'ER' and 'The Pitt' are similar enough for suit to proceed, appeals court finds

CBS News · 2026-11-06 12:40 UTC

A California appeals court has found that "ER" and "The Pitt" have enough similarity that a lawsuit brought by the widow and estate of "ER" creator Michael Crichton alleging "The Pitt" is an unauthorized reboot can move forward.

Los Angeles — A California appeals court has found that "ER" and "The Pitt" have enough similarity that a lawsuit brought by the widow and estate of "ER" creator Michael Crichton alleging "The Pitt" is an unauthorized reboot can move forward.

A three-judge panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the trial court judge was correct to reject a motion to throw out the case from "The Pitt" production company Warner Bros. Television, which also produced "ER." But the judges dismissed Noah Wyle - the star of both shows and a producer on "The Pitt" - as a defendant along with two other producers who worked on both series.

The lawsuit is a clash between the makers of multiple Emmy-winning TV series that were each among the most important and acclaimed shows of their eras.

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