Doctors is a British medical soap opera, first broadcast on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Filmed in Birmingham and set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff of both an NHS doctor's surgery and a university campus surgery, as well as the lives of their families and friends. Initially, only 41 episodes of the programme were ordered, but due to the positive reception, the BBC ordered it as a continuing soap opera. Doctors was filmed at the Pebble Mill Studios until 2004; production then relocated to the BBC Drama Village, where it filmed until 2024. Episodes are filmed three months prior to transmission. The soap is typically broadcast on weekdays at 1:45 pm on BBC One, as well as having classic episodes broadcast on Drama. It takes three annual transmission breaks across the year: at Easter, during the summer and at Christmas.
Jan Pearson is an English actress. Pearson grew up in Wollaston, West Midlands, and began her career in various stage productions. She yearned to work in television and was soon cast as Kath Fox in the BBC medical drama Holby City in 1999, a role she stayed in until 2004. She then ventured back into theatre, before joining the BBC soap opera Doctors as Karen Hollins. For her role in Doctors, Pearson won the award for Best On-Screen Partnership twice alongside Chris Walker, at the 2010 and 2023 British Soap Awards. Pearson left Doctors in 2023.
Dr. Jimmi Clay is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Adrian Lewis Morgan. The actor joined the cast shortly after his role in Holby City came to an end. Morgan was a fan of the soap and was pleased to audition for a regular part. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 September 2005 and has gone on to become the programme's longest serving cast member. Upon his introduction, Jimmi is portrayed as being recently separated from his wife and being new to the medical profession. Jimmi has obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and Morgan carried out his own research into the disorder to help his portrayal. He later admitted that Jimmi's OCD had begun to impact his own life.
Karen Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Jan Pearson. Introduced as a receptionist at the fictional Mill Health Centre, Karen was created by series producer Peter Eryl Lloyd as a replacement for former receptionist Vivien March. She first appeared during the episode broadcast on 23 February 2009. Writers eventually introduced a family for Karen; husband and police sergeant Rob, and their children, Imogen and Jack. Karen is depicted as a hardworking person who cares about her job and the patients at the surgery, but someone who prioritises her family above her work responsibilities.
Rob Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Chris Walker. Rob was introduced as a police sergeant at Letherbridge police station and made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 24 July 2009. Rob is the husband of Karen Hollins, a receptionist at the fictional Mill Health Centre, as well as the father of Imogen and Jack Hollins. Rob is depicted as a dependable family man and it has been noted that whenever another character needs advice, Rob would always be there to help. Rob's storyline in the programme has included disagreeing with Karen on aborting their baby, accidentally causing his wife's amnesia, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), becoming a foster parent, being accused of police brutality, and the breakdown and reconciliation of his marriage. Rob's PTSD was explored over the duration of a year with the climax coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week in 2018, with the storyline being revisited in 2021.
Imogen Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Charlie Clemmow. Before her first appearance, Imogen is mentioned by her on-screen mother Karen ; Clemmow watched the episode and wrote a letter to the BBC asking if they would be casting actresses for the role of Imogen. She made continued contact with the BBC and was eventually invited to audition for Imogen, and despite having no agent, she was cast in the role and made her first appearance on 4 August 2009. She is introduced as the daughter of Karen and Rob Hollins and the sister of Jack Hollins.
Jack Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Nicolas Woodman. Jack first appeared on 4 August 2009 and left Doctors on 21 September 2012. He returned for brief stints in 2013 and 2014. His storylines in the series have included his secret relationship with Zara Carmichael and completing a degree at university. Following the completion of his degree, it was confirmed by producer Peter Eryl Lloyd that the character would face numerous life decisions that ultimately resulted in his exit.
Dr. Sid Vere is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Ashley Rice. Sid made his first appearance on 27 April 2015 as an F2 doctor at the fictional Mill Health Centre. His storylines in the programme have included his relationships with colleagues Ayesha Lee and Zara Carmichael and discovering his brother, Laurence Richards. For his role as Sid, Rice has been nominated for various accolades including Newcomer at the 21st National Television Awards and the British Soap Award for Best Actor in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Christopher Walker is an English actor, known for his roles as Larry 'Tiger' Barton in the BBC drama Merseybeat and Rob Hollins in the BBC soap opera Doctors. For his portrayal of Rob, Walker has been nominated for various awards, and in 2010 and 2023, he won the award for Best On-Screen Partnership at the British Soap Awards, alongside Jan Pearson who played his on-screen wife, Karen Hollins.
"Can You Hear Me?" is an episode of the British television soap opera Doctors, broadcast on BBC One on 12 June 2020. It marks the first episode in soap opera history to be filmed solely using mobile devices, and was self-shot by cast members from their homes as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down production of Doctors. The episode centres around the colleagues of the fictional Mill Health Centre and St Phils hospital dealing with lockdown, and features appearances from relatives of the characters. The scenes take place after the colleagues have been to work, where they discuss the professional and personal impacts of the pandemic on their lives via video chat. The episode also covers regular character Ruhma Carter suffering from COVID-19.
"If Wishes Were Horses" is an episode of the British television soap opera Doctors, broadcast on BBC One on 30 March 2023. The episode covers the shock death of mainstay regular character Karen Hollins. Her death was not announced prior to the episode airing, nor was the exit of Pearson after fourteen years of appearing on Doctors. Charlie Clemmow reprised her role as Imogen Hollins for the episode with a voice appearance.
The twenty-fourth and final series of the British medical soap opera Doctors commenced airing on 10 January 2023, and is set to conclude on 14 November 2024. The series is set to comprise 276 episodes. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Mill Health Centre, a fictional NHS doctor's surgery.
