Heightened Blood Pressure of the Happiest Kind

Heightened Blood Pressure of the Happiest Kind

• 1.2.09

by SHELL SHERREE

Sad but true, long running TV show ER will soon turn off its heart monitor and shuffle slowly towards the light of TV Heaven.

Now in its 15th year, ER is currently rating higher than that award-showered poser 30 Rock. In spite of this, the cubicle curtains are being discreetly drawn. {I've only just got the hang of ignoring the distractions of arterial bleeds so I can keep up with the warp speed barking of medical terms. And I'm only two seasons away from my honorary doctorate, damn it. I'll never get to finish it by watching Grey's Anatomy.}

NBC seems to be embracing the 'quit while you're ahead' and 'leave them wanting more' philosophy. {And yet they foisted a whole season of Lipstick Jungle on us. Go figure.}

In keeping with the 'leave them wanting more' angle, it is strongly rumoured that George Clooney has been brought back for one last turn as Dr Doug Ross to ensure the final season goes off with a blood-pressure spiking bang, not a whimper. It isn't out of the realms of possibility. After all, his megastardom hasn't stopped him turning his debonair charm towards ads for those odd coffee pod machines. {I now have two and I still can't figure out what to do with them.}

Mind you, the unconfirmed rumours seem as nebulous as those surrounding his love life. Uncited sources are running amok in Starbucks and rooftop carparks all over Hollywood. Some go so far as to say his scenes have already been filmed under the helpful cover of Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Or Susan Sarandon's cleavage.

Unless Deep Throat comes forward to confirm it, though, I'll take it all with a grain of salt and possible hypertension. Hypotension? {Thanks for nothing, NBC!}