Casualty series 31 | |
---|---|
Series 31 | |
No. of episodes | 44 |
Release | |
Original network | BBC One BBC One HD |
Original release | 27 August 2016 – 29 July 2017 |
Season chronology | |
The thirty-first series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2016, and concluded on 29 July 2017. The series consisted of 44 episodes, including the show's feature-length thirtieth anniversary special episode, "Too Old for This Shift". Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, while Oliver Kent continued his role as the show's executive producer until the end of the series. Seventeen cast members reprised their roles from the previous series with original character Lisa "Duffy" Duffin returning to the series as part of the show's thirtieth anniversary. Rik Makarem appeared in the series between October 2016 and January 2017 as first year foundation doctor (F1) Sebastian Grayling. This series also featured the death of regular character Caleb Knight (Richard Winsor), who has appeared since series 28.
The opening episode of the series was a special feature-length episode, celebrating thirty years of the medical drama. The episode featured main character crossovers from Holby City , with Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel), Henrik Hanssen (Guy Henry) and Adrian "Fletch" Fletcher (Alex Walkinshaw) appearing in the episode. Various former characters who have appeared in previous series throughout the thirty years of broadcast also made guest appearances during the episode. The episode features both the main characters lives, and the hospital itself in danger when an air ambulance crashed in the emergency department car park. The episode was watched by 7.20 million viewers. A special soundtrack was recorded for the episode, by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The series concluded with a special episode, "One", filmed in a single-take, using one camera, forty microphones and five boom operators. Show co-creator Paul Unwin returned to the show to write the episode.
The series was well received by fans and critics alike. They enjoyed the opening episode and opined that the show deserved an award, but an air ambulance charity thought the episode was thoughtless. On 25 January 2017, Casualty was awarded Best Drama at the National Television Awards. On 11 April 2017, the show was nominated for Best Soap & Continuing Drama at the BAFTAs, but was unsuccessful. The helicopter crash won the award for Best Drama Storyline at the 2017 Inside Soap Awards; Charlie and Duffy's wedding and Cal's murder also received a nomination in the category.
Oliver Kent continued his role as executive producer, [1] whilst Erika Hossington remained as the series producer. [2] Kent was appointed Head of Continuing Drama Series for BBC Scripted Studios in late 2016, [3] with Simon Harper, series producer of Holby City at the time, subsequently being appointed acting executive producer of both shows. [2] Harper was later promoted to the show's official executive producer on 8 June 2017, [4] although Kent was credited in the role of executive producer until the end of the series. [5] Mark Catley, the show's story consultant, was credited as co-executive producer for the first episode only. [6] The thirty-first series consisted of 44 episodes. [7]
The feature-length anniversary episode that began the series, aired for 99-minutes on 27 August 2016, and featured a storyline event that connected Casualty with its sister show Holby City. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales recorded a special soundtrack for the episode at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay. Plans for the special were teased back in August 2014, when Hossington hinted that the show would do something "no other show had done before". [8] In an interview with What's on TV , Charles Venn revealed that his character, Jacob Masters, would have a key role in the anniversary special. He added that cast and crew members were nicknaming the episode "Casualty: The Movie" while it was being filmed. [9] Kent later stated that the episode would make the audience "gasp, laugh and cry buckets". [1] [10]
Hossington teased the series finale in an interview with Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy , promising to give viewers "a live experience" without making a live episode. She described the episode as "special and unique" and said it would be "something that the show has never, ever done before." [2] Hossington also promised several stunts, including a "really big falling stunt within the hospital" in the latter half of the series. [2] Further details on the series finale were revealed on 5 April 2017, where it was announced that the episode, "One", will be shot in a single-take, using one camera, 40 microphones and five boom operators. The finale was one hour long and was written by the show's co-creator, Paul Unwin. Hossington said the special episode would "give the audience a unique insight into an hour in A&E". She added that the episode would be "intense" and "emotional". [11]
The thirty-first series of Casualty features a cast of characters working in the emergency department of Holby City Hospital. [12] The majority of the cast from the previous series continue to appear in this series. Amanda Mealing appears as clinical lead and consultant in emergency medicine Connie Beauchamp, whilst Jaye Griffiths and William Beck appear as consultants Elle Gardner, who also briefly acted as clinical lead, and Dylan Keogh. George Rainsford, Richard Winsor and Crystal Yu portray speciality registrars Ethan Hardy, Caleb "Cal" Knight and Lily Chao. Chelsea Halfpenny appears as Alicia Munroe, a second year foundation doctor (F2). Charles Venn portrays clinical nurse manager Jacob Masters, whilst Derek Thompson stars as senior charge nurse Charlie Fairhead, who has appeared in the show since its conception. Amanda Henderson, Azuka Oforka and Jason Durr play staff nurses Robyn Miller, Louise Tyler and David Hide. Michael Stevenson and Lloyd Everitt star as paramedics Iain Dean and Jez Andrews. Tony Marshall and Jamie Davis appear as receptionist and porter Noel Garcia and Max Walker respectively. Emily Carey and Owain Arthur appear as Grace Beauchamp-Strachan and Glen Thomas in a recurring capacity. [13] [14]
It was announced on 7 June 2016 that, following three guest appearances in the previous series, Cathy Shipton had returned to the show as a regular cast member. [15] Her character, Lisa "Duffy" Duffin, who appeared in the show across various stints since its inception, returned in the opening episode of the series. [16] Of Shipton's return, Kent said, "All of us at Casualty are incredibly excited that the fabulous Cathy Shipton has agreed to bring Duffy back to the Emergency Department." [15] Arthur made his final appearance in episode 9 when his character Glen Thomas jilts his fiancée, Robyn Miller (Henderson). [17] Tom Chambers guest appeared in episode 3 as Sam Strachan, Grace's father, following two appearances in the previous series. [18] Chambers was a regular cast member in the show's spin-off show, Holby City , between 2006 and 2008. [19] Hossington announced that Sam would be reintroduced to the series after receiving a job as the hospital's medical director. [20] Sam returned in episode 24. [21] Chambers later revealed that he would be leaving at the end of his contract due to a prior commitment. [22] It was announced on 7 February 2017 that the show had filmed a funeral for a regular character, [23] and episode 33 featured the death of Cal Knight (Winsor) after he was stabbed by a white supremacist who blamed Ethan for his father's death. [24] Winsor decided to leave the series of his own accord, but was initially surprised to discover his character would be killed off, before coming round to the idea. [24]
Several former regular cast members reprised their roles and made a cameo appearance within the show's feature-length opening episode, [25] which included: Mackenzie "Big Mac" Chalker (Charles Dale), who departed the show in the previous series; [26] Tess Bateman (Suzanne Packer), who appeared in the show for twelve years; [13] Jay Faldren (Ben Turner), who appeared between 2008 and 2011; [25] John "Abs" Denham (James Redmond), who departed from the show in 2008; [13] Alice Chantrey (Sam Grey), who appeared in the show for over four years; [13] Mike Barratt (Clive Mantle), who appeared in the show between 1993 and 1998; [13] Comfort Jones (Martina Laird), who left the show in 2006; [13] and Lenny Lyons (Steven Miller) who appeared in the show for three years. [27] Ian Bleasdale also reprised the role of Josh Griffiths, one of the show's longest-serving characters, for the entirety of the episode. [28] Bleasdale made a further three appearances in the series as Josh in episodes 20, 21 and 36. [29] [30] [31] Russell Boulter reprised his role as Ryan Johnson for two episodes to resolve a storyline about his estranged marriage to Duffy. [32]
During the feature-length special, three characters from Holby City made guest appearances: hospital chief executive officer (CEO) Henrik Hanssen (Guy Henry), cardiothoracic surgeon and clinical lead of Darwin ward Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel), and ward manager of the AAU Adrian "Fletch" Fletcher (Alex Walkinshaw). Walkinshaw had previously appeared in Casualty between 2012 and 2014. [1] Mealing, Stevenson, Everitt and Tonicha Lawrence, who plays patient Stephanie Sims, appeared in the episode of Holby City that followed the feature-length special, "Protect and Serve". [33] Kent promised "several" more crossovers between the two shows following this. [34] Marcel also appeared in episode 3, alongside John Michie, who plays consultant neurosurgeon Guy Self on Holby City. [18] Michie previously appeared in Casualty in 2014 when his character was the hospital's CEO. [35] Hugh Quarshie guest appeared as acting CEO Ric Griffin in episodes 17 and 18. [36] [37] Chizzy Akudolu confirmed that she would make a guest appearance in the series, portraying her Holby City character, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Mo Effanga. [38] The character appeared in episode 30. [39] Lee Mead filmed a guest appearance as staff nurse Lofty Chiltern, a former Casualty character and current Holby City character, which was broadcast in episode 38. [40] [41]
On 31 August 2016, it was confirmed that Rik Makarem had joined the cast as Sebastian Grayling. [42] Makarem made his first on-screen appearance in episode 10, on 29 October 2016. [43] Makarem left the series after appearing in eight episodes, making his departure in episode 17, broadcast on 7 January 2017. [44] Sebastian's father, Archie Grayling, a consultant surgeon, was introduced for the storyline. James Wilby was cast in the role of Archie and also left in episode 17. [45] [36] Iain's sister, Gemma Dean (Rebecca Ryan), joined the series in episode 19, [46] and departed in episode 33. [47]
The series featured several recurring characters, and numerous guest stars. Lawrence continued her role as Stephanie Sims into the feature-length episode. [13] The show's winter 2016 trailer confirmed Lawrence had reprised her role, and Steph made another appearance in episode 23. [48] [49] Accredited actress Pam St. Clement was cast as "surly" patient Sally Hodge who appeared in the feature-length episode. [50] St. Clement's return to the role was announced on 12 December 2016, [48] and Hossington confirmed that she would return for a guest appearance in March; [2] St. Clement appeared in episode 26. [51] Poppy Jhakra was also cast as agency nurse Amira Zafar for the feature-length episode. [13] Jhakra reprised the role for an appearance in episode 22. [21] David's family was introduced in episode 5, with the appearance of his son and former wife, Oliver Hide (Harry Collett) and Rosa Hide (Lorraine Pilkington). [52] Collett reprised the role in episodes 17, 18 and 25. [36] [37] [53] Hossington revealed in February 2017 that the show would reintroduce a family who guest appeared in the previous series. [20] On 16 March 2017, it was announced that Roy Ellisson (John Killoran) and Denise Ellisson (Lucy Benjamin) would be reintroduced in April, alongside their sons Scott Ellisson (Will Austin) and Mickey Ellisson (Mitch Hewer). Harper said that there would be "explosive consequences" following the family's arrival. [54] Killoran appeared in two episodes, before his character was killed off, whereas the rest of the family began making recurring appearances. [55] [47] Episode 43 marked the death of Austin's character. [56]
The cast of series 31 saw many returning and guest characters, to complement the main series cast: [lower-alpha 1]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [57] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1005-1006 [lower-alpha 2] | 1 | " Too Old for This Shift " [27] | Steve Hughes | Matthew Barry & Andy Bayliss | 27 August 2016 | 7.20 |
1007 | 2 | "Fall on Me" [58] | Seán Gleeson | Mark Stevenson | 3 September 2016 | 6.45 |
1008 | 3 | "Strike Three" [18] | Seán Gleeson | Claire Miller | 10 September 2016 | 5.34 |
1009 | 4 | "Pride Comes Before a Fall" [59] | Rick Platt | Suzanne Cowie | 17 September 2016 | 5.57 |
1010 | 5 | "Schoolboy Crush" [60] | Rick Platt | Kayleigh Llewellyn | 24 September 2016 | 5.64 |
1011 | 6 | "Party Pooper" [61] | Diarmuid Goggins | Rachel Aird | 1 October 2016 | 5.78 |
1012 | 7 | "Too Much Love Will Kill You" [62] | Diarmuid Goggins | Tony Higgins | 8 October 2016 | 5.56 |
1013 | 8 | "The Big Day" [63] | Julie Edwards | Tom Higgins & Mark Catley | 15 October 2016 | 5.65 |
1014 | 9 | "Night of the Loving Dead" [17] | Amanda Mealing | Jeff Povey | 22 October 2016 | 5.72 |
1015 | 10 | "Shock to the System" [43] | Tracey Larcombe | Jon Sen | 29 October 2016 | 5.76 |
1016 | 11 | "Thirty Years" [45] | Paul Riordan | Kelly Jones | 5 November 2016 | 5.79 |
1017 | 12 | "About My Mother" [64] | Paul Riordan | Kim Millar | 19 November 2016 | 5.89 |
1018 | 13 | "Not in Holby Anymore" [65] | Matthew Evans | Simon Norman | 26 November 2016 | 5.80 |
1019 | 14 | "All I Want for Christmas Is You" [32] | Matthew Evans | Rebecca Wojciechowski | 3 December 2016 | 5.75 |
1020 | 15 | "Bah Humbug" [66] | David Beauchamp | Dominique Moloney | 10 December 2016 | 5.73 |
1021 | 16 | "New Me, New Year, New You" [67] | David Beauchamp | Sarah Beeson | 31 December 2016 | 5.26 |
1022 | 17 | "What Lurks in the Heart" [36] | Jamie Annett | Rachel Smith | 7 January 2017 | 5.97 |
1023 | 18 | "Back to School" [37] | Jamie Annett | Laura Poliakoff | 14 January 2017 | 5.93 |
1024 | 19 | "Little Sister" [68] | Fiona Walton | Joseph Wilde & Jeff Povey | 21 January 2017 | 5.98 |
1025 | 20 | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" [29] | Fiona Walton | Mark Stevenson | 28 January 2017 | 5.61 |
1026 | 21 | "The Stag, the Dog and the Sheep" [30] | Seán Gleeson | Jeff Povey | 4 February 2017 | 5.99 |
1027 | 22 | "You Are Your Only Limit" [21] | Seán Gleeson | Dana Fainaru | 11 February 2017 | 5.72 |
1028 | 23 | "Binge Britain" [69] | Paul Riordan | Laura Poliakoff | 18 February 2017 | 5.99 |
1029 | 24 | "Slipping Under" [49] | Paul Riordan | Jason Sutton | 25 February 2017 | 5.88 |
1030 | 25 | "It Starts with the Shoes" [53] | Jo Johnson | Kim Millar | 4 March 2017 | 5.29 |
1031 | 26 | "The Good Samaritan" [51] | Jo Johnson | Mark Catley | 11 March 2017 | 5.43 |
1032 | 27 | "Mobile" [70] | Alex Jacob | Mark Catley | 18 March 2017 | 5.52 |
1033 | 28 | "Five Days" [71] | Julie Edwards | Barbara Machin | 25 March 2017 | 5.65 |
1034 | 29 | "Sleeping with the Enemy" [72] | Simon Massey | Steve Bailie | 1 April 2017 | 5.45 |
1035 | 30 | "Child of Mine" [39] | Simon Massey | Jessica Ruston | 8 April 2017 | 5.57 |
1036 | 31 | "When the Whistle Blows" [73] | Tracey Larcombe | John Yorke | 15 April 2017 | 4.73 |
1037 | 32 | "Reap the Whirlwind – Part One" [55] | Steve Brett | Jon Sen | 22 April 2017 | 4.98 |
1038 | 33 | "Reap the Whirlwind – Part Two" [47] | Steve Brett | Dominique Moloney | 29 April 2017 | 5.37 |
1039 | 34 | "Break Point" [74] | David Innes Edwards | Simon Norman | 6 May 2017 | 5.38 |
1040 | 35 | "End of the Road" [75] | Lynsey Miller | Joe Williams & Kelly Jones | 20 May 2017 | 5.21 |
1041 | 36 | "Roadman" [31] | Alex Jacob | Mark Catley | 3 June 2017 | 4.88 |
1042 | 37 | "Swift Vengeance Waits" [76] | Judith Dine | Rachel Smith | 10 June 2017 | 5.17 |
1043 | 38 | "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" [40] | Judith Dine | Dana Fainaru | 17 June 2017 | 5.04 |
1044 | 39 | "It Had to Be You" [77] | Graham Sherrington | Matthew Barry & Mark Stevenson | 24 June 2017 | 5.30 |
1045 | 40 | "War of the Roses" [78] | Graham Sherrington | Rachel Aird | 1 July 2017 | 5.21 |
1046 | 41 | "Man Up" [79] | Shaun Evans | Suzanne Cowie | 8 July 2017 | 5.09 |
1047 | 42 | "Somewhere Between Silences − Part One" [80] | Fiona Walton | Paul Matthew Thompson | 15 July 2017 | 5.43 |
1048 | 43 | "Somewhere Between Silences − Part Two" [56] | Fiona Walton | Jeff Povey | 22 July 2017 | 5.67 |
1049 | 44 | " One " [5] | Jon Sen | Paul Unwin | 29 July 2017 | 6.57 |
The anniversary episode received strong praise from fans. Radio Times reported that viewers were left "stunned" by the episode, [81] while Digital Spy stated that fans were left in "shock and awe" over the episode. [82] The Daily Mirror reporter Sharon Marshall praised the episode, branding it as a "pitch-perfect episode mixing gore, heartache, drama and nostalgia". [83] Marshall added that the episode "showcased what Casualty does best – beautiful writing and a stellar cast who grab your heartstrings," [83] before concluding her review by praising the episode as being able to make the show "look as fresh and exciting as the day it was born." [83] However, the show also received criticism, with the episode being branded "insensitive" by the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. [84]
The final episode of the series received a mixed reception. Alison Graham, writing for the Radio Times , described the episode as a "bold piece of television" and praised the show for displaying "the chaos of a front-line service". [85] Jessica Ransom of What's on TV enjoyed the episode and was impressed that there were no mistakes. She said the episode highlighted the "ever chaotic trauma" and a "particularly explosive day" in the emergency department. [86] Michael Hogan of The Daily Telegraph wrote a review on the episode, awarding it a score of 3 out of 5. [87] While he thought that the fly-on-the-wall theme created "intensity and realism" within the episode, he opined that some speeches from the characters "didn't quite work" and found the explanations during the episode "jarring". [87] He praised the decision to have original cast members, Shipton and Thompson, lead the episode, but commented that the episode was "let down by a clunking script that needed some doctoring of its own." [87]
Ratings for series 31 of Casualty averaged at 5.61 million viewers, an increase on the previous series. [88] The opening episode received an overnight rating of 5.10 million viewers, a 26% share of the total audience. [89] BBC Media Centre later revealed the episode was watched by an audience of 7.20 million viewers. [90] The single-take episode that concluded the series received a 28-day rating of 6.57 million viewers. [88] Episode 1 is the highest-rated episode of the series, while episode 31 is the lowest-rated episode of the series with a rating of 4.73 million viewers. [88]
On 25 January 2017, Casualty was awarded Best Drama at the annual National Television Awards. [91] The show was shortlisted against Cold Feet , Game of Thrones , Happy Valley and The Night Manager . [91] On the win, Shipton commented, "I'm not that surprised we won tonight. I'm a newbie and the strength of the cast and the writing and the passion behind that show is on screen and that's why they voted for us." [91] Hossington called the reaction to the win "electric" and said it had "a huge impact on everybody". [2] She added that the show's team were "so chuffed that the sheer love and hard work that they put into the show has been appreciated by the audience and the fans". [2] The win also received criticism from those who believed that Casualty should be classified as a soap opera and not entered into the category. [91]
It was announced on 11 April 2017 that Casualty had been nominated for a BAFTA award under the Soap & Continuing Drama category. [92] ITV soap opera Emmerdale won the accolade. [93] The helicopter crash, Charlie and Duffy's wedding and Cal's murder were shortlisted for Best Drama Storyline at the 2017 Inside Soap Awards. [94] On 6 November 2017, the helicopter crash won the "Best Drama Storyline" accolade. [95] Casualty was shortlisted in the "Best Soap/Continuing Drama" category at the 2018 Broadcast Awards, but lost out to Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks . [96] Judges praised the "truth and sensitivity" involved in Robyn's premature birth storyline and found the use of puppets as Robyn's baby "amazing". [96]
Holby City is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999; the show ran until 29 March 2022. It follows the lives of medical and ancillary staff at the fictional Holby City Hospital, the same hospital as Casualty, in the fictional city of Holby, and features occasional crossovers of characters and plots with both Casualty and the show's 2007 police procedural spin-off HolbyBlue. It began with eleven main characters in its first series, all of whom subsequently left the show. New main characters were then periodically written in and out, with a core of around fifteen main actors employed at any given time. In casting the first series, Young sought actors who were already well known in the television industry, something which has continued throughout its history, with cast members including Patsy Kensit, Jane Asher, Robert Powell, Ade Edmondson and John Michie.
Casualty is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 6 September 1986 on BBC1. The series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. It is set in the fictional Holby City Hospital, in the equally fictitious city of Holby, and features occasional crossovers of characters and plots with spin-off show Holby City. Casualty follows the professional and personal lives of the doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital management and patients at Holby General. It features an ensemble cast of regular characters, and began with ten main characters in its first series, all but one – Charlie Fairhead have since left the series. Many main characters have been written in and out of the series since. In addition, Casualty features guest stars each week, as well as recurring guests that take part in story arcs that span a portion of a series or multiple series.
The twenty-eighth series of Casualty began airing on BBC One on 3 August 2013, one week after the end of the previous series. This series consisted of 48 episodes, the highest episode order since series 24. The series concluded on 23 August 2014.
The twenty−ninth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2014, and concluded on 23 August 2015. The series consisted of 46 episodes. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, while Oliver Kent continued his role as the show's executive producer.
The thirtieth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 29 August 2015, and concluded on 30 July 2016. The series consisted of 43 episodes, including the broadcast of the show's 1000th episode on 25 June 2016. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, while Oliver Kent continued his role as the show's executive producer. Seventeen cast members reprised their roles from the previous series with five actors, including three long-serving cast members, departing during this series. Chelsea Halfpenny appeared in the serial between September and November 2015 as F2 Alicia Munroe, reprising the role as a main cast member in July 2016. Alistair Brammer joined the cast for a four-month guest stint as receptionist Jack Diamond in December 2015. Three new regular cast members joined the serial in spring 2016: Lloyd Everitt as paramedic Jez Andrews; Jason Durr as staff nurse David Hide; and Jaye Griffiths as consultant Elle Gardner.
Tess Bateman is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by Suzanne Packer. She first appears in the series eighteen episode "End of the Line ", originally broadcast on 13 September 2003. The character is introduced as an emergency nurse practitioner in the emergency department (ED) of Holby City Hospital, but was later promoted to clinical nurse manager. For the role, Packer relocated from New York City to her hometown of Cardiff, and commenced filming in April 2003. Tess is characterised as a "traditionalist" with a good work ethic. She is highly experienced in her field and will protect her staff at all times. Packer drew on her experience as a teacher and her mother's experience as a nurse to develop the character.
Charlie Fairhead is a fictional character from the BBC British medical drama Casualty. One of the longest-serving characters of the show, spanning over 3 decades.
The eighteenth series of the British medical drama television series Holby City commenced airing in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2015, and concluded on 4 October 2016. The series consists of 52 episodes. Oliver Kent continues his position as the show's executive producer, while Simon Harper serves as the series producer. Sixteen cast members reprised their roles from the previous series, while several recurring characters, and numerous guest stars feature in the series. Four actors depart during the series and two cast members reprise their roles after taking breaks in the previous series. Jemma Redgrave appeared in the series between February and September 2016 as general surgeon Bernie Wolfe. Jason Robertson joined the semi-regular cast in February 2016 as Jason Haynes, and two new cast members joined the serial in summer 2016: Marc Elliott as registrar Isaac Mayfield and Lucinda Dryzek as F1 doctor Jasmine Burrows.
"Too Old for This Shift" is a special feature-length episode of the British medical drama television series Casualty. It was broadcast as the premiere episode of its thirty-first series on 27 August 2016, on BBC One, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the show. The special, which is 99 minutes long, was co-written by Matthew Barry and Andy Bayliss, directed by Steve Hughes, and produced by Lucy Raffety.
The nineteenth series of the British medical drama television series Holby City commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 11 October 2016 and concluded airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 December 2017. The series consists of 64 episodes; an increase from the previous series.
Ben "Lofty" Chiltern is a fictional character from the BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, played by actor Lee Mead. He first appeared in Casualty's twenty-eighth series episode "The Last Chance Saloon", broadcast on 1 March 2014. The character is introduced to fill the role of a young, male nurse. Mead previously appeared in the drama in the twenty-sixth series of Casualty. Lofty originally appears as a staff nurse but is promoted to senior staff nurse in 2016. The character is specifically written for Mead and he was contracted to the show for a year. Lofty is portrayed as a nice person who is likeable and popular. His clumsiness often leaves him in awkward situations although he is a brilliant nurse and a team player. Lofty's backstory states that when his parents grew tired of his wild behaviour, they kicked him out.
"Hello, I Must Be Going" is the thirty-fourth episode of the thirtieth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty, and the 995th episode of the overall series. The episode was written by Jeff Povey and directed by Steve Hughes, and premiered on BBC One on 7 May 2016. The episode features the departure of established character Zoe Hanna, an ED consultant, who left the show after nine years. Sarker's departure was kept secret until transmission in order to surprise viewers. Producers were upset when Sarker announced her decision to leave, but ensured writers created a good story for the character.
The thirty-second series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 19 August 2017, and concluded on 4 August 2018. The series consisted of 44 episodes. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, however, following her resignation in August 2017, was replaced by Lucy Raffety. Simon Harper began his role as the show's executive producer. Twenty cast members reprised their roles from the previous series. Lloyd Everitt, Crystal Yu, Jamie Davis left their respective roles during the series, while Charlotte Salt reprised her role as Sam Nicholls from episode five onwards. Four new cast members also joined the drama in series 32. The series opened with a two-parter special set in northern France, which was followed by an extended 70-minute special episode. It is the first series in the history of the show to omit episode titles.
The twentieth series of the British medical drama television series Holby City began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 2 January 2018, and concluded on 27 December 2018. The series consists of 52 episodes; a decrease from the previous series. Kate Hall serves as the series producer, while Simon Harper continued his role as the executive producer. Fifteen cast members reprised their roles from the previous series. Four actors departed during the series, including long-standing cast member James Anderson. Catherine Russell reprised her role as Serena Campbell from episode six. Throughout the series, multiple characters returned for guest stints, including Zosia March, Bernie Wolfe and Mo Effanga.
The thirty-third series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 11 August 2018, one week after the end of the previous series. The series consisted of 46 episodes. Lucy Raffety continues her role as series producer, while Simon Harper continues his role as the show's executive producer. Sixteen regular cast members reprised their roles from the previous series. The series, which is billed as "The Year of the Paramedic", begins with a motorway collision stunt sequence, and features a crossover episode with spin-off series, Holby City. This series featured the departures of six cast members, including Amanda Mealing as Connie Beauchamp, Azuka Oforka as Louise Tyler and Chelsea Halfpenny as Alicia Munroe. Four new regular cast members also joined the series, while two actors began appearing in a recurring capacity.
The thirty-fourth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 17 August 2019, one week after the end of the previous series. The series consists of 43 episodes. Lucy Raffety continues her role as series producer, while Simon Harper continues his role as the show's executive producer; this is Raffety's final series as producer, and she was replaced by Loretta Preece. Production on the series was postponed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which also resulted in multiple transmission breaks. A single episode was also pulled due to comparisons between its content and the pandemic; the episode was broadcast as the final episode of the series at a later date. The theme of the series is reflecting how the National Health Service (NHS) is "under pressure", with elements focusing on "the hierarchy of pressure on the doctors". The series is also promoted through multiple trailers.
The thirty-fifth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 2 January 2021. The series consists of 30 episodes, which focus on the professional and personal lives of medical and ancillary staff at the emergency department (ED) of the fictional Holby City Hospital. Loretta Preece continues her role as series producer. Sixteen regular cast members reprised their roles from the previous series and actor Michael Stevenson returned to the serial in episode fourteen as Iain Dean, a paramedic.
I popped back for a guest spot recently – Lofty makes an appearance at Cal's funeral.