Staying Alive (TV series)

Last updated

Staying Alive
Genre Medical drama
Written by
  • Neil McKay
  • Sam Snape
  • Helen Slavin
  • Louise Berridge
Directed by
Starring
Opening theme"Coming Around Again" by Carly Simon
Ending theme"Coming Around Again" by Carly Simon
Composer Warren Bennett
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom
Original language
  • English
No. of series2
No. of episodes12 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer Sally Head
Producer
Production locations Mapperley Hospital, Nottingham, England, UK
London, England, UK
Running time50 minutes
Production company
Original release
Network
Release1 November 1996 (1996-11-01) 
3 August 1997 (1997-08-03)

Staying Alive is a British television medical drama series written and created by Neil McKay, first broadcast on ITV on 1 November 1996. The series, which follows a group of student nurses working in a London hospital, starred Jessica Hynes, Amanda Royle and Susannah Wise in the title roles, alongside Paul Higgins, Sophie Okonedo, [1] Jenny Bolt, Sean Blowers and Ayub Khan-Din. [2] Co-produced and partially filmed in London, Staying Alive was one of the first ITV dramas to be co-produced between LWT and an international production company.

Contents

Across two series, a total of twelve episodes were broadcast. Episodes were broadcast at 9:00pm on Fridays as part of LWT's new-look slate of British drama. [3] For the second series, a number of new regular cast members were introduced, including Ian Fitzgibbon, Susan McArdle and Rupert Procter. In 1996, a docudrama series with the same name aired on Channel 4, following the lives of six people from different countries around the world infected by the HIV virus. Subsequently, there was some confusion as several TV listings magazines confused the two programmes in the listings guide. [4] Notably, the series has never been released on VHS or DVD.

Cast

Episodes

Series 1 (1996)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byBritish air date
1"The Good Doctor" Keith Boak Neil McKay1 November 1996 (1996-11-01)
2"Dark Virus"Keith BoakNeil McKay8 November 1996 (1996-11-08)
3"Maddening Revenge" James Hawes Neil McKay15 November 1996 (1996-11-15)
4"Curing the Health"James HawesNeil McKay22 November 1996 (1996-11-22)
Kelly is forced to face the music about her brother's accident. Michaela trashes Kelly's room, but is caught red-handed by Christopher, and she later admits to Kelly that Alan has a secret lovechild and has had many previous affairs. Felicity is suspicious when Alice and Suni arrive at work together. [5]
5"The Blood that Flows"David SkynnerNeil McKay29 November 1996 (1996-11-29)
Michaela continues to struggle with the knowledge of Alan's affair with Kelly. The atmosphere between Philip and Helen worsens after the fitting of his artificial leg. Alice is thrilled when Vincent asks her out for dinner. Cassandra arranges to meet Gordon to talk about their divorce, and discovers that he is optimistic they might get back together. [6]
6"Bad Medicine"David SkynnerNeil McKay6 December 1996 (1996-12-06)
Michaela continues to confide in Peter about Alan and Chris, but realises he is showing signs of recovery. Kelly tells Alan that she is going to have an abortion, but Alan begs her to reconsider. Having spent the night together, Cassie and Gordon look as though they may patch up their marriage. During the summer barbecue, Michaela makes her excuses and pays Peter a visit. [7]

Series 2 (1997)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byBritish air date
1"The Return"David SkynnerNeil McKay29 June 1997 (1997-06-29)
2"Placebo is Bigger than Before"David SkynnerSam Snape6 July 1997 (1997-07-06)
3"To Heal the Demon"Joanna HoggHelen Slavin13 July 1997 (1997-07-13)
4"The High Artery"Joanna HoggNeil McKay20 July 1997 (1997-07-20)
5"Be Clear on Cancer"David SkynnerHelen Slavin27 July 1997 (1997-07-27)
6"The End of Life"David SkynnerNeil McKay and Louise Berridge3 August 1997 (1997-08-03)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Hynes</span> British actress, writer (born 1972)

Tallulah Jessica Elina Hynes is a British actress, director and writer. Known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007, she was one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom Spaced.

<i>Guiding Light</i> American radio and television soap opera (1937–2009)

Guiding Light is an American radio and television soap opera. Guiding Light aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio between January 25, 1937, and June 29, 1956. With 72 years of radio and television runs, Guiding Light is the longest-running soap opera, ahead of General Hospital, and is the fifth-longest-running program in all of broadcast history; only the American country music radio program Grand Ole Opry, the BBC religious program The Daily Service (1928), the CBS religious program Music and the Spoken Word (1929), and the Norwegian children's radio program Lørdagsbarnetimen (1924–2010) have been on the air longer.

<i>As the World Turns</i> American television soap opera (1956–2010)

As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light. With 13,763 hours of cumulative narrative, As the World Turns has the longest total running time of any television show. In terms of continuous run of production, As the World Turns at 54 years holds the fourth-longest run of any daytime network soap opera on American television, surpassed only by General Hospital, Guiding Light, and Days of Our Lives. As the World Turns was produced for its first 43 years in Manhattan and in Brooklyn from 2000 until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimee Semple McPherson</span> Canadian-American evangelist and media celebrity (1890–1944)

Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson, also known as Sister Aimee or Sister, was a Canadian Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s, famous for founding the Foursquare Church. McPherson pioneered the use of broadcast mass media for wider dissemination of both religious services and appeals for donations, using radio to draw in both audience and revenue with the growing appeal of popular entertainment and incorporating stage techniques into her weekly sermons at Angelus Temple, an early megachurch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlton Television</span> ITV weekday service for London

Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Television as a single entity, but the two companies are still separately licensed. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc under the licensee of "ITV Broadcasting Limited". Carlton has been branded on air as "ITV1" since 28 October 2002. Carlton Television Ltd, the original holder of the licence, has since been dissolved. Carlton UK Television Limited however is now known as ITV Consumer Limited and legally operates ITV plc's websites. As Carlton's name has no relation to its region, its on-screen identity has been completely removed. Other regions have kept their original company name as a region name and in their local news name.

<i>Marvins Room</i> (film) 1996 American drama film

Marvin's Room is a 1996 American drama film directed by Jerry Zaks. The script was written by John Guare and based on the play of the same name by Scott McPherson, who died in 1992. McPherson had completed a screenplay for a film version before he died; however Guare was hired to update it when the film eventually started production years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dervla Kirwan</span> Irish actress

Dervla Kirwan is an Irish actress. She has received a number of accolades, including two IFTA Awards for her performances in the film Ondine (2009) and the RTÉ thriller series Smother (2021–2023) respectively.

Jim Norton is an Irish stage, film and television character actor, known for his work in the theatre, most notably in Conor McPherson's The Seafarer, and on television as Bishop Brennan in the sitcom Father Ted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Nedwell</span> British actor (1946–1999)

Robin Courteney Nedwell was an English actor, formally trained at Central School of Speech and Drama. He is best remembered for his role as Doctor Duncan Waring in the television comedy series Doctor in the House and its sequels including Doctor Down Under; although he was critically acclaimed for his performance in television series such as The Lovers, The Upchat Connection, The Climber and the ATV comedy-drama Shillingbury Tales. He also featured in several British films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanette Nolan</span> American actress (1911–1998)

Jeanette Nolan was an American actress. Nominated for four Emmy Awards, she had roles in the television series The Virginian (1962–1971) and Dirty Sally (1974), and in films such as Macbeth (1948).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Logan</span> Scottish actress (born 1956)

Phyllis Logan is a Scottish actress, widely known for her roles as Lady Jane Felsham in Lovejoy (1986–1993) and Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey (2010–2015). She won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for the 1983 film Another Time, Another Place. Her other film appearances include Secrets & Lies (1996), Shooting Fish (1997), Downton Abbey (2019) and Misbehaviour (2020).

Scott William Winters is an American actor.

<i>Dalziel and Pascoe</i> (TV series) British TV detective series

Dalziel and Pascoe is a British television crime drama based on the mystery novels of the same name, written by Reginald Hill. The series was first broadcast on 16 March 1996, with Warren Clarke being cast as Dalziel and Colin Buchanan being cast as Pascoe. The series is primarily set in the fictional town of Wetherton in Yorkshire, and "follows the work of two detectives who are thrown together as partners. Complete opposites. Different backgrounds, different beliefs, different styles. They get on each other's nerves. They are continually embarrassed by each other. But their differences make them a stunningly brilliant crime-solving team."

Fenella Justine Therese Woolgar is an English film, theatre, television and radio actress. She is known for her roles in various films including Bright Young Things (2003) and Victoria and Abdul (2017). She is also well known for TV shows, including Doctor Who, as crime novelist Agatha Christie, Inside Number 9, and Call the Midwife as Sister Hilda.

Nick Hern Books is a London-based independent specialist publisher of plays, theatre books and screenplays. The company was founded by the former Methuen drama editor Nicholas Hern in 1988.

<i>Sweet Revenge</i> (British TV series) British TV series or programme

Sweet Revenge is a two-part British television drama series, created and written by playwright Sandy Welch, that first broadcast on BBC1 on 15 October 2001. The series stars Paul McGann, Sophie Okonedo and Pam Ferris, and follows Patrick Vine (McGann), an enigmatic Professor, who, when not teaching History and Anthropology, runs a sideline in helping people get revenge. As a group of wronged Londoners employ Vine to help exact revenge upon those who have mistreated them, Ellen (Okonedo), who is seeking revenge on her cheating husband, gradually grows closer to Vine. The series was directed by actor David Morrissey.

<i>Casualty 1900s</i> British hospital drama spin-off miniseries

Casualty 1900s, broadcast in the U.S. as London Hospital, is a British hospital drama inspired by but otherwise unrelated to BBC One drama Casualty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David "Happy" Williams</span> Trinidadian jazz double-bassist (born 1946)

David "Happy" Williams, is a US-based Trinidadian jazz double-bassist, who was a long-time member of Cedar Walton's group. Williams has also worked with many other notable musicians, including Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Stan Getz, Kenny Barron, Duke Jordan, Monty Alexander, Frank Morgan, Hank Jones, Charles McPherson, Larry Willis, George Cables, Abdullah Ibrahim, David "Fathead" Newman, Sonny Fortune, John Hicks, Louis Hayes, Jackie McLean, Clifford Jordan, Abbey Lincoln, Ernestine Anderson, and Kathleen Battle.

<i>The Governor</i> (British TV series) British television drama series (1995–1996)

The Governor was an ITV television drama series that began in 1995 and ended in 1996, with just two series being broadcast. It was devised and written by Lynda La Plante, known for her hit television series Prime Suspect, which went on hiatus in the same year. Each episode of The Governor was forty-five minutes long, with the exception of the first episode which was double-length. La Plante felt that the series had reached a natural end and decided not to write any further episodes, therefore the last episode was broadcast on 27 April 1996, and ended with a cliffhanger that was not resolved. The series starred Janet McTeer and Derek Martin as prisoner governors Helen Hewitt and Gary Marshall respectively. The second season was shot in Ireland at various locations around Dublin including Wheatfield prison. The complete first series was released on DVD on 28 March 2011. The complete second series was released on 4 June 2012.

References

  1. https://www.rexfeatures.com/set/pages/633717?pg=2&timestamp=1514250279
  2. "Itvstudios".
  3. LWT Staying Alive promo - 1996. YouTube . Archived from the original on 9 December 2021.
  4. "Staying Alive".
  5. "Staying Alive[22/11/96] (1996)". Archived from the original on 10 May 2018.
  6. "Staying Alive[29/11/96] (1996)". Archived from the original on 10 May 2018.
  7. "Staying Alive[06/12/96] (1996)". Archived from the original on 9 May 2018.