Casualty (TV series)

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Casualty

Network BBC One
Creator(s) Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin
Senior cast member(s) Derek Thompson, Ian Bleasdale
Running time 50 minutes
Premiere date 6 September 1986
Casualty Official Website
IMDb profile

Casualty is the longest running emergency medical drama series in the world[1], first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. It was devised by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. The programme is based around the fictional Holby City Hospital, situated in Holby, a fictional city bearing a close resemblance to Bristol where the show is filmed. Casualty is filmed 4 to 6 months in advance of broadcast. Bristol landmarks, including the docks and the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, are regularly glimpsed in the outdoor scenes. The exterior shots of the hospital were formerly filmed at the city's technical college, but are now shot on a small industrial estate, not far from the interior set of the hospital.

The drama is concerned with a group of doctors, nurses and administrators who work in the Accident & Emergency department. At the centre of the action is Nurse Manager Charlie Fairhead (played by Derek Thompson), a dedicated and caring man frequently at odds with the demands of hospital management. This has been a recurring theme over the years, but especially in the early series, which were frequently criticised for endorsing criticisms of National Health Service management under the Conservative government of the day.

The programme has traditionally been transmitted on Saturday nights, although for a period in the late 1980s it switched to Fridays. Since 2001, popularity of the show forced a switch from a traditional seasonal format to an almost year-round production and transmission. Casualty usually airs in the 8.00pm slot on BBC1, and more often than not starts at 8.10pm, 8.20pm, or 8.35pm. A spin-off show, Holby City, depicts life elsewhere in the same hospital. Due to the large number of episodes, some viewers have felt the storylines are becoming increasingly repetitive and predictable, although it remains one of the most watched television shows.

Filming for Casualty at a school in Yate near Bristol. The actress on the right is Susan Cookson (Maggie Coldwell in the series) who joined the cast on 29 January 2005. The four males are crew
Enlarge
Filming for Casualty at a school in Yate near Bristol. The actress on the right is Susan Cookson (Maggie Coldwell in the series) who joined the cast on 29 January 2005. The four males are crew
Susan Cookson (Maggie Coldwell) during filming
Enlarge
Susan Cookson (Maggie Coldwell) during filming

In December 2004, a 2-part special Casualty @ Holby City was broadcast, with the two shows combining to cope with a petrol tanker crashing into the Hospital. Most of the filming was done on Holby City's interior & exterior sets, as Casualty is filmed in Bristol whereas Holby City is shot at the BBC Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. A second special (with the same name, but shot in Bristol) was broadcast in August 2005 to promote organ donation; viewers were asked to choose between two patients waiting for a heart transplant.

To draw more viewers over Bank Holidays, Christmas etc, two-part specials are shown, where the first hour is the build-up to a major accident, such as a train crash, nuclear waste spill, lorry explosion or so on, which inevitably stretches the hospital to the limit and results in multiple deaths and injuries.

Contents

[edit] Cast

Main article: Casualty characters

[edit] Deaths

In recent years, the number of deaths has risen dramatically:

  • Series 2 - Sandra Mute, stabbed
  • Series 3 - Ewart Plimmer, heart attack
  • Series 6 - Kelly, suicide
  • Series 11 - Trevor, fell
  • Series 15 - Andrew, pushed; Tom, fell
  • Series 16 - Rachel, mugged; Patrick, motorway crash; Eddie, transplant op
  • Series 17 - Jeff, heart attack; Beth, car crash; Jack Vincent, boat explosion
  • Series 18 - Anna Paul, train crash; Baz Wilder, car crash; Simon Kaminski, plane crash
  • Series 19 - Fin Newton, murdered; Jim Brodie, hospital fire; Claire Guildford, drowned (suicide)
  • Series 20 - Paul "Woody" Joyner, chlorine poisoning

[edit] Episode list

[edit] Series one, 1986

  1. Gas
  2. Hide and Seek
  3. Night Runners
  4. Jump Start
  5. Blood Brothers
  6. High Noon
  7. Professionals
  8. Crazies
  9. Moonlight Becomes You
  10. Teeny Poppers
  11. Drunk
  12. Quiet
  13. No Future
  14. Survival
  15. Closure

[edit] Series two, 1987

  1. A Little Lobbying
  2. A Drop of the Hard Stuff
  3. Shades of Love
  4. Cry for Help
  5. Anaconda
  6. Lifelines
  7. The Raid
  8. Cross Fingers
  9. Seeking Heat
  10. Rock-a-Bye-Baby
  11. Hooked
  12. Fun Night
  13. Peace Brother
  14. Burning Cases
  15. These Things Happen

[edit] Series three, 1988

  1. Welcome to Casualty
  2. Desperate Odds
  3. Drake's Drum
  4. Absolution
  5. Burn Out
  6. A Quiet Night
  7. A Wing and a Prayer
  8. Living Memories
  9. Inferno
  10. Caring

[edit] Series four, 1989

  1. Chain Reaction
  2. Accidents Happen
  3. A Grand in the Hand
  4. Day Off
  5. Vital Spark
  6. Charity
  7. Victim of Circumstances
  8. Deluge
  9. Union
  10. Taking Stock
  11. Banking for Beginners
  12. Hanging On

[edit] Series five, 1990

  1. Penalty
  2. Results
  3. Close to Home
  4. Street Life
  5. Hiding Place
  6. Salvation
  7. Say it With Flowers
  8. Love's A Pain
  9. A Will to Die
  10. Big Boys Don't Cry
  11. Remembrance
  12. All's Fair
  13. A Reasonable Man

[edit] Series six, 1991

  1. Humpty Dumpty
  2. Judgement Day
  3. Dangerous Games
  4. Hide and Seek
  5. Joy Ride
  6. Something to Hide
  7. Beggars Can't Be Choosers
  8. Living in Hope
  9. Making the Break
  10. Sins of Omission
  11. The Last Word
  12. Pressure! What Pressure?
  13. Facing Up
  14. Allegiance
  15. Cascade

[edit] Series seven, 1992/1993

  1. Rates of Exchange
  2. Cry Wolf
  3. Body Politic
  4. Will You Still Love Me?
  5. Cherish
  6. Profit and Loss
  7. One Step Forward
  8. Body and Soul
  9. Tender Loving Care
  10. Money Talks
  11. Making Waves
  12. If It Isn't Hurting
  13. Act of Faith
  14. Point of Principle
  15. Silent Night
  16. The Ties That Bind
  17. Life in the Fast Lane
  18. Everybody Needs Somebody
  19. Getting Involved
  20. Dividing Loyalties
  21. Family Matters
  22. Child's Play
  23. No Cause for Concern
  24. Boiling Point

[edit] Series eight, 1993/1994

  1. Cat in Hell
  2. Riders on the Storm
  3. The Final Word
  4. No Place to Hide
  5. Sunday, Bloody Sunday
  6. Good Friends
  7. Kill or Cure
  8. Born Losers
  9. High Rollers
  10. Deceptions
  11. Give Us This Day
  12. Wild Card
  13. The Good Life
  14. Out to Lunch
  15. Comfort and Joy
  16. Family Ties
  17. United We Fall
  18. Tippers
  19. Value for Money
  20. Care in the Community
  21. Signed, Sealed, Delivered
  22. Relations
  23. Grand Rational
  24. Hidden Agendas

[edit] Series nine, 1994/1995

  1. Blood's Thicker
  2. First Impressions
  3. Keeping it in the Family
  4. Chasing the Dragon
  5. Love and Affection
  6. Negative Equity
  7. A Breed Apart
  8. In the Black
  9. Crossing the Line
  10. Only the Lonely
  11. The Facts of Life
  12. Under the Weather
  13. Talking Turkey
  14. End of the Road
  15. Learning Curve
  16. Stitching the Surface
  17. Heartbreak Hotel
  18. Trial and Tribulations
  19. Out of Time
  20. Branded
  21. Exiles
  22. Nobody's Perfect
  23. Not Waving but Drowning
  24. Duty of Care

[edit] Series ten, 1995/1996

  1. Family Values
  2. Money for Nothing
  3. Sacrifice
  4. Outside Bulwayo
  5. Halfway House
  6. Compensation
  7. Turning Point
  8. Battling On
  9. Hit and Run
  10. When All Else Fails
  11. Release
  12. Bringing it All Back Home
  13. All Is Fair
  14. Shame the Devil
  15. Lost Boys
  16. Castles in the Air
  17. We Shall Overcome
  18. Land of Hope
  19. For Your Own Good
  20. Asking for Miracles
  21. Subject to Contract
  22. Cheatin' Hearts
  23. The Way Lies Ruin
  24. Night Moves

[edit] Series eleven 1996/1997

  1. Chain Reactions
  2. Relative Values
  3. It ain't me babe
  4. Thicker than Water
  5. Waterwings
  6. Still Waters
  7. Nightfall
  8. Vital Signs
  9. Another day in Paradise
  10. Flesh and Blood
  11. Made in Britain
  12. Mother's little helper
  13. Trapped
  14. Do yo still believe in Fairies?
  15. The dying of the light
  16. The homecoming
  17. Hidden Depths
  18. Tall Tales
  19. Déjà Vu
  20. Treasure
  21. United... my blood
  22. Make Believe
  23. Monday, bloody Monday
  24. Perfect Blue

[edit] Series twelve 1997/1998

  1. Give my love to Esme
  2. Private Lives
  3. Nearest and Dearest
  4. What friends are for
  5. The things we do for Love
  6. Counting The Cost
  7. Always on my Mind
  8. Finder's Keepers
  9. Whatever it Takes
  10. A taste of Freedom
  11. Bad company
  12. Moving On
  13. Power of Persuasion
  14. Out of Control
  15. Love's Labour
  16. Facing Up
  17. The Golden Hour
  18. An Eye For An Eye
  19. Loco Parentis
  20. Degrees of Separation
  21. Secrets
  22. Love me Tender
  23. Taking Sides
  24. We Can Be Heroes
  25. Everlasting Love (1)
  26. Everlasting Love (2)

[edit] Series thirteen 1998/1999

  1. Internal Ferno (1)
  2. Internal Ferno (2)
  3. Honey Bunny
  4. The ties that Bind
  5. Toys and Boys
  6. Eye Spy
  7. A place of Safety
  8. She Loved The Rain
  9. Public Service
  10. It's good to talk
  11. Next of Kin
  12. Home Truths
  13. One from the Heart
  14. Trust
  15. No place like Home
  16. Making A Difference
  17. Miracle On Casualty
  18. New Year and all that
  19. Trapped
  20. White Lies, White Wedding
  21. Team Work
  22. Human Traffic
  23. Mother's Day
  24. Face Value
  25. Crazy Love
  26. The hardest Word
  27. Love Over Gold (1)
  28. Love Over Gold (2)

[edit] Series fourteen 1999/2000

  1. Calm Before The Storm (1)
  2. Calm Before The Storm (2)
  3. Truth or Dare
  4. Words and Deeds
  5. Crossroads
  6. Lost Souls
  7. Everybody Hurts
  8. Seeing the Light
  9. Off the Wall
  10. Benny And The Vets (1)
  11. Benny And The Vets (2)
  12. Sins of the mother
  13. Looking after Number One
  14. To have and to Hold\
  15. Freefall
  16. Just a Kiss
  17. Peace On Earth
  18. The Morning After
  19. Untouchable
  20. Fall out
  21. Full on
  22. Mirror Image
  23. Burned out Hearts
  24. Tough Love
  25. Not waving but Drowning
  26. Seize the night
  27. Life Support
  28. Blood Brothers
  29. Being There (1)
  30. Being There (2)

[edit] Series fifteen 2000/2001

  1. Phoenix
  2. Accidents Happen
  3. Getting to know you
  4. Too Tight
  5. Choked (1)
  6. Choked (2)
  7. Travelling Light
  8. Sympathy For The Devil
  9. No more Mr Nice Guy
  10. States of shock
  11. Marking Time
  12. Starting Over
  13. If You Go Down To The Wards Today...
  14. Coming Clean
  15. Chinese Whispers
  16. A Turn of the Scrooge
  17. Merry Christmas Dr Spiller
  18. Epiphany
  19. On the Edge
  20. Girl Power
  21. ear of Gold
  22. Better safe than sorry
  23. Something from the heart
  24. Big Mistake
  25. Ambulance Chaser
  26. Scent of the roses
  27. Breaking Point
  28. Lost and Found
  29. Kindness of Strangers
  30. Only You
  31. Allied Forces
  32. Heroes and Villains
  33. The Long road Home
  34. Mix and Match
  35. Breaking The Spell (1)
  36. Breaking The Spell (2)

[edit] Series sixteen 2001/2002

  1. Holding The Baby
  2. Dirty Laundry
  3. All's Fair
  4. Crash Course
  5. Bringing Up Baby
  6. White Lies
  7. Facing the Future
  8. For my next Trick
  9. Distant Elephants
  10. It's a family affair
  11. The morning after
  12. Best Intentions
  13. Someone to watch over Me
  14. Happily ever after
  15. Life And Soul
  16. Consequences
  17. Playing with Fire
  18. Checking in, Checking out
  19. Blowing The Whistle
  20. You're Going Home In The Back Of An Ambulance
  21. Only the lonely
  22. In the heat of The Night
  23. Acceptance
  24. Nobody's Perfect
  25. What becomes of the broken hearted
  26. Life Incognito
  27. You can't take them all home with you
  28. Past, Present, Future
  29. Memories
  30. Hearts and Minds
  31. Dominoes
  32. Waving not drowning
  33. Big Rocks And Very Hard Places
  34. Scapegoat
  35. Too Close
  36. The Sting
  37. Denial
  38. Taking it all back to The Streets
  39. Broken Hearts
  40. Code Red

[edit] Series seventeen 2002/2003

  1. Déjà Vu
  2. Protection
  3. Judgment Day
  4. Thicker Than Water
  5. What little girls are made of
  6. What's Love Got To Do With It?
  7. Ties That bind
  8. It's a Boy Thing
  9. Innocence
  10. Return Of the Native
  11. Up to your neck in It
  12. Gimme Shelter
  13. Blame
  14. Feuds and Feury
  15. Some Comfort, No Joy, and a bit too much Love
  16. Living for the Moment
  17. Helping Hands
  18. Collision Course
  19. Sins Of The Father
  20. Spiteful God
  21. Flight
  22. Love Hurts
  23. Hitting Home (1)
  24. Hitting Home (2)
  25. Dire Straits
  26. Fool For Love
  27. Keep It In The Family
  28. A Hard Day's Night
  29. Side Effects
  30. An Act Of God
  31. The Point Of No Return
  32. Stuck In the middle with You
  33. Getting Through
  34. Hurt the one you Love
  35. An Accident Waiting To Happen
  36. Out on a limb
  37. Baby Blues
  38. Last Man Standing
  39. Three In A bed
  40. A Special Day

[edit] Series eighteen 2003/2004

  1. End Of The Line (1)
  2. End Of The Line (2)
  3. Breathe Deeply
  4. Perks of the Job
  5. Flash In The Pan
  6. Against Protocol
  7. Can't Let Go
  8. Truth or Dare?
  9. In The Frame
  10. Black Dog Day
  11. Falling for a friend
  12. Second Best
  13. First Impressions
  14. Christmas Spirit
  15. Never Judge A Book
  16. Eat, Drink and be Merry
  17. I got it bad and Ain't that Good
  18. Ahead of the Game
  19. Where there's Life
  20. No Weddings and a Funeral
  21. Emotional Rescue (1)
  22. Emotional Rescue (2)
  23. Passions and Convictions
  24. Fallen Hero
  25. Taking Care
  26. What Parents Do
  27. Love and Loathing
  28. Finding Faith
  29. Parenthood
  30. Another Perfect Day
  31. I Love You, I Hate You
  32. Forget Me Not
  33. Lock Down
  34. Much Wants More
  35. Breaking Point
  36. Don't Go There
  37. World Gone Wrong (1)
  38. World Gone Wrong (2)
  39. The Good Father
  40. Dreams and Disappointments
  41. And The Bride Wore Red
  42. A Dangerous Initiative
  43. Inside Out
  44. Who Cares?
  45. Love, honour and Betray
  46. Ring Of Truth

[edit] Series nineteen 2004/2005

  1. The Ties That Bind Us (1)
  2. The Ties That Bind Us (2)
  3. Out With A Bang
  4. Love Labours...Lost
  5. Facing Up
  6. A Life Lost
  7. When the Devil Drives
  8. Three's a Crowd
  9. Little White Lies
  10. Dangerous Games
  11. Horses For Courses
  12. Past Imperfect
  13. Responsibility
  14. Love Bites
  15. Who Knows Best?
  16. Forsaking all others
  17. Casualty @ Holby City (1 of 2, second episode under Holby City)
  18. Secrets We Keep
  19. Fathers, Mothers, Daughters, Brothers
  20. First do no Harm
  21. Thrown Out
  22. The Cost of Honesty
  23. Truth Will Out
  24. Hoping, Wishing, Longing
  25. Naming Names
  26. Boys Don't Cry
  27. Family Day
  28. Animals
  29. Forbidden Love
  30. And on that farm
  31. Running out of Kisses
  32. In the Dark
  33. Cops and Robbers
  34. Sweet Revenge
  35. Desperate Measures
  36. A Question of Loyalty
  37. Fat Chance
  38. Truth and Consequences
  39. Baby Love
  40. Swallowers
  41. The long Goodbye
  42. A Father's Love
  43. There are worse things I could Do
  44. Brief Encounters
  45. Aftermath
  46. You need friends
  47. Smoke and Mirrors
  48. Truth, Lies and Videotape

Special Episode - Something We Can Do (interactive episode about organ donation)

[edit] Series twenty 2005/2006

  1. Holding On (1)
  2. Holding On (2)
  3. Deep Water
  4. That's Amore
  5. Paper Moon
  6. Sticks and Stones
  7. All's Fair in love and War
  8. For Better for Worse
  9. 9a Teacher's Pet (1)
    9b Crash and Burn (2) (the other 2 episodes are under Holby City)
  10. Bing Bang Theory
  11. Love and duty
  12. Anti-social Behaviour
  13. Getting Involved
  14. Skin Deep
  15. Enough's Enough
  16. Do they know it's Christmas?
  17. Casualty @ Holby City - Deny Thy Father (1)
  18. Out of your Depth
  19. Poisoned Love
  20. Crossing the line
  21. The Things We Do For Love
  22. It's a man Thing
  23. Trust in me
  24. Out of the Past
  25. The lost Boys
  26. World's Apart
  27. Nobody's Perfect
  28. Heroes And Villains
  29. Family Matters
  30. Walk before you run
  31. Going Under
  32. Blind Spots
  33. First Impressions
  34. Lost and Found
  35. No way Back
  36. A Problem Halved
  37. Secrets and Lies
  38. Target Man
  39. All at Sea
  40. Abide With Me
  41. Silent Ties
  42. Needle
  43. Perfect Day
  44. Happy Hour
  45. The truth game
  46. Last Orders
  47. Get what you Deserve

[edit] Series twenty-one 2006/2007

  1. Different Worlds (1)
  2. Different Worlds (2)
  3. Waste Of Space
  4. Sons and Lovers
  5. Angels and Demons
  6. What you See is What you Get
  7. Born To Be Wild
  8. To be a Parent
  9. It's Now or Never

[edit] DVD release

Casualty Series 1 DVD release
Enlarge
Casualty Series 1 DVD release

Casualty was released on DVD (Region 2, UK) by 2 Entertain/Cinema Club. The first series was released on 10 April 2006, and the second on 10 July. Series three was released on 11 September. BBC have confirmed that the first ten series will be released but dates are to be confirmed

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Citations

  1. ^ Longest Running Emergency Medical Drama (Flash). Official Website.
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