MUMBAI: In a bid to revive interest in its hospital drama ER , NBC has announced that an episode in November will be shot in real time. This stunt was first adopted by Fox's 24.

Actor Ray Liotta who became big in 1990 playing the lead in Martin Scorcese' s Goodfellas has a guest role. The episode will follow every moment of Liotta's hospital visit.

An AP report adds that he plays an alcoholic ex-con with cirrhosis of liver and a bunch of other problems. In India, ER airs on Zee English.

The show's co-producer David Zable was quoted in The Herald Sun saying, "We also have never tracked one patient the whole time through the show. We really had to mine each moment for drama."

Meanwhile the shows new season premieres in the US on 23 September. Another report in The Hollywood Reporter quoted Zabel who wrote the script saying that the Ray Liotta episode will consist of 44 consecutive minutes of his treatment and his interactions with the staff.

Casting continues to shift on ER with Alex Kingston leaving her role as Dr. Corday and Shane Alexander and Madchen Amick joining the cast.