A showrunner is an established writer and the top-level executive producer of a television series production, who outranks other creative personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over the production, and the executive producer's role is limited to investing. The role of showrunner is not present on all television series, especially outside the US; this article describes the nature of the role where it is present.
Kingdom Hospital is a thirteen-episode television series based on Lars von Trier's The Kingdom, developed by horror writer Stephen King in 2004 for American television. While initially conceived as a miniseries, it was later changed into a regular television series. It was first aired on ABC on March 3 and concluded on July 15, 2004 after being put on hold during NBA playoffs.
Medical slang is the use of acronyms and informal terminology to describe patients, other healthcare personnel and medical concepts. Some terms are pejorative. In English, medical slang has entered popular culture via television hospital and forensic science dramas such as ER, House M.D., NCIS, Scrubs, and Grey's Anatomy, and through fiction, in books such as The House of God by Samuel Shem, Bodies by Jed Mercurio, and A Case of Need by Jeffery Hudson
Neve McIntosh is a Scottish actress.
Ashley Jensen is a Scottish actress and narrator. She is best known for her role as Maggie Jacobs in Extras (2005–2007), in which she was nominated for an Emmy, Christina McKinney in Ugly Betty (2006–2010), Agatha Raisin in Agatha Raisin (2014–present) and DI Ruth Calder in Shetland (2023–present).
Patrick Bashir Baladi is an English actor. He is best known for playing Neil Godwin in the BBC sitcom The Office, Michael Jackson in the Sky 1 drama Stella and Stephen Holmes in the ITV thriller Marcella.
Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. is an English actor and musician. His television and film credits include The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1997), The Match (1999), Hotel (2001), The Last Minute (2001), Bodies (2004-2006), The Last Enemy (2008), Survivors (2008–2010), Mad Dogs (2011-2013), Suits (2013), Empire (2015-2016), Ordinary Lies (2015), Jamestown (2017-2019), The Outsider (2020), Operation Fortune (2022), The Midwich Cuckoos (2022), and most recently Hijack (2023) for Apple TV.
Cardiac Arrest is a British medical drama series produced by World Productions for BBC One. It aired from April 1994 to June 1996. The show focused on the lives and challenges of junior doctors working in a hospital setting and was known for its realistic and sometimes dark portrayal of the medical profession. The series was controversial owing to its cynical depiction of doctors, nurses and the National Health Service (NHS), although it has often topped polls of the UK medical profession as the best medical drama of all time.
Gerald Gary "Jed" Mercurio is a British television writer, producer, director and novelist. A former hospital doctor and Royal Air Force officer, Mercurio has been ranked among UK television's leading writers. In 2017, Mercurio was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Television Society and the Baird Medal by RTS Midlands.
Jonathan Dow is a British actor and voiceover artist. He joined the National Youth Theatre at the age of 14, and after finishing his A levels he trained at the Guildhall Drama School. His first big television role was as Under Secretary Tim in No Job for a Lady with Penelope Keith.
Psychos is a six-part British television drama series, first broadcast on 6 May 1999, that aired on Channel 4. The series focuses upon a manic-depressive psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel Nash, and the hospital in Glasgow where he works. The series was written by David Wolstencroft and directed by John McKay and Andy Wilson. Douglas Henshall starred as Dr. Daniel Nash, with Neve McIntosh, Alastair Mackenzie and Indira Varma also appearing in lead roles. The series was nominated for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series, and its writer, Wolstencroft, won the RTS best newcomer award for off-screen talent.
In the Club is a British drama television series that was first broadcast on BBC One on 5 August 2014. The series follows six couples who attended a local Parent Craft class during their pregnancy. The series was written and created by Kay Mellor. A second series was commissioned in 2014 and broadcast in the UK from 3 May to 7 June 2016.
Critical, styled with a time-clock format as CR:IT:IC:AL, is a British medical drama series that aired on Sky 1 from 24 February to 19 May 2015. The series is set in a fictional major trauma centre (MTC), City General Hospital, which treats critically ill patients. Each episode is based on one patient and efforts to save his or her life within one hour. Created by Jed Mercurio, the drama follows the team of medical professionals whilst they make life-changing decisions. The title refers to critical condition, the most serious medical state, as well as the decisions and actions of the staff; everything done within the first hour is absolutely vital and could determine whether a patient lives or dies. The show was axed on 15 July 2015 after the series pulled in an average of 192,000 viewers.
Bodyguard is a British political thriller television series created and written by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions as part of ITV Studios for the BBC. The six-part series centres around the fictional character of Police Sergeant David Budd, a British Army war veteran suffering from PTSD, who is now working for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service. He is assigned as the principal protection officer (PPO) for the ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague, whose politics he despises. The series draws attention to controversial issues such as government monitoring of private information and its regulation, the politics of intervention and terrorism, and PTSD.
The first series of the British police procedural television programme Line of Duty, was broadcast on BBC Two between 26 June and 24 July 2012. The series follows the actions of the fictional Anti-Corruption Unit 12. AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings who recruits DS Steve Arnott and is backed by undercover officer DC Kate Fleming, as they lead an investigation into the corrupt actions of DCI Tony Gates. Gates leads Tactical Operations Unit 20 (TO-20) which includes DS Matthew "Dot" Cottan and DC Nigel Morton. Supporting characters include Jackie Laverty, Jools Gates, Chief Superintendent Derek Hilton, Chief Inspector Philip Osborne, and Tommy Hunter. The series was created and written by Jed Mercurio, who also serves as a producer. Filming took place in Birmingham in late-2011. Five episodes were directed by David Caffrey and Douglas Mackinnon with cinematographer Ruairi O'Brien. Despite being censured by Ofcom, the series received mostly positive reviews and was nominated for multiple awards leading to the commission of a second series.
The second series of the British police procedural television programme Line of Duty, was broadcast on BBC Two between 12 February and 19 March 2014. The series follows the actions of the fictional Anti-Corruption Unit 12. AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings who is assisted by his team DS Steve Arnott, DC Kate Fleming, and DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan. The unit investigates DI Lindsay Denton, the sole survivor of an attack on police officers, and the possibility of a corrupt police officer conspiring to murder a protected witness in the ambush. Jessica Raine stars in a single episode as DC Georgia Trotman. Beginning with this series, Dunbar and Parkinson are credited as main cast members in the opening credits. Supporting characters include DCC Mike Dryden, Jo Dwyer, DCS Lester Hargreaves, DC Nigel Morton, and Tommy Hunter. The series was created and written by Jed Mercurio, who also serves as an executive producer. Filming took place in Belfast in 2013. Six episodes were directed by Douglas Mackinnon and Daniel Nettheim with cinematographer Ruairi O'Brien. The series received positive reviews and multiple accolades, most notably for Hawes performance as Denton, leading to the commission of a third and fourth series.
The third series of the British police procedural television programme Line of Duty, was broadcast on BBC Two between 24 March and 28 April 2016. The series follows the fictional Anti-Corruption Unit 12. AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings who is assisted by his team, DS Steve Arnott, DC Kate Flemming, and DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan. The unit investigates the actions of Sergeant Daniel Waldron, who is suspected of wrongfully shooting and killing a suspect. Waldron leads a team of authorised firearms officers backed by PC Rod Kennedy, PC Harinderpal "Hari" Bains, and PC Jackie Brickford. Lindsay Denton, a former DI, returns from the previous series as an officer formerly investigated by AC-12. Supporting characters include Gill Biggeloe, Chief Superintendent Terry Reynolds, DS Sam Railston, Joe Nash, Maneet Bindra, Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank, and DC Nigel Morton. The series was created and written by Jed Mercurio, who also serves as an executive producer. Six episodes were directed by Michael Keillor and John Strickland with cinematographer Peter Robertson. Filming took place in Belfast in 2015. The series received mostly positive reviews and was nominated for 14 awards, three of which one won. The fourth series, which had previously been commissioned with the third, was broadcast on BBC One in 2017. Following the series, a fifth was also commissioned due to the third series success.
The fourth series of Line of Duty, consisting of six episodes, began broadcasting on 26 March 2017 on BBC One. The series follows Superintendent Ted Hastings, DS Steve Arnott and DS Kate Fleming as they investigate the corrupt actions of DCI Roseanne Huntley. Supporting characters include Forensic Investigator Tim Ifield, DS Sam Railston and DC Jodie Taylor.
The sixth series of Line of Duty, consisting of seven episodes, began broadcasting on BBC One on 21 March 2021. The story follows the actions of AC-12, led by Superintendent Ted Hastings and DI Steve Arnott, as they investigate DCI Joanne Davidson and her team, including former AC-12 officer DI Kate Fleming.
Breathtaking is an upcoming British medical drama television series, written by Rachel Clarke, Jed Mercurio, and Prasanna Puwanarajah, based on Clarke's 2021 memoir on the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It stars Joanne Froggatt and was directed by Craig Viveiros.
