A US appeals court has ruled that The Pitt is similar enough to ER to allow a long-running lawsuit by the widow of ER creator Michael Crichton to proceed, The Guardian reported. According to that outlet, the court found "clear and numerous similarities" between the two medical dramas.

The Guardian said the ruling came in a unanimous opinion filed on Wednesday by a three-judge panel, which denied an appeal. The summary of that report does not say who brought the appeal or what it sought, so those details cannot be confirmed from the report. The same report said the lawsuit, brought by Sherri, the widow of Michael Crichton, will go to a jury trial in 2027.

Separately, BBC News reported that a judge had ruled the lawsuit could proceed. Its summary said the widow argues that The Pitt is effectively a reboot of the 1990s series. That summary describes the widow's argument rather than a finding by the court, and it does not name the court or the judge.

The two reports differ on who issued the ruling. The Guardian attributed it to an appeals court, while the BBC headline attributed it to a judge. Neither report, as summarized here, gives a city for the court or names the judge, so the exact identity of the body that acted remains unclear from these sources.

Sources: The Guardian: The Pitt and ER are similar enough for Michael Crichton’s widow’s lawsuit to proceed, court rules; BBC News: The Pitt and ER are similar enough for lawsuit to proceed, judge rules.