. . . twelve killed-off characters

Nothing says Christmas like the mention of a dozen (or so) characters that met their maker this past year. Here they are, in no particular order.

• Ellen Tigh, Battlestar Galactica -- Ellen meant well, of course . . . sleeping with one of the Cylons occupying New Caprica to ensure the safety of her husband Saul. But, she went too far to keep her husband safe and paid for it with her life. To make it even worse, Saul was the one who killed her by having her drink a beverage filled with poison.

Hi again. No new ER this week due to America's national pastime (the World Series, for the confused). So, I thought I'd take my usual Thursday night spot to pose a question to all fans of the show, past and present. Who do you miss from County General? There have been plenty of doctors and nurses who have come and gone through the doors of the emergency room. Some of them we were glad to see go, and we wish others would return for at least a guest appearance.

While I wait for your comments on the subject, here are the five ER cast members I miss.

John Carter (Noah Wyle) -- All right, I admit it, I had a "man crush" on Dr. Carter. In the very beginning of the series run I always felt the show was a bit empty when he wasn't around. Carter was the face of how things changed in the emergency room. Plus, he was one of those characters that we could root for, especially with events such as his stabbing and drug addiction and his rocky relationship with Abby. I wouldn't mind at all if he returned to ER for a few episodes this season.

Good lord, the producers of ER love to kill off their doctors so they won't come back again in highly paid guest-star roles! First, it was Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) who died after being stabbed by a patient (David Krumholtz of Numb3rs). Next it was Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) who died of a brain tumor. Then Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) got his ticket punched after a helicopter fell on him (this is after a helicopter blade cut off his arm in an earlier episode).

Now, they have knocked off Doctor Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins). In Thursday's episode, Gallant (who appeared as a regular from 2001-2004) died after his convoy truck struck a roadside bomb. Gallant, who left the confines of County General to go to Iraq as an Army doctor, had a recurring role this season as he returned home, married Dr. Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra of Bend it Like Beckham) then decided to return to Iraq once again.

And now, as the season comes to an end next Thursday, there may be more death and destruction for the emergency room staff, as two prisoners start shooting up the hospital and the people, taking hostages in the meantime.

Gosh, I miss the good old days when Doctor Ross (George Clooney) would flirt with Nurse Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) or Doctor Carter (Noah Wyle) would bow under Doctor Benton's (Eriq La Salle) stare. Maybe we can have an episode where Dr. Greene returns from the dead and slaps some sense into all of them.