Three decades before The Pitt became a critical darling and a hit with viewers, another hospital-themed drama aired the first of what would become more than 300 episodes: ER, created by physician and novelist Michael Crichton, with Steven Spielberg among its producers. Journalist Rice’s oral history of the series, drawn on archival interviews as well as her own conversations with more than 60 people involved in the show, begins with the show’s genesis as a screenplay that Crichton sent to Spielberg, where it languished in a file before being read by television executive Tony Thomopoulos, who convinced Crichton to rework it as a pilot. Casting followed, with George Clooney and Anthony Edwards joining early, and Julianna Margulies agreeing to star in what she thought would be one episode (her character was originally supposed to die in the pilot). Don Ohlmeyer, head of NBC’s West Coast division, hated the pilot but, after test audiences reacted rapturously at two screenings, relented, and television history was made, with viewers tuning in en masse to the show that earned its bona fides with the help of physician writers. Rice’s book is structured cleverly, with some chapters centered on a particular theme—the show’s title sequence, camera work, Clooney’s penchant for pranks—and others dedicated to single episodes of the show. The latter sections are fascinating, peering into some of the series’ most memorable installments, including “Motherhood,” which was directed by Quentin Tarantino, and “Ambush,” the ambitious live episode that was filmed twice to accommodate different time zones. It’s disappointing that Rice doesn’t have much to say about the show’s final four seasons—after actor Noah Wyle (now star of The Pitt) departed—but, overall, this is an entertaining history of an iconic series.