The Pitt is finally landing in the UK this week with the launch of HBO Max, but the hit medical drama arrives with controversy hanging over it.
More than 30 years after ER first aired, the new series has drawn comparisons thanks to its shared genre and one familiar face: Noah Wyle.
But, while The Pitt has been widely praised, it has also sparked a legal battle, with Michael Crichton’s widow calling it a “tremendous betrayal”.
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Is The Pitt connected to ER?
At first glance, the similarities are clear. ER followed doctors in Chicago’s County General Hospital, while The Pitt centres on a trauma team in Pittsburgh.
Both shows lean into high-pressure hospital drama, and both feature Noah Wyle. However, they are not connected in terms of story or canon.
Wyle played John Carter in ER, but in The Pitt he takes on a completely new role as Dr Robby. While there are echoes between the shows, they exist in separate worlds.
Was The Pitt originally an ER spin-off?
The situation becomes more complicated behind the scenes.
After ER’s long-running success, Wyle and producer R. Scott Gemmill initially explored the idea of a spin-off centred on Carter. The idea gained traction around 2020, inspired in part by messages Wyle received from frontline workers during the pandemic.
However, development stalled when Warner Bros failed to reach an agreement with Sherri Crichton.
In 2023, after the spin-off was shelved, HBO Max backed a new medical drama with Wyle and Gemmill attached. That project became The Pitt, a real-time series set over a single hospital shift.
The show premiered in 2025 and quickly became one of the most talked-about series on television.
So, why has Sherri Crichton sued Warner Bros over The Pitt?
Sherri Crichton alleges that The Pitt breaches agreements tied to ER, arguing it is effectively a reworked version of the unapproved spin-off.
Speaking to Deadline, she said she was unaware of the spin-off plans until just before they were publicly announced.
Although she was initially open to the idea, negotiations ultimately broke down.
“We then negotiated in good faith with Warner Bros. and [producer] John Wells for nearly a year. When they broke off negotiations last October, they told us the project was dead. Nobody wanted the show,” she said.
“But the project wasn’t dead. They simply changed the name and moved it to Pittsburgh.
“I don’t think they expected me to take legal action but I was left with no choice.”
The ‘horrible insult’ before Crichton’s lawsuit
Crichton also pointed to a previous dispute involving Westworld, another of her late husband’s creations.
She claimed Warner Bros failed to properly credit Michael Crichton when adapting the story for HBO, describing the situation as a “horrible insult”.
“It was a horrible insult to Michael… I could not let that happen again on ER,” she said.
Why couldn’t Sherri Crichton reach a deal about The Pitt?
Crichton has accused Warner Bros of pressuring her into signing a new agreement under tight deadlines.
“They wanted David Zaslav to be able to announce the new ER series… and their deadline was based on that. I needed more than a few hours to review a lengthy and detailed contract, but Warner Bros. didn’t care about that,” she said.
“It was take it now or forget it. It felt like bullying.”
She also claimed that key terms, including a “created by” credit, were later removed during negotiations.
“This is not a new playbook for Warner Bros… It’s theft and it should scare the hell out of every creator out there.”
What has Warner Bros said about The Pitt lawsuit?
Warner Bros has strongly denied the allegations, and the studio filed a motion to dismiss the case.
“While they are both medical dramas set in hospitals, this does not make The Pitt ‘derivative’,” the motion states.
A spokesperson added that the lawsuit “lacks both factual and legal foundation”.
“The Pitt does not include any ER intellectual property and is no more similar to ER than is Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, or any of the countless other hospital medical dramas.”
Crichton has rejected that argument, saying: “The Pitt isn’t just another medical show. It is ER.”
What has Noah Wyle said about The Pitt lawsuit?
Noah Wyle has addressed the situation, saying he feels “profoundly sad and disappointed” about the dispute.
“The only thing that I can legally speak to is how I feel emotionally,” he told Variety.
“This taints the legacy, and it shouldn’t have. At one point, this could have been a partnership.”
Is the lawsuit going to court?
The case remains ongoing, but it has already cleared an early hurdle.
In February 2025, a judge ruled that the Crichton estate had presented enough evidence to move forward.
“The evidence submitted by Plaintiffs meets the minimal merit standard… The Court cannot find Plaintiffs claims to be totally meritless.”
A spokesperson for Crichton described the ruling as an “important win”.
“The Crichton estate looks forward to presenting its case to a jury and is confident it will prevail.”
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The Pitt seasons 1-2 will be available to stream on HBO Max from March 26.
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