PITTSBURGH — A lawsuit alleging “The Pitt” is an unauthorized reboot of “ER” is moving forward while claims against Noah Wyle — a star in both shows — and two producers have been dismissed, a California appeals court ruled Wednesday.

“ER” follows the personal and professional lives of doctors working at the fictional County General Hospital in Chicago over 15 seasons. It was created by writer Michael Crichton. “The Pitt” similarly chronicles the daily shift of emergency staff in the made-up Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.

The ruling concludes that the lawsuit can advance against Warner Bros. Television, but dismissed defendants Wyle and two show producers, John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill.

The complaint centers on a 1994 agreement with a “frozen rights” provision, blocking Warner Bros. Television, which produced both shows, from making spinoffs of “ER,” without Crichton’s permission, court documents show.

According to the complaint, the defendants began developing a “reboot” of “ER” in 2020. After Michael Crichton’s widow — who now controls Roadrunner JMTC LLC, which owns the rights to “ER” — ultimately refused, the defendants developed “The Pitt,” according to court filings.

The court document lays out similarities between the two medical shows, including comparable pacing, commentaries on the healthcare system and focus on the emergency room setting.

“The doctors and nurses are exhausted; there are emotional outbursts. Each includes a young doctor, fresh from medical school and incompetent,” it says.

Defendants have rejected the claims that “The Pitt” has ties to “ER.”

The relevant rights to “ER” were passed onto widow Sherri Crichton, following Michael Crichton’s passing in 2008.

“I am deeply gratified by the Court of Appeal decision and look forward to discovery and to our case, which affects writers, creators, and their families and estates, being presented to a jury,” she told Variety.

In a statement, Warner Bros. Television said it “continues to maintain that ‘The Pitt’ is an entirely original series” and that the claims against it are “without merit,” the Associated Press reported.

“Nothing in the Court of Appeal’s decision establishes otherwise, and WBTV looks forward to defending its position as the case proceeds,” the statement says.

The ruling comes after “The Pitt” wrapped up filming in Pittsburgh last month for Season 3 of the show that’s inspired by Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side.

©2026 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.