At some point or another, anyone with any access to a television or some form of media has seen at least one episode of NBC’s ridiculously long-running drama “ER.”

And while nothing can really replace the outlandish yet emotional storeylines, and the image etched in to my mind of a strapping George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross, I have found an awesome alternative during the summer hiatus.

TLC’s “Untold Stories of The ER” is a documentary style reality show where real doctors recount the insane cases they have faced, ranging from severed limbs, impaled necks, gang fights in the hallways of the hospitals, unexplained illnesses, and much, much more.

They couldn’t make this up if they tried.

What makes this show so addictive is not so much the cases as it is the reenactments and the commentary provided by the real docs. Watching them, you often forget that these are REAL cases they are describing, and not just wild ideas thrown out there by overzealous network writers during sweeps.

The reenactments not only add a needed visual to tell the patient’s story, but can be down-right hilarous. Finding actors who bear a recognizable resemblance to the real doctors must be hard, cause the people they chose nine times out of 10 don’t even come close!

Despite that though, bad toupees and all, the show is a welcome break from the usual, predictable world of reality tv.

The show airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TLC.






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