ER is an American television series that revolves around the medical profession and various issues faced by them and it was premiered on NBC on September 19, 1994. Constant C Productions and Amblin Entertainment were the producers in association with Warner Bros. Let’s learn here ‘Is ER On Hulu?’.
Is ER On Hulu?
Hulu, which is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, has now acquired the rights to ER, making all the 331 episodes of ER available to watch on the streaming service of Hulu. Even though Hulu had expressed its concerns about the potential risks while acquiring ER, the viewership of the show has surpassed their expectations.
About ER
ER was a major Television drama of NBC from 1994 to 2009, which was being aired every Thursday. It was nominated for 124 Emmy awards and won 116 Primetime Emmy Awards, including the title of Outstanding Drama Series in 1996, and it still holds the record for the medical drama, which has run second longest of all the ones, surpassed only by Grey’s Anatomy. From 1996 to 1999, the Screen Actors Guild Awards’ Outstanding Performance was won by the cast of ER.
The novelist Michael Crichton created ER, and it has now finished with 331 episodes in 15 seasons. The main stars that arose out of the series were George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies, Sherry Stringfield, Eriq La Salle, and Noah Wyle. After gaining so much recognition and fame, the series signed off on 2nd April 2009. Hulu acquired the rights over the show in January 2018.
Even though the television series was a great success, ER never turned into a franchise, and the showrunner John Wells had mentioned about this that even though every successful show tried to brand itself and get a different show by exposing it in a different city, ER team never wanted to go with this idea and it wanted to maintain its class and status.
The E! News reported that ER remained the most-watched show on Hulu for more than two months from the date of its release in Hulu. The Vice President of acquisitions of Hulu, Lisa Holme, stated that the show is found to be more sustainable, and there was even more demand and nostalgia than they anticipated.
Acquisition of Rights by Hulu
The acquisition of ER marked the first time the NBC drama was made available on a streaming service.
The star George Clooney had made a statement that it was his honor to be a part of the show, and he was much more excited that the show decided to be streaming on Hulu.
Hulu’s acquisition Vice President, Lisa Holme, had expressed her concern that there exist several risks concerning the acquisition of ER and in the streaming environment.
The risks involved were not limited to financial risk. As the series contains 15 seasons with 331 episodes, it must have contents that hold the customers till the end. The picking and viewing nature of the viewers can badly affect Hulu in its journey of growth and success. So once Hulu takes the rights of ER, it takes over this risk along with the right of streamlining of the show. Also, as the series was made in the late 90s and early 2000s, its content and fashion may not trigger the interest of the present generation. In addition to that, the social issues that the show may deal with may not find their relevance in the present era.
Even though these risks were calculated to hamper the growth of Hulu, the viewership increased beyond the expectations, and Lisa Holme, Vice-President of acquisitions of Hulu, had told that it was gratifying to watch a cluster of viewers slowly making their way from one season to another. Remarkably, the reports show that the subscribers of Hulu who had watched ER in its first month of launch consumed around 19.4 hours of the show per view.
Conclusion
ER, called the granddaddy of all medical dramas, was finally made available on the streamlined platform of Hulu in 2018. The television series was a great success that it paved its way to streamlining in 2018 after many years of its signing off in 2009. Despite the anticipated risks and threats, the series emerged as one among the topmost rated show on Hulu. Also, it marked an unexpected level of sustainability and acceptance from the viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many seasons of ER are available on Hulu?
All the 15 seasons of ER are available on Hulu now.
- Is ER available in any other streamlines?
Yes, it is available in Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, etc.
- Is ER available on Hulu Plus?
Yes, ER is available on Hulu Plus, which is the premium version of Hulu.
- What is the difference between Hulu and Hulu Plus?
Hulu provides every basic plan as that of Hulu Plus, but it does not contain commercials like that in Hulu Plus.
