Holby City

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Holby City

Network BBC One
Creator(s) Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin
Senior cast member(s) Andrew Lewis, Tina Hobley, Hugh Quarshie
Running time Series 1 = 50 minutes, Series 2 onwards = 60 minutes
Premiere date 12 January 1999
Holby City Official Website
IMDb profile

Holby City is a medical drama television serial broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom.

Contents

[edit] The programme

Holby City began on 12 January 1999 as a spin-off from Casualty and is named after the fictional Holby City Hospital in which it is set. The show follows the lives and careers of staff and patients at the hospital and deals with a range of clinical and ethical issues. The regular characters are all staff, and patients are played by guest actors (which have included some famous names such as Eric Sykes, Phill Jupitus, Michael Jayston, Michele Dotrice and Ronni Ancona). The show was originally commissioned as a series to be shown as part of the BBC's winter schedules, however as of the start of Season 4 (9 October 2001) the program is broadcast all year round on Tuesdays at 8.00pm on BBC1.

In the early seasons of Holby City (mainly seasons 1 - 3) regular appearances were made from characters from sister-show Casualty and vice versa, however due to a huge growth in cast and busy filming schedules due to 52 episodes a year, the two shows tend to stay separate. Characters from both Holby City and Casualty however do meet when special Casualty@Holby City episodes are made.

Holby City is made at BBC Elstree and filming of the show takes place between 3 to 5 months in advance of broadcast. Using this as an example, an episode shown on TV at Christmas would have been filmed somewhere between July and September. Each single 1-hour episode takes two weeks to film - the cast film two episodes at the same time. The cast and crew of the show often work 12-hour days when filming. It may also be of interest to note that the Holby City building can often be seen in episodes of EastEnders in the distance.

In spring 2006, the BBC announced that a spin-off drama from the show, to be named 'Holby Blue' was in early stages of production. This upcoming series focuses on the Police service within the city of Holby. As an update, filming of Holby Blue commenced in September 2006, with completion of the 12-part series expected in late January. If the initial first series achieves good ratings for the BBC it is expected that the show will be recommissioned as a serial to be broadcast all year round, like its parents Holby City and Casualty.

On Saturday 4 November 2006 the actors who play Elliot Hope, Diane Lloyd, Matt Parker, Maddy Young, Mark Williams, Reg Lund, Kyla Tyson, Daniel Clifford, Maria Kendall and Dean West filmed a comedy version of Madonna's "Hung Up" song. This was broadcast on Friday 17 November 2006 as Holby City's contribution to the BBC Children in Need appeal. Characters Maddy Young, Daniel Clifford and Maria Kendall had not arrived on the actual show itself yet. Maria and Daniel appeared from 28 November 2006 and Maddy Young appears from next year.

[edit] Series information

Series Start End Episodes Major Storylines
1 Jan 1999 Mar 1999 09x50 minutes Jasmine is stabbed, Julie accidentally spreads MRSA on the ward, Victoria takes speed
2 Nov 1999 Mar 2000 16x60 minutes Mike damages his leg, Tash finds a lump, Ray starts seeing Damian, Nick is on negligence charges
3 Oct 2000 Jun 2001 30x60 minutes Victoria is murdered, Julie leaves, Jasmine leaves, Meyer worries he has MND
4 Oct 2001 Oct 2002 52x60 minutes Meyer is shot, Liam falls from balcony, Meyer leaves
5 Oct 2002 Oct 2003 52x60 minutes Chrissie loses her baby
6 Oct 2003 Oct 2004 52X60 minutes Kath is stabbed, Kelly murders patients on Darwin and Keller
7 Oct 2004 Oct 2005 52x60 minutes Will dies, Chrissie has affair with Michael, Jess and Zubin lose their baby
8 Oct 2005 Oct 2006 52x60 minutes Matt is stabbed, Nick returns, Joseph has OCD, Gina has MND and commits suicide, Connie pregnant by Sam
9 (Current) Oct 2006 Oct 2007 52x60 minutes Jess returns, Diane returns, Tricia dies after car crash

[edit] Casualty@Holby City

Reflecting Holby City's origins as a spin-off from Casualty and the closely-related premises of the two programmes, the BBC has screened occasional crossover mini-dramas entitled Casualty@Holby City and featuring a number of characters from each of the two casts. There have been four stories involving both casts:

  • December 2004 - A Christmas special featuring a fuel tanker lorry crashing into the Accident & Emergency department of Holby City Hospital. Casualty character Jim Brodie died rescuing his colleagues from the burning hospital building.
  • August 2005 - As part of the BBC's DoNation season, raising the profile of organ donation issues, an interactive mini-series was screened and viewers voted for one of two patients to receive an organ donation in the show. The plot was designed to raise awareness of the scarcity of organs and encourage viewers to consider joining the NHS Donor Register.
  • October 2005 - A week-long Hallowe'en crossover focusing on issues around youth violence, featuring an ambulance hijack and an assault on character Comfort Newton by pupils at a failing secondary school.
  • December 2005 - A further crossover was screened during the BBC's 2005 Christmas programming, which saw the return of popular former character Mr Nick Jordan (played by Michael French), and a group of staff involved in a road collision.

The BBC have not announced any further plans for crossover episodes.

[edit] Wards

[edit] Current wards

  • Darwin - The hospital's cardiac ward. Currently the longest-featured ward in the show, patients with breathing, heart, lung, and other cardiac related problems are admitted to this ward. Featured since the start of the show.
  • Keller - Holby's General Surgery ward, for patients needing liver transplants, appendix removals, people with body cancers and other general surgery problems. This ward has been featured since series 2.
  • The Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) - for patients admitted via their GP or from the Emergency Department where they will undergo further tests and stabilisation before they are transferred to the relevant ward or discharged. Featured since late series 4.

[edit] Former wards

  • Otter Ward - The hospital's children's ward. This ward was featured from series 3 to series 4 of the show.
  • Maternity - Holby's baby delivery and baby care unit. This ward was featured from series 4, however in series 7 the show's bosses decided to axe it due to repetitive storylines.

[edit] Recurring wards and other areas

Wards in the hospital that only appear a small number of times

  • ED - The Emergency Department from sister-show Casualty is sometimes featured in Holby City. As of 2006, this has only happened around 5 or 6 times since the show's birth in 1999
  • Laboratories - The hospital labs are sometimes seen when character Reg Lund is working there.

[edit] Staff casualties

  • Nick Jordan - Beaten up in lift and gashed wrist
  • Jasmine Hopkins - Stabbed in heart and miscarried
  • Anton Meyer - Suspected Motor-Neurone disease and shot
  • Victoria Merrick - Stabbed in the heart, murdered
  • Mike Barratt - Broken leg and damaged muscle
  • Alex Adams - Suspected Parkinson's disease and beaten up
  • Chrissie Williams - Stillbirth
  • Kath Shaughnessy - Stabbed in the abdomen
  • Ben Saunders - Car crash, died
  • Steve Waring - Car crash, died
  • Alistair Taylor - Fire in the ED, died
  • Liam Evans - Crippled after falling over balcony
  • Rosie Sattar - Stabbed in the ED fire and miscarried
  • Will Curtis - Scaffolding through chest, died
  • Matt Parker - Stabbed on AAU
  • Joseph Byrne - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Fentanyl overdose
  • Tricia Williams - recurring liver cancer, died after car crash

[edit] Cast

[edit] Current cast

The following characters appear regularly in the programme as of November 9, 2006[1]

Note that departing or returning characters are not listed here, and can be found in the relevant section further in this article. They are ordered by arrival date.

portrayed by Andrew Lewis, from 3x03 (2000-)

portrayed by Tina Hobley, from 3x30 (2001-)

portrayed by Verona Joseph, from 4x15 (2002-)

portrayed by Jaye Jacobs, from 6x24 (2004-)

  • Connie Beauchamp, Clincal Lead; Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon (prev. Medical Director), Darwin

portrayed by Amanda Mealing, from 6x35 (2004-)

portrayed by Robert Powell, from 7x18 (2005-)

portrayed by Paul Henshall, from 7x29 (2005-)

portrayed by Adam Best, from 7x29 (2005-)

  • Lola Griffin, Consultant Critical Care Physician, AAU

portrayed by Sharon D Clarke, from 7x34 (2005-)

portrayed by Adrian Edmondson,7x38; 7x48; 8x09; from 8x33 to 8x34; from 8x46 (2005, 2006-)

portrayed by Paul Bradley, from 8x04 (2005-)

portrayed by Rosie Marcel, from 8x06 (2005-)

portrayed by Tom Chambers, from 8x12 (2006-)

portrayed by Luke Roberts, from 8x12 (2006-)

portrayed by Rakie Ayola, from 8x17 (2006-)

portrayed by Peter Wingfield, from 9x06 (2006-)

portrayed by Phoebe Thomas from 9x06 (2006-)

[edit] Impending cast changes

Spoiler warning: Unconfirmed details about future cast follow. Note that departing/returning cast are listed here and NOT in current cast.

[edit] Departing

portrayed by Patricia Potter, from 4x39 to 8x37; from 9x01 to 9x36 (2002-2007)

[edit] Joining

portrayed by Patsy Kensit from 9x?? (2006-) (Delayed - Expected January 2007)

portrayed by Nadine Lewington from 9x11 (2007-)

[edit] Returning

There are no returning characters to the show.

[edit] Upcoming guest-stars

There are no upcoming guest-appearances that are known of at the moment.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Original cast

The following characters starred in the first series, which began on January 12, 1999.[2]They are listed by arrival date.

portrayed by George Irving, from 1x01 to 4x46 (1999-2002)

portrayed by Michael French, from 1x01 to 2x14, from 8x19 to 8x37 (1999-2000, 2005-2006)

portrayed by Dawn McDaniel, from 1x01 to 3x06 (1999-2000)

portrayed by Phyllis Logan, from 1x01 to 1x09 (1999)

portrayed by Angela Griffin, from 1x01 to 3x30 (1999-2001)

portrayed by Nicola Stephenson, from 1x01 to 3x29 (1999-2001)

portrayed by Ian Curtis, from 1x01 to 2x16 (1999-2000)

portrayed by Julie Saunders, from 1x01 to 1x06 (1999)

  • Paul Ripley, Ward Clerk, Darwin

portrayed by Luke Mably, from 1x01 to 1x03 (1999)

portrayed by Lisa Faulkner, from 1x02 to 3x26 (1999-2001)

portrayed by Sarah Preston, from 1x03 to 2x16 (1999-2000)

[edit] Former cast

The following characters formerly appeared on the show regularly.[3] They are ordered in departure date.

Not included on this list: original cast, current cast, returning cast

portrayed by Clive Mantle, from 2x05 to 3x30 (1999-2001)

portrayed by Adrian Lewis Morgan, from 3x15 to 4x35 (2001-2002)

portrayed by Thusitha Jayasundera, from 2x05 to 4x37 (1999-2002)

portrayed by Anna Mountford, from 3x02 to 4x41 (2000-2002)

portrayed by Siobhan Redmond, from 3x02 to 4x44 (2000-2002)

  • Sam Kennedy, SHO, Darwin

portrayed by Collette Brown, from 3x19 to 4x44 (2001-2002)

portrayed by Peter de Jersey, from 3x01 to 5x31 (2000-2003)

portrayed by Jeremy Edwards, from 2x01 to 5x32 (1999-2003)

portrayed by David Paisley, from 4x17 to 5x29 (2002-2003)

portrayed by Jeremy Sheffield, from 3x01 to 4x45; from 5x20 to 5x45 (2000-2002, 2003)

portrayed by Laura Sadler, from 3x01 to 5x48 (2000-2003)

portrayed by Paul Shane, from 3x11 to 4x20; 6x02 (2001-2002, 2003)

portrayed by Liam Garrigan, from 5x36 to 6x13 (2003)

portrayed by Rachel Leskovac, from 5x39 to 6x17 (2003-2004)

portrayed by Jan Pearson, from 2x05 to 6x26 (1999-2004)

portrayed by Denis Lawson, from 4x45 to 5x43 from 6x09 to 6x33 (2002-2004)

portrayed by Rocky Marshall, from 4x45 to 6x33 (2002-2004)

portrayed by Dominic Jephcott, 3x15; from 4x01 to 4x44; 6x01; 7x11 (2001-2002, 2003, 2004)

portrayed by Kim Vithana, from 5x32 to 7x13 (2003-2005)

portrayed by Noah Huntley, from 6x29 to 7x25 (2004-2005)

portrayed by David Bedella, from 6x42 to 7x07; 7x34 (2004, 2005)

  • Sean Thompson, SHO, AAU

portrayed by Chinna Wodu, from 7x06 to 7x43 (2004-2005)

portrayed by Luisa Bradshaw-White, from 4x13 to 7x48 (2001-2005)

portrayed by Art Malik, from 5x37 to 7x51 (2003-2005)

portrayed by Ian Aspinall, from 4x08 to 7x52 (2001-2005)

portrayed by Mark Moraghan, from 4x03 to 8x10 (2001-2005)

portrayed by Ben Richards, from 8x23 to 8x37 (2006)

portrayed by Anthony Calf, from 7x27 to 7x52, 8x41 (2005, 2006)

portrayed by Kelly Adams, from 6x24 to 8x47 (2004-2006)

  • Bradley Hume, Assistant General Manager

portrayed by Scott Adkins, from 8x32 to 8x52 (2006-)

portrayed by Hugh Quarshie, from 4x01 to 9x04 (2001-2006)

  • Tricia Williams, Staff Nurse, Darwin (prev. Shop Assistant)

portrayed by Sharon Maughan, from 5x27 to 9x06 (2003-2006)

[edit] Episode list

The following is a list of episodes up to the end of series 3. From the start of series 4 Holby City became an all-year-round soap.

[edit] Season one, 1999

  1. Whose Heart Is It Anyway? (Pilot Episode) (12 Jan 99)
  2. Happy Families (19 Jan 99)
  3. Kill Or Cure (26 Jan 99)
  4. Love and Death (2 Feb 99)
  5. Never Judge a Book (9 Feb 99)
  6. Brave Heart (16 Feb 99)
  7. Take me With You (23 Feb 99)
  8. Staying Alive (Part 1) (2 Mar 99)
  9. Staying Alive (Part 2) (9 Mar 99)

[edit] Season two, 1999 to 2000

  1. Search for the Hero (25 Nov 99)
  2. Puppy Love (2 Dec 99)
  3. Destination Unknown (9 Dec 99)
  4. You Can Choose Your Friends (16 Dec 99)
  5. Knife Edge (23 Dec 99)
  6. Tidings of Comfort and Joy (30 Dec 99)
  7. Chasing the Dragon (7 Jan 00)
  8. A Marriage of Convenience (13 Jan 00)
  9. A Life Worth Saving (20 Jan 00)
  10. Staying Out (27 Jan 00)
  11. Trust (3 Feb 00)
  12. Faith (10 Feb 00)
  13. Letting Go (17 Feb 00)
  14. Dispossessed (24 Feb 00)
  15. Taking it on the Chin (2 Mar 00)
  16. Into the Woods (9 Mar 00)

[edit] Season three, 2000 to 2001

  1. The Deep End (5 Oct 00)
  2. Too Much Too Young (12 Oct 00)
  3. The Right Thing (19 Oct 00)
  4. First Impressions (9 Nov 00)
  5. Against All Odds (16 Nov 00)
  6. Moving On (23 Nov 00)
  7. The Trouble with the Truth (30 Nov 00)
  8. A Christmas Carol (Part 1) (14 Dec 00)
  9. A Christmas Carol (Part 2) (21 Dec 00)
  10. Anyone Who Had a Heart (28 Dec 00)
  11. Extra Time (16 Jan 01)
  12. Runaway (23 Jan 01)
  13. Choices (30 Jan 01)
  14. Night Shift (6 Feb 01)
  15. Winner Takes All (13 Feb 01)
  16. Silent Witness (20 Feb 01)
  17. Tip of the Iceberg (27 Feb 01)
  18. Borrowed Time (6 Mar 01)
  19. Private Lives, Public Faces (20 Mar 01)
  20. Family Ties (27 Mar 01)
  21. Snakes and Ladders (3 Apr 01)
  22. A Change is Gonna Come (10 Apr 01)
  23. Going Gently (17 Apr 01)
  24. Release (24 Apr 01)
  25. I'm not in Love (1 May 01)
  26. Getting Even (8 May 01)
  27. The Mourning After (15 May 01)
  28. New Beginnings (22 May 01)
  29. Hearts and Flowers (29 May 01)
  30. The Road Less Travelled (5 Jun 01)

[edit] External links

[edit] Citations

  1. ^ Present Characters (PHP). holby.tv Database.
  2. ^ Holby City, Series 1 (PHP). holby.tv Database.
  3. ^ Past Characters (PHP). holby.tv Database.

[edit] See also

Minor characters in Holby City

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