Chicago Hope (1994–2000)

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

Creator:

David E. Kelley

Stars:

Adam Arkin, Hector Elizondo, Peter Berg

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 21 wins & 87 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
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 (60 episodes, 1994-2000)

Storyline

Television medical drama in soap-opera style. Surgeons Jeffrey Geiger and Aaron Shutte battle valiantly for their patients, often coming into conflict with the hospital administration, run by Dr. Phillip Watters. Their cases are usually ethically complex, highly sensationalistic, and very melodramatic. Meanwhile, Jeffrey and Aaron, who are best friends, commiserate about the shambles their tumultuous personal lives have become....

---

Plot Keywords:

hospital | medical | gambling addiction | medical research | revival | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chicago Hope - Endstation Hoffnung

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, David E. Kelley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (141 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the show's run, Cadillac ran a series of ads for it's new mid-size sedan, imploring people to "...lease a Catera." Then, the announcer would ask, "Who *is* Lisa Catera, anyway?" Shortly thereafter, Stacy Edwards joined the cast...playing Dr. Lisa Catera (1997-1999)

---

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.

---

Crazy Credits

After Christine Lahti joined the ensemble cast in Chicago Hope: Stand, 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.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Nanny: California, Here We Come (1999)

User Reviews

Not bad for a doctor show

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.