The live eppy is airing here tonight right now on ABC. Was every scene staged? I know that scene where Jeannie gets all tongued tied with the medical jargon was staged and a part of the show. But did any real screw ups happen? Like in the beginning where Carol forgets her coffee? Or the crying baby? Does anyone know?

-- Kathy (kaf@gis.net), August 12, 2000

Answers

Response to "Ambush" episode question - this was the "live" eppy

I've read an early script of Ambush (bought at Scriptshop) and the story with Carol forgetting her coffee was written in the script.

-- lorraine (claude_p_50@hotmail.com), August 12, 2000.

Response to "Ambush" episode question - this was the "live" eppy

Thanks for the answer - I thought everything would have been scripted but I was just wondering.

-- Kathy (kaf@gis.net), August 12, 2000.

Response to "Ambush" episode question - this was the "live" eppy

They had a mini article about this in TVGuide (oct 25-31,1997). It was FRONTLINES by David Kronke, titled "ER lives"...and there's the bottom section called "technical traumas" it said that the producers had scenes that could be either added or deleted if there were any technical glitches, but they didn't need to for both the East and West versions. They said ER did have a few fumbles:

-"At the beginning of the third scene of the West Coast feed, George Clooney leaned into Laura Innes and ad libbed, "Nice 'do," then mugged comically behind Innes and Maria Bello."

-The fight with the gang members was more chaotic in the East show; it broke out on a far larger scale than was expected; it took longer for camera to be cleared from the scene, they said.

-"West Coast viewers heard a voice call out, "Commercial!" at the end of the first scene."

-"La Salle confessed that he flubbed a line in the first show. "I didn't tell them to prep for lavage [sterile cleansing]. I just said, 'Let's go!'" (He got it right the second time)" i don't know which show is first, the West? or East?

-"In the East Coast feed, a bloodied man with AIDS pulled a scalpel on Gloria Reuben and Bello. In the West version, he dropped it, so they were held at bay by--well, nothing."

I'm glad nothing really screwed up! (although it seems the West version might have had a bit more screwups; I watched the East show) I think they did a great job.

-- Emily (watchinger@home.com), August 13, 2000.

Response to "Ambush" episode question - this was the "live" eppy

Yeah, really. You'd think the second time would be easier than the first time. I loved this episode. I did hear that some didn't like it though.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), August 13, 2000.

Response to "Ambush" episode question - this was the "live" eppy

Which version of "Ambush" was aired on TNT? East or West?

-- Roybal (jroybal33@excite.com), August 13, 2000.

On the TNT eppy I just watched, the AIDS guy grabbed for something on the tray and then looked at the floor like something fell. The camera panned up a little so you couldn't see the tray and then pulled back - the guy grabbed again at the instrument tray and still came up empty handed. (I thot maybe when they panned up, someone off camera was placing a scapel on the tray). So maybe this was the West Coast edition. I also have heard that they mixed the to live tapings into one eppy that was shown on TNT. (anybody know for sure?)

One last question on the ad-libbing. When the old guy from the Nursing Home comes in and Carter is talking to him about the "service" he provides the the ladies - the old guy pauses and then looks at the camera and says "stud service!". The way NW busts up laughing makes me think that was an ad-libbed line. The laugh just seemed way too spontaneous.

-- Lolina (lolina_69@hotmail.com), August 15, 2000.