Crash (Welsh TV series)

Last updated

Crash
Created by Tony Jordan
StarringElin Phillips
Gareth Milton
Kezia Burrows
Simon Rivers
Mark Lewis Jones
Nia Roberts
Ian Virgo
Kezrena James
Country of originWales
No. of episodes12 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers Tony Jordan
Claire Phillips
Rob Gittins
Production locations Caerphilly, Wales
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network BBC One Wales, BBC HD
Release9 September 2009 (2009-09-09) 
28 May 2010 (2010-05-28)

Crash is an English-language Welsh television drama series created by Tony Jordan and produced by Red Planet Pictures for BBC Wales. The series follows the lives of four newly qualified doctors. [1]

Contents

The series is filmed in Cardiff. The series first aired at 20:30 BST on BBC One Wales and BBC HD on Wednesday 9 September 2009. [2] [3]

Plot

The plot of the show follows the lives of junior doctors Cath, Rob, Rhian and Ameer as they start work at the fictional Cardiff City Hospital. [3] The show will focus on the main characters personal relationships rather than on medical issues, as creator Tony Jordan states: "...it’s not a medical show, it’s just set in a hospital." [4]

Cast

Production

Crash was commissioned by Clare Hudson and Piers Wenger of BBC Wales for a 12-episode run to be produced by Tony Jordan's independent production company Red Planet Pictures. The show was filmed at the former site for St. Ilan's High School in Caerphilly, which closed down and became abandoned in 2008, which was re-dressed to become the wards and corridors of the fictional Cardiff Metropolitan Hospital. Cardiff University's bioscience and psychology buildings were used for many of the hospital's exterior shots. The Cardiff University optometry building is also used for some of the interior shots. The series was filmed in HD and shot on Panasonic P2 cameras. 85% of the cast and crew were made up of local people. [5]

Writing

The episodes of Crash are each written by one writer, with the whole production overseen by Tony Jordan. Jordan himself wrote the first episode of the show, while subsequent episodes have been written by a range of new and established writers including playwright Kit Lambert, actor Richard Harrington and winner of the first Red Planet Prize, Joanna Leigh. Unlike other shows that use this writing model, Jordan doesn't rewrite or add to any of the other writers scripts. Instead each writer has to go through several drafts of rewriting their own scripts before they are filmed. [5]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1 (1-01)"Episode 1"Ashley Way Tony Jordan 9 September 2009 (2009-09-09)
The Junior Doctors arrive at Cardiff City Hospital for their first day on the wards. Tragedy strikes when one of them is fatally stabbed by a patient.
2 (1-02)"Episode 2"Ashley Way Rob Gittins 16 September 2009 (2009-09-16)
The three remaining Junior Doctors try to come to terms with the death of their friend while continuing to work.
3 (1-03)"Episode 3"Ashley Way Richard Harrington 23 September 2009 (2009-09-23)
Cath and Ameer begin interviewing for a new flatmate, while Rhian befriends Simon and may have the solution to their flatmate problem.
4 (1-04)"Episode 4"Gareth BrynKit Lambert30 September 2009 (2009-09-30)
Ameer finds the medical life difficult as he struggles to inform a patient about some bad news.
5 (1-05)"Episode 5"Gareth BrynTracy Spottiswoode7 October 2009 (2009-10-07)
The doctors love lives take centre stage and Simon tries to muster up the courage to ask one of the girls out.
6 (1-06)"Episode 6"Gareth BrynSimon Harris14 October 2009 (2009-10-14)
Cath is suspended from work, but finds herself back on the wards when a family member is brought to the hospital.
7 (1-06)"Episode 7"D J EvansQuirine Robbins10 May 2010 (2010-05-10)
Cath, Ameer, Simon and Rhian try to outdo each other to earn a new consultant's respect.
9 (1-09)"Episode 9"D J EvansNeil Williams17 May 2010 (2010-05-17)
It should be a quiet Sunday night shift, but the gang have their work cut out.
11 (1-02)"Episode 11" Daf Palfrey Richard Harrington 24 May 2010 (2010-05-24)
Ameer has to face his nerves and choose should he follow a patient's religion, or concentrate on saving someone's life.
12 (1-12)"Episode 12" Daf Palfrey Neil Williams28 May 2010 (2010-05-28)
Cath's birthday takes a tragic turn when 12-year-old Gabby dies in her arms.

Reception

Reviews for the show's first episode have been mixed. Gavin Allen at Media Wales said that the show was of "...much better quality than you might expect for regional programming.". [4] Caroline Hitt at the Western Mail felt the show looked good but bemoaned the death of Rob after just one episode. [6] DeeDee Ramona at Mental Health Nursing site Mental Nurse however thought that the storyline of Rob and his patient was sensationlised, [7] while TV reviewer and blogger Dan Owen awarded the show one and a half out of five stars and summed up the show as being like "... Scrubs with the jokes taken out, only not as hard-hitting." [8]

Viewing figures for the show however have been quite positive. The first episode peaked with 170,000 viewers and an 18% audience share with a further 85,000 watching the Tuesday night repeat. BBC Wales head of programmes Clare Hudson said she was “...delighted with how well Crash has been received by the audience." [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Nation</span> Welsh television writer (1930–1997)

Terence Joseph Nation was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist. Especially known for his work in British television science fiction, he created the Daleks and Davros for Doctor Who, as well as the series Survivors and Blake's 7.

<i>Casualty</i> (TV series) British medical drama series

Casualty (stylised as CASUAL+Y) is a British medical drama series that airs weekly on BBC One. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 6 September 1986. The original producer was Geraint Morris. Having been broadcast weekly since 1986, Casualty is the longest-running primetime medical drama series in the world.

<i>Holby City</i> British medical drama television series

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.

Tony Jordan is a British television writer. For many years, Jordan was lead writer and series consultant for BBC One soap opera EastEnders. He has written over 250 episodes for the programme since 1989, including the 2008 single-hander "Pretty Baby....". He created the series Hustle, HolbyBlue, City Central, Moving Wallpaper, Echo Beach, The Nativity, The Passing Bells and Dickensian, and co-created Life on Mars and By Any Means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Hospital of Wales</span> Hospital in Cardiff, Wales

University Hospital of Wales (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a 1,080-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. It is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Construction started in 1963, and the official opening took place in 1971. It was Europe's first fully integrated hospital and medical school, at a cost of £22 million. It is the third largest university hospital in the UK, and the largest hospital in Wales. The hospital was previously managed by Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust. In 2009 the Trust was dissolved and the hospital is now managed by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Jones</span> Welsh actress, producer and writer

Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. She later co-wrote and starred in the Sky One comedy-drama Stella (2012-2017), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance and won the BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitchurch Hospital</span> Former hospital in Cardiff, Wales

Whitchurch Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Whitchurch, an area in the north of Cardiff. It was managed by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. The hospital remains a grade II listed building. Its grounds are separately listed, also at Grade II, on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<i>Casualty@Holby City</i> British television series

Casualty@Holby City (styled as CASUAL+Y @ HOLBY CI+Y) is a series of special crossover episodes of BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City. While Casualty was launched on 6 September 1986, and its spin-off Holby City was first aired on 12 January 1999, the first full crossover episode between the two programmes was not broadcast until 26 December 2004. As of 27 December 2005, four crossover specials have been aired, comprising nine episodes total. Although further crossovers of storylines and characters have since occurred, they have not been broadcast under the Casualty@Holby City title.

The first series of the British medical drama television series Holby City commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 12 January 1999, and concluded on 9 March 1999. The show was created by Mal Young and Tony McHale as a spin–off from the BBC medical drama Casualty, intended to follow the treatment of patients from Casualty as they were transferred onto the hospital's surgical wards. McHale served as the programme's lead writer throughout the first series, which ran for nine episodes. Young cast actors who were already established names in the acting industry, particularly from a soap opera background. Several cast members shadowed real surgeons and nurses in preparation for their roles to increase the show's realism. The series received mixed reviews from critics. It was compared favourably with Casualty, but received negative reviews in which it was contrasted poorly with the American medical drama ER. The series première attracted 10.72 million viewers, falling to 8.51 million by the series finale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzanne Packer</span> Welsh actress (born 1962)

Suzanne Packer is a Welsh actress, known for playing the role of Tess Bateman in the BBC medical drama Casualty from September 2003 to August 2015. She later returned to the series as a guest for the 30th-anniversary episodes. Since departing from Casualty, she has appeared in various television series including Bang, In My Skin and The Pembrokeshire Murders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nia Roberts (actress)</span> Welsh actress

Nia Roberts is a Welsh actress. She is married to director Marc Evans.

The twenty-fifth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 4 September 2010 and concluded on 6 August 2011. The series featured several crossovers with spin-off show Holby City.

<i>Hospital 24/7</i> BBC medical documentary television series

Hospital 24/7 is a medical documentary series broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tess Bateman</span> Fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Digby</span> Fictional character

Arthur Digby is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor Rob Ostlere. He first appeared in the series fifteen episode "Blood Ties", broadcast on 2 January 2013. Arthur arrives at Holby City hospital to start his first year of the Foundation Programme. To prepare for the role Ostlere visited a hospital and shadowed a registrar and foundation doctors on their rounds. He has been described by Holby City's publicity department as "naïve and socially awkward" plus holding an "encyclopaedic knowledge" on unusual subjects. Ostlere's first days on-set influenced various aspects of Arthur's characterisation such as his "preppy attire", fidgeting with his glasses and his clumsy nature. Arthur is a talented doctor and his skills are awarded the medical prize titled, Junior Doctor of the Year. Arthur's storylines have focused on his career on the hospital's Keller and AAU wards, alongside the various characters that staff them. In his first year on-screen he works closely with mentor Antoine Malick and staff nurse Chantelle Lane. The latter he develops romantic feelings for which are not reciprocated. Their friendship dominates his initial story and together they become victims of a vicious mugging and a car crash which is caused by Arthur.

<i>Trust Me</i> (British TV series) British TV series or programme

Trust Me is a British anthology medical drama that premiered on BBC One. The four-part first series aired in August 2017, and was written by Dan Sefton. In February 2018, the programme was renewed for a second series, which premiered on 16 April 2019. The series was cancelled in June 2019.

<i>Keeping Faith</i> (TV series) Welsh television series

Keeping Faith is a Welsh thriller television series, filmed and set in Wales, and first broadcast in Welsh on S4C from 5 November 2017.

<i>In My Skin</i> (TV series) British television series

In My Skin is a British comedy drama television series written by Kayleigh Llewellyn that premiered on BBC Three on 14 October 2018. The series was initially ordered as a short film for BBC Wales, but this later acted as the pilot episode after BBC ordered In My Skin as a full series. The series stars Gabrielle Creevy, James Wilbraham, Poppy Lee Friar, Jo Hartley, Aled ap Steffan, Di Botcher, Georgia Furlong and Rhodri Meilir. In March 2021, In My Skin was renewed for a second and final series, which premiered on 7 November 2021. The series has received critical acclaim winning the 2022 BAFTA TV Award for best drama series as well as numerous awards from ceremonies including BAFTA Cymru and the RTS Programme Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon's Heart Hospital</span> 2020 temporary hospital in Cardiff, UK

Dragon's Heart Hospital was a temporary hospital located at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. It opened on 13 April 2020 to help deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. It was decommissioned towards the end of October and early November 2020.

The thirty-seventh series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 20 August 2022. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of medical and ancillary staff at the emergency department (ED) of the fictional Holby City Hospital. Jon Sen continues his role as the executive producer and Liza Mellody begins her position as series producer. Series 37 marks the return to regular filming protocols after the COVID-19 pandemic. The series has been marred by scheduling conflicts, with one episode premiering on BBC Two.

References