack McNeil (95 episodes, 1996-2000)
Thomas Gibson	...	Dr. Daniel Nyland / ... (70 episodes, 1994-1998)
Mandy Patinkin	...	Dr. Jeffrey Geiger / ... (59 episodes, 1994-2000)

Runtime:

60 min (141 episodes) | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

There are a lot of references throughout the series to "St. Elsewhere" (1982) another popular hospital-themed drama. Kate Austin wins the "Left Anterior Descending Aorta" award for being a top notch cardiac surgeon. Stephen Furst appeared playing a vet named Elliot. On St. Elsewhere he played Elliot Axelrod whose father was a vet (he did not appear as his actual St. Elsewhere character though as Elliot Axelrod, he was killed off in St. Elsewhere). And Kate quotes her mentor to be "Dr. David Demidian." Mark Craig ('William Daniels' ) on St Elsewhere said that Demidian was his mentor as well.

Quotes:

Dr. Billy Kronk: [there has been a shooting at a video store and Billy is about to go in to do surgery on a victim. He's putting on a flack jacket. Dr Grad does not want him to go inside] Look! It's bullet proof!
Dr. Diane Grad: Stay with me and I'll buy you one for your birthday.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Disaster Show (#1.17)" (2007)

Great season! Bad finale!

I used to like this show. I thought this season was even better than the fourth season. The characters were great and the stories were getting more and more realistic. I thought the season premiere was the best one so far!

When I saw this season finale "Curing Cancer", I was impressed how did the writers mess up the show within 60 minutes. The episode BEFORE "Curing Cancer" should have been the season finale. That story was perfect and the characters were well placed already.

I can't believe people actually like this Jeffrey Geiger. I never saw him before. (I didn't watch seasons one and two)I hated Mandy Patinkin's acting and his character. He's evil and nuts. He fired all the staff because too many people were dying in the hospital. If that story is even believable, the cast of ER would not be on the TV screen by now. He also asked Phillip Watters to return as the chief of staff in the hospital, AFTER he had a forbidden affair with a patient. If that happened on real life, Geiger would have been arrested for Obstruction of Justice.

The worst part of Curing Cancer was the trial of the fired staff against Jeffrey Geiger. Out of nowhere, the judge ordered the staff's lawyer to claim he was a toad! That's not supposed to happen on any dramatic series.

At least, Carla Cugino and Natasha Gregson Wagner saved this episode from a complete disaster with the help of the veteran Adam Arkin.

If episodes like Curing Cancer ever show up again next season, I'll never watch Chicago Hope again and devote full-time to ER and NYPD Blue, which at least are dramatic and realistic shows.