1. The name of the character was inspired by The Peter Bent Brigham Hospital which was a teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School, where series originator Michael Crichton studied medicine, although the birth name of Crichton's wife at the time, Anne-Marie Martin, was Benton.
Peter Benton was unhappy that Benton's interracial romance with Corday was being shown as less problematic than his prior romances with black characters, such as Jeanie Boulet and Carla Reese.
Peter Benton was first introduced in the pilot as a second-year surgical resident.
In Season 1, we learn that Dr Benton's mother has had a stroke and is mostly being cared for by his sister Jackie, who wants to move her into an assisted living facility, an option to which Peter is strongly opposed.
One night when Peter Benton is watching his mother in Jackie's home, she falls down the stairs and breaks her hip.
Peter Benton meets Jeanie Boulet, a married Physician Assistant, at the hospital.
Peter Benton's mother dies, devastating him, and when Jeanie comforts him, they end up having an affair.
In Season 3, Peter Benton becomes involved with a former girlfriend, Carla Reese, who soon becomes pregnant.
Peter Benton gives birth to a son, Reese Benton, who is born prematurely.
Peter Benton takes a DNA test to determine whether or not Carla's suspicions are true, but he chooses not to receive the results and decides he will be Reese's father regardless of biology.
Peter Benton takes Reese into his full custody, but when Roger continues to appeal for time with his stepson, Peter Benton insists that Roger move on with his life and stay away.
Peter Benton later goes to his supervisor, Dr Robert Romano, and asks for such a schedule, but Romano cannot offer only daytime hours.
Peter Benton is successful and gets the hours he had promised the judge, and he is awarded sole custody of Reese with Roger receiving visitation rights.
Peter Benton does tell Roger he is doing this not for Roger's sake but for Reese and both men tacitly acknowledge Peter has won.
Peter Benton shoves him out of the way to take over the operation, with Elizabeth walking in too late to see Morgenstern's mistake but witnessing Peter Benton's actions toward Morgenstern.
Peter Benton is suspended and comes close to losing his job before Morgenstern finally comes forward with the videotape of the operation, which exonerates his former student.
Morgenstern then resigns from the hospital, and a distraught Peter Benton begins an affair with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth feels betrayed by Peter Benton and, wishing to stay at County, takes Romano's cardiothoracic fellowship offer.
In Season 6, Peter Benton began dating Dr Cleo Finch, an ER pediatrician.
Peter Benton is assigned to Benton, who proceeds to give Carter a hard time.
Peter Benton is more ambitious and focused on surgery whereas Carter is more compassionate and willing to spend time with patients, a trait that "drove [Peter Benton] crazy" as he put it to Cleo, although he considered Carter to be a talented and smart doctor.
In Season 3, Peter Benton develops appendicitis and Carter operates on him.
In Season 6, Peter Benton was visibly concerned about Carter after he was stabbed by a schizophrenic patient and eventually operates on him along with Dr Anspaugh.
In Season 8, before Dr Peter Benton departs County General, his final farewell is to Carter.
Carter was left exhausted and distraught after a shift where the ER had handled a mass casualty, and when he admitted the night had devastated him and Peter Benton simply gave him the token and said that if he was serious about being a good doctor, he would use it to come back to work the next day.
Peter Benton supervises the operation at the hospital where he works and makes sure that his old friend and colleague get the best medical support.
Dr Romano eventually offers Peter Benton an attending trauma surgeon position, but when a Medicare patient needs surgery that Romano refuses to allow to be performed, Peter Benton calls social services and informs them of the refusal of care.
Romano intercepts the patient as social services arrive and performs the surgery, but he is enraged at Peter Benton for calling them.
Peter Benton is then forced to go to Romano and accept the per diem position.
Peter Benton appears in a photo as part of a slideshow at Dr Carter's farewell party, and Peter Benton is heard in a voiceover memory as Carter leaves the ER for the last time in the 11th-season finale.
Peter Benton is seen wearing a wedding ring, so it is assumed he has married Cleo Finch who Benton states is at home watching Reese.
Peter Benton decides to observe Carter's transplant and Peter Benton's insistence on being thorough, which annoys the surgeon, allows a complication to be resolved and the surgery to be a success.
Peter Benton goes to the afterparty with Carter, Susan Lewis, and Kerry Weaver and meets Elizabeth Corday and Rachel Greene.