AceShowbiz - Warner Bros. Television has responded to a lawsuit filed by Michael Crichton's widow, Sherri Crichton, who claims that "The Pitt" is essentially a clone of "ER". The studio has called the legal action "baseless" and argued that the two shows are vastly different.

Sources familiar with the situation say that while "The Pitt" and "ER" share some similarities, such as their setting in an emergency room and the involvement of executive producer John Wells and star Noah Wyle, the new show has a unique focus on contemporary healthcare issues and a mature tone that was not present in its predecessor.

"Another advantage that you have in doing these shows for streaming... is that you don't have the same kind of broadcast standards that you have to meet," Wells explained to Variety. "So, one of the things that we got excited about with 'The Pitt' is we could tell medical stories... in which they actually look like what really happens in the hospital."

According to Warner Bros., the idea for "The Pitt" originated from Wells' desire to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the medical field. When negotiations with the Crichton estate to develop an "ER" reboot fell through, Wells, Wyle and writer R. Scott Gemmill decided to pursue a new project with a similar setting but different characters and themes.

The lawsuit also alleges that Wells and Wyle had initially approached the studio with plans for a traditional "ER" reboot, but were rebuffed by the Crichton estate. Warner Bros. acknowledges that there were discussions about revisiting the "ER" franchise, but claims that the studio opted to develop "The Pitt" as a separate entity without the use of any "ER" elements.

"Any suggestion otherwise is false, and Warner Bros. Television intends to vigorously defend against these meritless claims," the studio stated.