TVSundav .,'------------------------------ By MICHAEL GllTZ l1e fifth season of "ER" was the first weak one in the show's history.</p><p> The departure of George Clooney was the big news.</p><p> But that wouldn't have seemed so worrying if the people left behind weren't saddled with episodes more suited to a daytime soap.</p><p> Noah Wyle's Carter ogling Lucy Knight's underwear and Anthony Edward's Mark Greene facing stalker Mare Winningham were just two ill-advised plot twists.</p><p> Since this season meant the end of the road for Julianna Margulies and Gloria Reubens, "ER" seemed headed for a sad, slow decline.</p><p> But like other truly great shows -"All in the Family," "M*A*S*H," "Law & Order" -"ER" has man aged to reinvent itself with a batch CHARACTER: Dr.</p><p> Cle'o Finch AGE:S3 of new characters and returning favorites. "ER" has always been about the doctors more than the patients.</p><p> So if we think we know how they're always going to behave, the show dies.</p><p> These new characters change that.</p><p> They're slowly being fleshed out, but just their addition to the ER makes every incoming case a bat tleground.</p><p> Old favorites want to maintain their turf; newcomers want to show they've got what it takes.</p><p> Unlike a soap, these additions to the cast aren't villains or heroes just new people with new ways of working.</p><p> They add a little danger, a little sex appeal and a lot of chaos.</p><p> Here are four scene-stealers who make "ER" worth watching again.</p><p> HOMETOWN: Evansville, , TV movie: set for February.</p><p> Indiana, where Michele was a . "'PERSONAL TRAUMA local star f?r playing on the Lady. ~ORY: "r :was Bulldogs high school basketball ,. les on a mO~ .uL'<l":""'I, team. - _ ... ~ 'c'" Michele, from Michele is mum on plotlines, but Angeles. (A . . don't be surprised to see her hoop c'-• she likes ~~~;~~~~q~~~~~ skills featured on an upcoming location" episode.' " . yOu can:.:~~~m~~~ ,~i~i:J!i; t;y CHARACTER'S D~ . in her.u TRAIT: Independent and atrong-• "I.fell minded, though apparently flu .... · ;'.,' Iuld to more by-tb~k tblin~ pediatri- '-My cian she's replaced (Namely Doug ememency I'(lOJll ibe~~I8i: ·ahill,;;j";;' ,,,',1 Ross, whose motto was "Why bend a rule when you can break it?") SPORT OF CHOICE: You name it, but basketball and run ning remain favorite&.</p><p> CAREERlDGHIJ(m'n • Snagging a lead role OIl rnomicid~ :' Life on ~ Street ~.~ ~ ~~- . 80.0. - ,~ ... ' -~-- Michele had. " , a role' on her favori~ TV -fix yeepJ" ·'~~~:~:;Y~ili~~ 'ti.'l ~~~~ .~:.~ In "ER" was practically on life support last season, George Clooney split and old standbys were saddled with goofy and embarrassing storylines, But a quick injection of new characters and sharper stories have brought, , , BACK FROM THE DEAD CHARACTER: Dr.</p><p> Deb Chen AGE:Sl HOMETOWN: Macau, China CHARACTER'S DEFINING TRAIT: No-nonsense .</p><p> Dr, Chen butted heads with Carter during the first season, something he could use more of now that Benton is out of his sphere, SPORT OF CHOICE: Unknown .</p><p> CAREER lDGHLlGHT: Playing June in the hit movie "The Joy Luck Club"; fulfilling a childhood dream by voicing the title role in Disney's animated movie "Mulan," UPCOMING PROJECI': Another voice-over, this time on "Final Fantasy: The Movie." : PERSONAL TRAUMA 'STORY: Ming-Na was set for ... : ' only three episodes in the first season of "ER," but the writers kept extending her storyline.</p><p> She'd starred in "The Joy Luck Club" and offers were coming fast and furious, so Ming-Na jumped for something more per manent and ended up on "The Single Guy," a reviled NBC sit com.</p><p> Finally escaping after two years, Ming-Na landed a lead role in Mike Figgis' follow-up to the Oscar-winning "Leaving Las Vegas." She gave a very good performance , but the movie - "One Night Stand" -didn't last even that long in theaters, Now she's back on "ER," just in time to staunch the bleeding from lost'opportunities and wasted time, ", ' TVSundav ....</p><p> C~CT):~ Yet to CHARACTER: Dr.</p><p> Luka Kovac named. .: AGE: 27 AGEl 34 , ,_ " HOMETOWN: Sibenik, Croatia HOMETOWN: Boston,' ',' CHARACTER'S DEFINING TRAIT: Massachusetts ,where her, ., ..... "SAm,,;h'· Dreamboat looks and that accent. dad Joseph Tierney WBI' a .~. " '~~~:~~~~~~~~ f' SPORT OF CHOICE: Fencing. bigwig in local politics .. , •• : rI CAREER HIGHLIGHT In Croatia, it was CHARACTER'S DEFIN. an acclaimed performance of Hamlet at 21.</p><p> ING TRAIT: TBA. , ' . <He'll reprise it there next year after filming Tierney appElared bri4!PY. ~>;:date ends for the season.) during the .Thanksgiving ~" .. band For the rest of the world, it was his turn in episode whenGarol > ... er,.and the politically charged war film "Welcome to Hathaway gave birth to '" ly.got pI\J881'On4~te,, ~ Sarajevo" (1997). twins.</p><p> L<l?k (or,her to be" '. joked); ~",,' _ UPCOMING PROJECT: The film drama more busmesshke and • Getting caught in An "Committed," co-starring Heather Graham apparently frumpier than . even greater disaster when· of "Boogie Nights." her "NewsRadio' persllna. . they were both;east 'on a sit-• PERSONAL TRAUMA STORY: Visnjic SPORT OF CHOICE: com called ~he "Ralph ,,:' fought in tbe Serbo-Croatian war -re- Running, though her hus- Macchio Project" (they were upping for three months when his tour of bnnd -actor Billy both happily fued after six duty ended just as battle commenced.</p><p> But it Morrissette -gave her box-episodes); '" ~., wasn't a trauma, really.</p><p> Visnjic felt it was ing gloves for her birthday a • Or NBC's cav8.lier treat· his duty. few years ago. ment of "NewsRadio," a The only difficulty came for his brother; CAREER HIGHLIGHT: show that was moved • family members are discouraged from serv- Playing'Lisa Miller on around and kept ing at the same time, 50 Visnjic's signing on Nb.</p><p> BC's tr.~~'ll!1tr.,\Ihtw.i1!l F,~,o( "AA'}Pins _ana,.n~rM".n'I~ffil110;~JII:~~ ~.!.~:!>wtJlRr 9q!l.~~~ ut 8omeliow stTIrund "l~I1-f:ost,x!!J1r '.M' , .
