All season long, since moving into new headquarters on the Warner Bros. lot, Ellen DeGeneres has had one goal in mind: get George Clooney on the show. She even enlisted the aid of Brad Pitt – which didn't help much.

Finally, with her New Year's motto "George is Mine in '09," the talk-show host got what she was after, with Clooney's appearance set to air Monday.

"Have people been informing you every step of the way of what we've done [to get you here]?" the ever-demure DeGeneres asks Clooney.

"Informing me is not really what I would call what my office has been doing. Ah, complaining," he replies. "They were a little concerned when that marching band came in. … The trombone player hurt someone, as always."

Apparently what did do the trick in leading Clooney to the studio door was DeGeneres's decision to follow the advice of the leading man's former ER costar Noah Wyle – who advised her to also invite former Cincinnati Reds, Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan, on the show.

Though that, possibly, wasn't the only reason.

Says Clooney: "People do come up to me all the time and say, 'What's wrong with you, man? Why don't you go on Ellen's show?' [And] I say I haven't been in town, which I haven't been in town for a long time. I haven't really …"

He then dissolves into laughter.

Return to County General?
Besides doing The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Clooney may do a parting shot as Dr. Doug Ross during the 15th and final season of ER, according to the show's executive producer John Wells.

Speaking to reporters Thursday at a Television Critics Association panel, Wells said, "George is very busy [but] we've talked about it a couple times."

Reps for Clooney have not confirmed the appearance.