A Definitive Ranking Of The Main Doctors And Nurses From “E.R.”

County General had a lot of employees.

1. John Carter

NBC

Dr. John Carter was the longest running character in the series — and that was for good reason. Carter went through many ups and downs and never stopped being a compelling individual. He was the show at its core and filled the hole left by Anthony Edwards after his season eight departure.

2. Mark Greene

NBC

If Carter was the show, Greene was the heart of the show. The show was an ensemble, but the main focus really centered on Greene’s journey as a doctor, friend, husband, and father. Greene was the kind of guy you’d want to be your doctor and just about everyone could relate to him.

3. Luka Kovac

NBC

Kovac was sent in as the replacement to bad boy Doug Ross, and some ways arguably exceeded that character. Kovac was different from the other characters, with a super interesting background and compelling journey through his seasons on the show.

4. Elizabeth Corday

NBC

Aside from the fact that Alex Kingston is absolute gold in human form, Corday was a character worth watching. She was tough, and soft, and held her own as a woman in a highly competitive male field.

5. Michael Gallant

NBC

Gallant started off as a quiet underdog, and developed into one of E.R.’s finest. His military background added personality you didn’t expect to his character.

6. Peter Benton

NBC

Benton started off as a bit standoffish, but once his son was born, the character evolved completely. Benton was the perfect opposite to Greene, and gave a unique balance to the series.

7. Ray Barnett

NBC

After many of the original characters began to depart from the series, good, new characters were hard to come by. Barnett was one of those good characters — he brought a new story and personality to the show when it was in need of some new and interesting blood.

8. Carol Hathaway

NBC

Long before she was the good wife, Marguiles was Chicago’s greatest nurse. Her relationship with Doug was great, but she had many other interesting stories ahead of her.

9. Doug Ross

NBC

Doug was the original, suave hottie of the E.R. His reckless decisions were what ultimately lead to his departure from the series, but they made for excellent story.

10. Jing-Mei “Deb” Chen

NBC

Dr. Chen was like a female Carter, who also happened to be Carter’s best friend. Her unexpected pregnancy was one of her best moments, and arguably one of THE best moments of the show.

11. Jeanie Boulet

NBC

Jeanie had one of the most culturally important storylines when she discovered she was HIV positive. Her story was smart, riveting, and brilliantly acted.

12. Abby Lockhart

NBC

Abby had her moments, sometimes being a favorite, and other times a least favorite. Even when she was doing things that made her unlikable, the stories were great to watch.

13. Robert Romano

NBC

Sure he was an ass, but he was an ass that was entertaining. When he died, you were shocked at how much you actually missed Romano.

14. Susan Lewis

NBC

Susan’s family life was one of her stronger storylines. She’d be higher on the list if she hadn’t left for such a long period of time.

15. Dave Malucci

NBC

Malucci was a character that never got the time he deserved. He had a lot of potential with his background, his med school days, and personal life but none of it was ever truly tapped. He was an amazing character who had a shot at being one of the best, but wasn’t given the time.

16. Kerry Weaver

NBC

Kerry would probably be higher on this list if she treated some of her colleagues better. She had interesting stories, but her brash, occasionally power-hungry personality made it hard for the audience to like her.

17. Archie Morris

NBC

Archie was one of the better characters introduced in the final seasons. He was a fun guy with a cute red head and a nice relationship with a cop.

18. Greg Pratt

NBC

Pratt continued the tradition of having one brash, full of himself doctor on staff. Of all the brash guys that passed through the E.R. Pratt was the hardest to actually enjoy.

19. Sam Taggart

NBC

Sam had a great story with her crazy ex, but nothing else ever really stood out about her. She was better than some of the late season characters.

20. Anna Del Amico

NBC

Anna wasn’t in the show quite long enough to ever get interesting. She had great potential to be with Carter and with her past, but none of it ever quite got any attention.

21. Lucy Knight

NBC

Lucy was another "could-have-been" character. She didn’t get as much time as she deserved, but her death was one of the most impactful of the series.

22. Catherine Banfield

NBC

She was played by Angela Bassett which made her at least a little cool, other than that it’s hard to recall much of what her character was up to.

23. Neela Rasgotra

NBC

It was hard to ever get into Neela because she made bad choices that were hard to get behind and it was hard to ever feel the chemistry between her and Ray.

24. Tony Gates

NBC

Tony was another one of the late series additions that never really took. Stamos is a charmer, but the final seasons of the show just didn’t offer enough great story to give him a chance.

25. Simon Brenner

NBC

Brenner had a similar fate to that of Gates: He was only in the final couple of seasons, and by the time he was made a regular, the focus had returned to old favorites and Brenner got lost in the sea of returns.

26. Cleo Finch

NBC

Cleo was in the show for several years, and it's sometimes hard to remember she existed. Cleo never really had her own storylines of personality, she just happened to be Benton’s girlfriend. Even her HIV scare was brushed under the rug and forgotten about.