Doctors is a British medical soap opera, first broadcast on BBC One on 26 March 2000, and concluded on 14 November 2024. 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 show was typically broadcast Mondays to Thursdays at 2:00 pm on BBC One, as well as having classic episodes broadcast on Drama. It took three annual transmission breaks across the year: at Easter, during the summer and at Christmas.
Janice Connolly is an English actress, comedian and artistic director. She runs the Birmingham-based group Women and Theatre and performs stand-up comedy as her character Mrs Barbara Nice. Connolly has also appeared in Coronation Street, That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere, Thin Ice and Dead Man Weds. In 2017, Connolly was awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Years Honours list for services to community arts in the West Midlands. In 2022, she began appearing in the BBC soap opera Doctors as Rosie Colton.
Valerie Pitman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Sarah Moyle. Valerie was introduced as a temporary receptionist at the fictional Mill Health Centre on 15 October 2012. Valerie is depicted as a kind, nosy and humorous character who enjoys getting involved in other people's lives. Her backstory involves growing up as an only child with no friends who dresses differently to other people, so since she feels like an outsider, she is desperate to be part of a unit of loved ones. Moyle was originally contracted on the soap as a recurring character, but after a positive reaction from viewers, she was promoted to a regular cast member. One of the storylines that accredited to her popularity was an issue-led storyline that saw Valerie diagnosed with hodgkin lymphoma. Moyle felt honoured to be given the storyline and found it interesting to play the storyline from a comedic perspective.
Dr. Al Haskey is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Ian Midlane. He first appeared during the episode broadcast on 13 November 2012. His storylines in the programme have included being accused of stalking Jas Khella, his friendship with colleague Jimmi Clay, dealing with his mother's dementia, his tumultuous relationships and being attacked by a patient.
Bear Sylvester is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Dex Lee. Lee began filming for the role in June 2019 and Bear made his first appearance on 18 November 2019, in scenes that show him attending an interview to become the practice manager at the fictional Mill Health Centre. Bear's initial scenes show him struggling with the job for unknown reasons, but he is eventually diagnosed with dyslexia. He is also shown to have an issue with colleague Jimmi Clay and it transpires in the years prior to his arrival, Jimmi gave abortion advice to Bear's girlfriend.
Izzie Torres is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors. Izzie has been played by four actresses since her onscreen arrival; Jasmin and Nicole Parkinson between 2008 and 2011, Maizey Corbett in 2012, and Bethan Moore from 2018 to 2022. Her storylines in the programme have included being left in the Mill Health Centre as a baby, being kidnapped, her feud with Zara Carmichael, becoming an environmental activist, coming out as pansexual and being the victim of online trolling. When Moore was cast in the role, her age meant that Izzie could be given more mature storylines and she later received a nomination for the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer in 2019.
Luca McIntyre is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Ross McLaren. Luca is introduced to the series on 24 February 2021 following the departure of nurse Ayesha Lee the year prior. McLaren's acting credits confirmed that he had been contracted as a series regular on the soap. McLaren felt thrilled to be cast on Doctors and has described Luca as a cheeky and lovely character who would "go the extra mile" to help a patient. Luca's introduction sees him feature in a standalone centric episode that explores his background, including experiencing homophobia in his former workplace and suffering a car accident that ends the life of his boyfriend Billy Parker. His background also involves a religious upbringing and a bad relationship with his mother, and later scenes in the series reveal that Luca is HIV-positive, which he initially receives a negative response to from patients of the Mill Health Centre.
Scarlett Kiernan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Kia Pegg. Details surrounding Pegg's casting and Scarlett's characterisation were announced in March 2022. She was introduced on 7 April 2022 as an applicant for a receptionist position. Scarlett is depicted as a truthful and short-tempered person who shocks the staff at the Mill with her honesty. She is always shown to have a bright and clashing sense of style, something that Pegg was initially shocked by. Eventually, Pegg began liking the clothes which she felt had impacted her real-life wardrobe and she began suggesting clothes and accessories for Scarlett to wear. Scarlett is hired despite her "feisty attitude" and is initially shown to struggle with the job when she gives the staff members attitude and argues with patients. However, as she settles into the Mill, she befriends with her colleagues and show a more likeable side of herself, while also feuding with fellow newcomer Princess Buchanan.
Dr. Princess Buchanan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Laura White. Details surrounding her casting and Princess' characterisation were announced in February 2022. She was introduced on 2 March 2022 as a trainee doctor at Sutton Vale Surgery, as part of a storyline that sees the partners at the fictional Mill Health Centre perform a takeover of her surgery. Princess is initially depicted as a hardworking and ambitious doctor who is keen to learn medicine and progress her career, but over her tenure, she was developed into an antagonist on the soap. Her scheming included flirting with various staff members to further her career, manipulating Valerie Pitman and Sid Vere into completing work for her, covering up mistakes with patients and blackmailing Scarlett Kiernan, all of which contribute towards a suspension.
The twenty-fourth and final series of the British medical soap opera Doctors commenced airing on 10 January 2023, and concluded on 14 November 2024. The series comprised 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.
The twenty-third series of the British medical soap opera Doctors commenced airing on 14 February 2022, and concluded on 9 January 2023. The series comprised 148 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.
