So I am simultaneously watching these both from the beginning. Two of the very best imo. Both similar in their camera shots and ferocity of smartly written dialogue. Excellent characters and amazing acting. I find these shows different but with many similarities.

So, which is your favorite?

This is tough, but I think I will still go with favorite drama of all time, The West Wing. er does come close though in comparing these two though. So smart and dramatic and fun.

Neither but I'm curious why you capitalize West Wing but not ER.. Sort of like asking if you prefer Close Encounters or et.

in the credits they show it both ways

The show with George Clooney? I thought it was E/R:

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Yeah, I always saw it written as lowercase...

Although both shows suffer significant drops in quality as they go along, ER has more quality seasons. Once Aaron Sorkin leaves West Wing, it's a tough slog.

I actually liked that version.

No matter how good ER is/was, ultimately the show is just a show.

The West Wing transcends entertainment. I've been rewatching the early years on Netflix and, as a bleeding heart liberal, it really inspires me to be hopeful about America.

ER, the Clooney years > West Wing. After that, I really didn't care. I never thought the West Wing was a pivotal series in any way, and frankly I think The American President was about as much of that whole thing I could take. Maybe it's because I'm not into politics. About 2 hours worth really. I think I bailed somewhere in the 5th season. I actually wish they made a TV series based in the movie Dave a lot more.

West Wing by a loooooooooooong shot. Aaron Sorkin trumps all, and this was when he was really doing some great stuff.

West Wing. ER was a good show, but West Wing was better.

One season of The West Wing was enough for me... bored me to death. Got to go with er.

The first 3 seasons of WW are about as good as it gets.

Even the worst seasons of WW beat the best seasons of ER.

Fun fact, John Wells was show-runner for the both the worst seasons of WW (after Sorkin had left) and the best seasons of ER (Clooney years).

Season 5 of WW was weaker than the Sorkin ones, but the last two seasons with Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits were really good.

So very much this. West Wing was a breath of fresh air.

er umm uh.

I didn't watch any of them.

So, I’m rewatching ER from beginning again and heard something I never caught before. George Clooney’s Doug Ross says to a patients father that he had a son! This is the first I am hearing about this. Correct me if I’m wrong, I mean I haven’t seen in awhile, but he never came up ever again in series, right? I was blown bc I never caught that before.

Find a TV series that doesn't drop in details about its characters in the early episodes that get contradicted or forgotten about later on. On Seinfeld, Jerry says he has a sister, and George says he has a brother, but they clearly are only children once we start regularly meeting their parents On Andy Griffith, Gomer just pumped gas and didn't know anything about cars, but later on, he was a great mechanic.

Not only did George and Jerry lose siblings, they both got new fathers!

Although the questions asked is a couple of years old, ER gets my vote. I like both shows a lot, but ER is my favorite. There were some shows, like ER, The West Wing, NYPD Blue, The Practice or Homicide which had way better writing and character development than the other TV shows of that era and don't have to hide behind modern cable/streaming shows.