ER: The Complete First Season

Nine years after its multiple-Emmy-winning debut season, ER's combination of intense medical realism and dishy doctor soap opera continues to inspire a devoted fan following, for whom this jam-packed set will be catnip. A look back at where these now-beloved characters got their start--burnt-out resident Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), naive med student John Carter (Noah Wyle), ladykilling pediatrician Doug Ross (George Clooney), super-confident doc Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), and all the rest--is a major treat, as is the somewhat shocking realization that as fast-paced as ER was when it premiered, these early episodes are downright leisurely compared to the latest installments. But the presentation and the bonus features are extraordinary: all 25 episodes boast new widescreen transfers, and the extras include additional scenes and outtakes, audio commentary on three key episodes, making-of documentaries (that include interviews with the original cast and executive producers Steven Spielberg, Michael Crichton, and John Wells), and featurettes on the medical realism of the series. Pick this box up, stat. Highly recommended. (M. Johanson)