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03/03/2009

Er! That's George Clooney On TV!

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Top US actor and ageing 'heart throb' George Clooney is returning to the hit US drama ER - even though the show is effectively on its 'last gasp'.
Having previously starred as Dr Doug Ross over a decade ago - a role that brought him initial fame - Clooney has now agreed to return to the television series, but this time in the role of a married middle-aged father of twins.
However, it's the show's swansong as the broadcaster, NBC is about to disconnect the life support and 'pull the plug' on the long-running hit series.
However, it is to go out with a 'bang', not a whimper, as the show's executives have announced that it was tripling the price of 30-second advertising slots during the last-ever episode, a two-hour special, from their usual rate of $135,000 (£95,000) to between $425,000 and $500,000.
Its decision came amid growing public excitement about the remaining four episodes of the 15-year-old medical drama, which will feature guest appearances from Clooney and a string of ER old hands.
However, the show's demise is being seen as a much more profound event in the industry as it is said to highlight a 'worrying trend' for television drama, which is being replaced on the old networks by more profitable reality programming.
ER has some of the highest production costs in US TV, costing $12m an episode to film.
However, ER's audiences have steadily fallen from their mid-1990s peak of 27 million to little more than seven million.
(BMcC)
VMI.TV Ltd

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