DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE FEATURE SCRIPT FOR “ER” HAD SAT ON THE SHELF FOR SO LONG BY THE TIME IT MADE IT TO TV IN 1994, WHAT ENDED UP BEING FILMED WAS ALMOST WORD-FOR-WORD CRICHTON’S ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY FROM 1974. ONE VERY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, THOUGH, WAS IN CASTING, BECAUSE CHICHTON’S SCRIPT CENTERED ON FIVE WHITE, MALE DOCTORS, SO DR. LEWIS BECAME A WOMAN AND DR. BENTON BECAME A BLACK MAN.