Noah Wyle Expresses Deep Sadness Over ER Creator’s Widow Suing Him for The Pitt

• ER alum Noah Wyle stars in and executive produces the Max medical drama The Pitt.
• In August 2024, the estate of ER creator Michael Crichton sued Wyle and others involved with The Pitt, alleging that “The Pitt is ER.”
• Wyle expressed to Variety that the lawsuit “taints the legacy” of ER 30 years after the show’s debut in 1994.

The Pitt may become one of the standout new shows of 2025, but the creator of ER’s estate believes it resembles the iconic medical drama too closely.

Noah Wyle plays a lead role and serves as the executive producer of The Pitt, more than 15 years after his time on ER concluded. Ahead of its January premiere on Max, Sherri Crichton, widow of Michael Crichton, filed a lawsuit against Wyle, 53, R. Scott Gemmill (the creator of The Pitt), executive producer John Wells, and Warner Bros. Television. The lawsuit claims breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and intentional interference with contractual relations.

Wyle shared with Variety that he feels “profoundly sad and disappointed” by the lawsuit, which describes The Pitt as “a shameful betrayal of Crichton and his legacy” and “a callous disregard for Crichton’s inception of ER.”

“This taints the legacy, and it shouldn’t have,” Wyle remarked on the ongoing legal situation. “At one point, this could have been a partnership. And when it wasn’t, it didn’t need to become acrimonious. But on the 30th anniversary of ER, I’ve never felt less celebratory of that achievement than I do this year.”

An ER reboot had been planned, but discussions with Sherri Crichton did not yield an agreement, ultimately halting the project. Consequently, Wyle remarked, “we pivoted as far in the opposite direction as we could to tell the story we wanted to tell.” He emphasized that this decision was not motivated by legal concerns, but rather a desire to explore new creative avenues.

Nonetheless, the lawsuit claims, “The Pitt is ER. It’s not like ER, it’s not kind of ER, it’s not sort of ER. It is ER, complete with the same executive producer, writer, star, production companies, studio, and network as the planned ER reboot. No one has been fooled.”

Wyle acknowledged that one aspect of ER carried over to The Pitt: the relationships formed among the cast and crew. “We see each other falling in love, getting married, having children, and getting divorced,” he noted. “Those relationships transcend the screen and resonate with an audience eager to be part of that family. I’ve tried to replicate that in every role I take on, with varying levels of success.”

Having portrayed Dr. John Carter on ER for 13 seasons, Wyle felt compelled to play a doctor again, inspired by messages from first responders during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They were saying things like, ‘Carter, where are you? It’s really hard out here,’” Wyle recalled, reflecting on the messages he received during a challenging time.

As a result, Wyle expressed his desire to create “a show about a health practitioner that we invest a tremendous amount of trust and belief and admiration in. When chaos ensues, we expect that white knight to charge in on his steed. But when that horse arrives, it’s without its rider, and we’re left wondering where the hero is because he’s on the floor.”

The Pitt streams Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Max.