‘ER’ creator Michael Crichton’s least favorite episode of series was directed by A-lister: book

“ER” co-creator Michael Crichton’s least favorite episode of the long-running hit medical drama was a Season 1 episode directed by Quentin Tarantino. According to the new book, “ER: The Oral History” by Lynette Rice — which is out now — Crichton “got all bent out of shape about it.” “The only time I know we heard from Michael Crichton was when Quentin Tarantino directed the fantastic episode,” former writer Neal Baer recalls of the episode, which was titled “Motherhood.” He claims that the late “Jurassic Park” author — who died from lymphoma at 66 in 2008 — didn’t like Tarantino’s directing on “ER” for “reasons I don’t know why.” Baer, however, defends the episode, saying he thought it was “great.” “ER” co-creator Michael Crichton (pictured in 2005) wasn’t a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s “ER” episode, according to a new book. Getty Images “ER” ran for 15 Seasons from 1994 to 2009. (Pictured: Cast members Eriq La Salle, George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Sherry Stringfield, and Noah Wyle.) ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Originally airing on May 11, 1995, “Motherhood” followed the medical team as they dealt with a mother’s death, and a birth. The episode drew a staggering 33.3 million viewers. At the time, “ER” was popular, but still new. Tarantino, meanwhile, was at the top of his career, having directed “Reservoir Dogs” in 1992 and “Pulp Fiction” in 1994. Although the famed filmmaker is known for his work on the big screen, in addition to “ER,” he also once directed two episodes of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” in the show’s fifth season, airing in 2005. “ER” ran on NBC for 15 seasons and 331 episodes from 1994 to 2009, originally starring George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards. Tarantino (pictured in 1995 on the set of “ER” with Sherry Stringfield and Julianna Margulies) was a fan of the show and asked to direct an episode, according to the book. ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection The A-list director (pictured on the set of “ER” in 1995) showed up on set wearing scrubs. NBCUniversal via Getty Images Tarantino was a “big fan” of “ER,” Margulies says, and he personally requested to direct an episode. Then-NBC exec Warren Littlefield recalls that when he initially heard that the “Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood” director wanted to come on their show, he said, “You’re kidding me. Fantastic. Do it.” Former “ER” director/ producer Christopher Chulak says Tarantino was “like a kid, he just loved it. He showed up on the first or second day wearing scrubs.” Lydia Woodward, who wrote the episode, adds that the “Inglourious Basterds” director was “quite possibly the easiest director to work with in my entire career.” She notes, “He literally only added one thing.” Former writer Neal Baer didn’t know why Crichton wasn’t a fan of the episode. (Clooney above in the show.) ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Thirty-three million people watched Tarantino’s episode of “ER.” (Tarantino pictured on set above.) ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Rice’s new book, “ER: The Oral History,” is out now. Tarantino’s one requested change was a scene in which Susan (Sherry Stringfield) was rushing to drive her pregnant sister to the hospital. As Susan was rummaging around for her car keys, Tarantino wanted her to use a piece of technology called “the clapper,” a sound activation tool that helped someone locate their keys. “Quentin only wanted that funny little tidbit of a thing,” Woodward explains. Tarantino is just the latest “ER” figure to run afoul of Crichton, even after the late author’s death. Crichton’s estate has also been embroiled in a legal battle with Wyle over the actor’s current medical drama, “The Pitt.” “ER: The Oral History” is now available in bookstores. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!