Eriq LaSalle

We've followed the rumors about George Clooney's return to ER. We've glimpsed him back in scrubs. And tonight, we'll see Clooney again as Dr. Doug Ross in the role that made him a breakout star.

It's all part of a star-studded episode that features the return of not just Clooney but Julianna Margulies, Eriq LaSalle, and more doctors and nurses from County General's staff. I'm not going to lie — I maybe got a little chill when I saw the promo with LaSalle doing his little arm-pump thing in the hallway. Just really takes me back, y'know?

The episode is appropriately called "In Times of Old." NBC is being cagey about what exactly brings Ross and Hathaway back to Chicago (in fact, they're avoiding saying the name "Clooney" at all, referring to the guest star only as "the doctor Hathaway married"). Guess we'll find out tonight, but for now, watch a sneak peek of Benton's appearance over here, and to check out a preview of the whole episode, just read more

George Clooney has been shooting down rumors of a return to ER for a few months now, but now he has former costar Noah Wyle to thank for bringing them up again.

In next week's issue of TV Guide, Wyle tells columnist Will Keck that "From what I heard, George said, 'absolutely,' schedule permitting," about returning to the show. That's totally opposite from everything we've heard from Clooney's camp till now, though the producers have said they hoped he would return.

The group of returning cast members keeps on growing: Eriq LaSalle (Peter Benton) will meet up with Wyle's John Carter for an episode that will air in the Spring: "As a result of [Carter’s] once near-fatal stabbing, which led to my subsequent drug addiction, I come back from Africa requiring additional medical treatment for my one remaining kidney. I’m embarrassed to get treatment at County General, so I go up to Northwestern to get my dialysis up there, and that’s where Dr. Benton spies my name on a patient list and comes to pay me a visit," Wyle told TV Guide. LaSalle is also directing an episode of the series.

Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards returns as Mark Greene in a flashback for the Nov. 13 episode, and Laura Innes, Paul McCrane, and Alex Kingston are also on the list of returning actors. Clooney and Julianna Margulies are among the only ex-County General folks who have yet to confirm a return, so tell me: Is it time they give in and agree to give us a glimpse into Doug and Carol's life?

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The centerpiece of Wednesday's presentations at the TCA press tour was the panel discussion with the cast and creator of Mad Men. More than a few critics who were in the room called the session a total lovefest, and it's easy to understand why. Creator Matthew Weiner is legendarily tight-lipped with details about plot twists, but he and his actors did let a few tidbits slip in the session:

• Season two, which starts later this month, will pick up in February 1962, 14 months after the season one finale.
• As the show goes on, we can get used to those kinds of time jumps: Weiner has "a five-year plan" for covering the '60s, ending up in roughly 1968 by season five (though Weiner insists there's no plan set in stone for the series and its storylines).
• In the season's second episode, Pete Campbell will suffer a major tragedy, and the script will be about how someone reacts to bad news versus how they should react.
• The cast still only rarely gets recognized on the street, but one of the biggest tragedies for the female cast members is that they can't wear their own favorite vintage clothes anymore lest someone think they're in costume.
• The interaction that seems to best sum up Weiner's attitude about spoilers:
  

  Question: What would you say to the viewers who will tune into the premiere and will want to know immediately what happened with Peggy and the baby?
  Answer: I'd say trust me, I will give you the information as you need it, in the most entertaining fashion.

• Remember that New York Times story about Weiner and Mad Men from a few weeks back? Weiner apparently thought it captured him perfectly.

As for the goings-on at the rest of TCA, just read more