Warner Bros. TV Responds to The Pitt Lawsuit: ‘Completely Different Show From ER’

Warner Bros. TV Responds to The Pitt Lawsuit: ‘Completely Different Show From ER’

As a long-time fan of ER and a devoted observer of the TV industry, I find myself deeply engrossed in the ongoing legal battle between Warner Bros. Television and Sherri Crichton over their medical drama The Pitt. Being well-versed in the intricacies of contracts, creative rights, and show development, it’s fascinating to see how these two parties are maneuvering their arguments.


In response to the legal action initiated by Sherri Crichton, who claims that the new medical drama The Pitt bears an uncanny resemblance to the well-known series ER, Warner Bros. Television has decided to address these allegations.

Warner Bros. Television argued in their motion to throw out the lawsuit filed on November 4th, stating that “The Pitt” is an entirely distinct production from “ER”, and they maintain that no contractual violations occurred during the conception and production of the new series.

What did Warner Bros. Television say about the lawsuit?

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: “The Pitt isn’t at all like ER, the filing states. The author can’t use his ER contract to silence us from creating a series about emergency medicine in the future.

The statement originates from a lawsuit initiated by Sherri Crichton, widow of ER’s creator Michael Crichton. According to the lawsuit, The Pitt was conceived following negotiations for an ER remake falling through. It is argued in the suit that the series, centered around a hospital located downtown Pittsburgh, violates the Crichton estate’s contractual right to either approve or reject any work deemed derivative.

According to the motion to dismiss, ‘The Pitt’ is not a remake of ER, and it would be illogical to construe the ER agreement as preventing WBTV from creating another medical drama about emergency medicine, or Wyle, who was not part of the agreement, from ever starring in one, without Michael Crichton’s permission.

In response to the motion to dismiss, a representative for Crichton argued that it was baseless and merely “an attempt to evade discovery and conceal the truth,” and they suggested that the timing of the filing on the anniversary of Michael Crichton’s death symbolized the studio’s insensitivity and disrespect towards Crichton’s legacy.

In simpler terms, the spokesperson for Michael Crichton stated that the defendants’ action to evade the discovery process and conceal the truth is obvious. Filing their motion on the anniversary of Michael Crichton’s death suggests Warner Bros.’ insensitivity towards Crichton’s legacy. For nearly a year, Warner Bros. talked with the estate regarding the ER reboot, understanding they couldn’t continue without permission. When negotiations fell through, Warner Bros. renamed the series and altered its location to go against Crichton’s contract. The defendants’ last-minute renaming of their ER reboot as The Pitt is not convincing anyone. The estate is eager to present its case before a jury and believes it will win.

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2024-11-06 01:11