US drama The Pitt is similar enough to medical series ER for a lawsuit against its producers to progress, a court in the US has ruled.
The widow of Michael Crichton, who created ER, argues The Pitt is effectively a reboot of the series, which has been made without proper permission or credit.
Sherri Crichton says her husband’s contract included a “frozen rights” provision that prohibited any spin-offs, sequels or reboots of ER being made without his express consent.
A three-judge panel said there are “clear and numerous similarities between The Pitt and ER,” which means the case can go ahead. Warner Bros previously described the lawsuit as “baseless” and sought to have it dismissed.
Listing the similarities between the two shows, the court cited the emergency room setting, the fast pace, use of medical jargon, graphic depictions of injuries, and younger doctors fresh from medical school being trained.
“We find the details here suffice for a prima facie case,” the judges said.
It means the case will now go to a jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court.
All these comments, all you ignorant sluts, you’re missing the silver lining. If this lawsuit is allowed to go through there’s a chance that the 10 million procedural cop dramas that are on the air every goddamn second will all eat each other alive. We could have a paradise. They could all destroy each other. And we would be free. Hell throw in anything that has to do with Emergency Services, same fucking show.
Can we get reality shows to eat themselves too? I mean aren’t they all the same?
Speaking of which, someone got me to try and watch the new Wonka game show. Couldn’t do it. 2 seconds of action, followed by 2 minutes of each person sitting in a chair saying shit I don’t care about. How do people watch this crap?
The shitshow these judges just opened up is hilarious.
I can name 10 shows matching those criteria…
I was gonna say. There’s enough prior art that arguing “this is ER with the serial numbers filed off” won’t fly. At least, I hope.
The Pitt was supposed to be a sequel and the bearded guy was supposed to play doctor Carter again but they didn’t get the rights so they changed his name.
So yes, it was thought of as a reboot but it’s not actually a reboot. This lawsuit is idiotic.
(also, The Pitt sux)
It’s a standard medical show, that focuses on the ER, like a million other shows. The only connection is Noah Wylie, so he’s now prohibited from doing a medical show because it will be considered a spin-off of a show he did decades ago? As a juror, I would find that to be stupid.
Isn’t Michael Chriton’s widow wealthy enough?
How many kidneys does Wylie’s character have?
If it is more than one and he has no scars from a transplant then he is not Carter.
Bro what?
Youd have to be the Marvin Gaye estate to think that the pitt is plagiarising er…
No they aren’t. These two shows are about as close as Gilligan’s Island and Lost. Both shows are about a group of people lost an island but that’s about it. Same here.
Crichton’s widow is just pissy they’re using the same actor and being successful.
💯
Wait, the Librarian is also a doctor?
Dude if you haven’t seen The Pitt yet, do yourself a favor and watch it ASAP.
It’s some of the best TV currently on. It’s early to say, but I’ve seen some go as far to potentially put it up there with the likes of The Sopranos and The Wire.
Personally, I’ll give it another season or two before making a claim like that. But the show is outstanding imo
It’s easily on the same level with Sopranos, Wire, Breaking Bad, etc. Astonishingly good.
Oh no, not medical jargon and depictions of injuries in a medical show. It must be copyright infringement there’s no other explanation for it.
They should probably sue Scrubs next.
I have the copyright on “Stat!” I get $100 everyone someone says it.
Doesn’t sound like it’s about copyright infringement, just contract law.
The studio negotiated at first but then just went ahead without receiving authorization for a reboot from the estate holding that veto right.
It hasn’t got any of the same characters as ER, it shot in the completely different manner, it’s not even setting the same country as ER.
Apart from that comment not being a refutation of anything I said:
Since when are Pittsburgh and Chicago in different countries?
TiL Michael Crichton wrote ER.
…and that he’s dead!
Coincidence? I think not.
well duh because the showrunner/lead is in the original ER drama.
This is the start of a dangerous precedent that may allow a circus to sue the court for copyright infringement on the grounds that it’s full of clowns.
Listing the similarities between the two shows, the court cited the emergency room setting, the fast pace, the use of medical jargon, graphic depictions of injuries and younger doctors fresh from medical school being trained.
With the exception (maybe) of the younger training doctors, though I imagine doctors gotta learn, everything described there is a definitional part of a medical drama set in an emergency room. I understand the court letting this move forward because there may be good reason to explore the more detailed similarities. But the ones they listed there… that is baseless.
You cannot copyright a real world setting or genre. The subject matter of emergency room medicine is not owned by Michael Crichton, Warner Brothers, or anyone. Would be like saying the creator of Honeymooners owns the rights to domestic abuse. ER’s copyright encompasses its characters, and specific stories. Not the entire concept of an ER or triage medicine. It did not create any of those concepts. It also doesn’t own the style of narrative, pacing, editing, cinematography, etc. used, either.
It’s also shot in a totally different way that is obvious, even to people who don’t understand tv production. If there had been no mention of ER, NOBODY would make the connection.
It sounds like they had this medical show with Noah Wylie, and someone had the bright idea of shortcutting the promotion by tying to a beloved old show he’d been in. There was really no connection, but if it could make the show get accepted faster, it would be worth it. So they float the idea, but move forward anyway, because the project doesn’t rely on the ER connection.
Later, the Estate claims the ER connection was everything because of course they do.
With the exception (maybe) of the younger training doctors, though I imagine doctors gotta learn, everything described there is a definitional part of a medical drama set in an emergency room.
And the training doctors are an audience insert, so that characters can explain shit that would be obvious for anyone who is actually at home in the setting.
Next up Crichton’s widow will be sued by the creators of E/R
Even had Clooney (and Mary McDonnell who played Carter’s mom in ER)
