''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 Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

''. It places the viewer in the Receiving Room of the

London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and Tower Hamlets and sp ...

, in London's

East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

. The drama is shot with the pace and action of its modern-day counterpart A&E. Every case and character is based on real cases, characters and events taken from the hospital records, nurses' ward diaries, and memoirs. It began with a single episode of ''Casualty 1906'', followed by three episodes of ''Casualty 1907'', and six episodes of ''Casualty 1909''.

Episodes

''Casualty 1907''

Episode one

Nurse Ada Russell has to decide whether or not to take the job of Ward

Sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

of Wellington

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

, as it threatens to spoil her engagement to Dr James Walton. The hospital is using a radical new technique, ultra-violet light, to treat skin disease caused by unsanitary living conditions in the

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...

visits with her sister the dowager empress of Russia to see the hospital.

Episode two

Probationer Ethel Bennett goes through a night of rising tension as she nurses Thomas Hooley, the injured docker whose leg wounds are not healing. She clashes with ward sister Ada Russell, who is overwhelmed by the strain of running of a large, busy ward and worried about her true feelings for her fiancé. Nobby Clark, leader of the violent Blind Beggar Gang, is hospitalised with alcoholic

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repai ...

of the liver, aged just 15. Driven mad by cravings and nightmares, his path crosses with Ada with unexpected results.

Episode three

With the hospital facing imminent financial collapse, chairman Sydney Holland launches an inspired campaign to raise money. The cost of building the modern city is revealed when workers on the new

Rotherhithe Tunnel The Rotherhithe Tunnel, designated the A101, is a road tunnel under the River Thames in East London, connecting Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets north of the river to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark south of the ...

are admitted with agonising diver's bends. Ethel, working in the receiving room, contracts

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

from a patient.

''Casualty 1909''

Episode one

Revolution grips the East End as an explosion brings fears of a bomb, and Ethel Bennett and Dr

Millais Culpin Millais Culpin FRCS (6 January 1874 in Ware, Hertfordshire – 14 September 1952 in St Albans, Hertfordshire) was an English physician and psychotherapist. He appears as a character in the ''Casualty 1907'' and ''Casualty 1909'' television serie ...

struggle to control the angry victims. When detectives arrive, Matron Luckes and Chairman Sydney Holland fear the hospital is in danger of becoming an extension of Scotland Yard. Meanwhile, Sister Ada Russell battles with irascible star surgeon Mr Henry Dean, whose addiction to cocaine is an open secret. And ambitious young Dr Ingrams faces catastrophe in the operating theatre.

Episode two

A scandal brews as Nurse Goodley suspects that Mr Dean is ignoring the terrible side-effects of a new anaesthetic, and battles internally as whether she should risk everything and turn whistleblower. Sister Ada Russell copes with her first day in reception following reassignment. Nurse Bennett fears that her secret alliance with Dr Culpin has been discovered when Matron Luckes sends her into private nursing.

Episode three

The strain of being 'married to the hospital' takes its toll on Sister Ada Russell, as she nears collapse. On one of the London's Jewish wards, Nurse Goodley finds herself increasingly drawn to the charismatic radical Saul Landau – but Saul has a life-threatening illness.

Episode four

Sister Russell discovers the secret of probationer Nellie Bowers when she catches her sneaking out to see a mysterious young man. The London admits a woman brought in wearing pauper's clothes yet with silk underwear underneath. Meanwhile, the brilliant pioneer Dr

Henry Head Sir Henry Head, FRS (4 August 1861 – 8 October 1940) was an English neurologist who conducted pioneering work into the somatosensory system and sensory nerves. Much of this work was conducted on himself, in collaboration with the psychiatrist ...

commits to performing a dangerous experiment on himself.

Episode five

Dr Culpin is powerless to help when Ethel Bennett rushes to her dying brother in a naval hospital. Star surgeon Mr Dean faces destruction through his cocaine addiction. Sister Russell breaks the strict rules of Matron Luckes when she sneaks out of the London to help a young mother.

Episode six

All the secrets burst open, as Matron Luckes clashes with Sister Russell for leaving the London to help a family in the slums, while Dr Culpin clashes with Bennett for giving up studying to be a doctor. Mr Dean, supposedly clean, returns to work in the Operating Theatre. In the dead of night a

sweatshop A sweatshop or sweat factory is a crowded workplace with very poor, socially unacceptable or illegal working conditions. Some illegal working conditions include poor ventilation, little to no breaks, inadequate work space, insufficient lighting, o ...

catches fire, bringing in scores of injured children, and the staff struggle to avert tragedy.

Medicine as portrayed in ''Casualty 1900s''

Casualty 1900s portrays the use of early

anesthesia Anesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prevention of pain), paralysis (muscle relaxation), ...

, predominately

chloroform Chloroform, or trichloromethane, is an organic compound with chemical formula, formula Carbon, CHydrogen, HChlorine, Cl3 and a common organic solvent. It is a colorless, strong-smelling, dense liquid produced on a large scale as a precursor to ...

and

ether In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula , where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be c ...

, the first standardised use of

spinal anesthesia Spinal anaesthesia (or spinal anesthesia), also called spinal block, subarachnoid block, intradural block and intrathecal block, is a form of neuraxial regional anaesthesia involving the injection of a local anaesthetic or opioid into the subara ...

, and the growing need for trained

anesthetist Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicin ...

s. No electronic equipment means doctors have to physically check a patient's

pulse In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the nec ...

during surgery.

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...

is largely based on the Silvester Method in which a patient's arms are raised above their head and then back down in an effort to stimulate muscles. With

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...

still undiscovered, infections such as

Erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...

are largely incurable. Emphasis is placed on keeping wards and operating theatres clean. The effectiveness of the anti-streptococcus serum that cures Ethel's scarlet fever was reported in the

Journal of the American Medical Association ''The Journal of the American Medical Association'' (''JAMA'') is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 48 times a year by the American Medical Association. It publishes original research, reviews, and editorials covering all aspects of bio ...

in 1897. The hospital is shown to have an X-ray room complete with

X-ray machine An X-ray machine is any machine that involves X-rays. It may consist of an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector. Examples include: *Machines for medical projectional radiography *Machines for computed tomography *Backscatter X-ray machines, used ...

. At the time protection against

radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...

emitted from such a machine was inadequate, little more than a thick pair of gloves was standard. Earnest Wilson, portrayed by Jason Watkins, was one of Britain's first

radiologists Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiatio ...

and is shown with

burns Burns may refer to: * Burn, an injury (plural) People: * Burns (surname), includes list of people and characters Business: * Burns London, a British guitar maker Places: ;In the United States * Burns, Colorado, unincorporated community in Eagle ...

to both hands due to the unsafe levels with which he must work. Nurse Bennett's dream of becoming a doctor meant facing a challenge, but not an impossibility.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (9 June 1836 – 17 December 1917) was an English physician and suffragist. She was the first woman to qualify in Britain as a physician and surgeon. She was the co-founder of the first hospital staffed by women, ...

, the first woman in Great Britain to graduate from medical school, began to practice in 1865. The London School of Medicine for Women was founded in 1874.

Broadcast

''Casualty 1907'' was broadcast on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

. After the initial broadcast of each episode, they were repeated four days afterwards but only in certain areas. ''Casualty 1909'' was broadcast on Sunday nights through June and July 2009 at 9pm on

and – a first for the Casualty 1900s series –

BBC HD BBC HD was a 24-hour high-definition television channel provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007 before its discontinuation on 26 March 2013. It broadcast ...

. Episodes were repeated on

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

a couple of months after their original broadcast. February 2011 saw the series broadcast on BBC Entertainment in Europe, South Africa, U.A.E & Israel as

DVD release

The complete ''Casualty 1900s'' series has been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK. The DVD comprises ''Casualty 1906'', ''Casualty 1907'' and ''Casualty 1909''.

Cast

''Casualty 1906''

*Tim Baker as Begging Boy *

Paul Brightwell Paul Brightwell is an English actor and director. He has acted in many different plays, films and TV shows since the late 1980s. Theatre direction includes the British premieres of Heiner Muller's '' Hamletmachine'' at the Gate Notting Hill, and ...

as Mr. Hills *Nigel Cooke as Dr. Burgess *Dorothy Duffy as Nurse Rafferty * Bella Emberg as Mrs. Hard Up *

Nicholas Farrell Nicholas C. Frost (born 1955), known professionally as Nicholas Farrell, is an English stage, film and television actor. Education Farrell was educated at Fryerns Grammar and Technical School in Basildon, Essex, followed by the University of ...

as Sydney Holland *Ronnie Fox as Policeman *

Fiona Gillies Fiona Gillies (born 19 June 1966) is a British actress who has appeared in feature films, on television and the stage. She first appeared in the 1988 version of ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' as Beryl Stapleton. A year later she appeared in ...

as Minnie Piatkov *Colin Heber-Percy as Gould *Rebecca Johnson as Sister Spencer * Hattie Ladbury as Miss Kenneally *

Elliot Levey Elliot Levey (born 6 December 1973) is an Olivier award winning actor. Career Olivier award winner for the role of Herr Shultz in Cabaret.known for his work in British Theatre, he has performed at the Donmar Warehouse, Almeida and National Th ...

as Abe Goldman *

Cherie Lunghi Cherie Mary Lunghi (born 4 April 1952) is an English film, television, and theatre actress, known for her roles in many British TV dramas. Her international fame stems from her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film ''Excalibur''. Her long list of ...

as Matron

Eva Luckes Eva Charlotte Ellis Luckes (8 July 1854 – 16 February 1919) was Matron of The London Hospital from 1880 to 1919. Early life Eva Abigail Charlotte Ellis Luckes (she herself spelled her name Lückes with the umlaut) was born in Exeter, Devo ...

*John Maude as Sailor *

Tamzin Merchant Tamzin Merchant (born 4 March 1987) is an English actress and author, best known for her roles as Georgiana Darcy in the film ''Pride & Prejudice'' (2005), as Catherine Howard in the Showtime series ''The Tudors'' (2009–2010) and as Anne Hal ...

as Probationer Eastwood *

Cathy Murphy Parents :father Patrick Murphy from kilmichael, Co. Cork, Ireland. Catherine McKevitt Murphy (born 7 August 1967) is a British actress. She is known for her television roles as Tilly Watkins in the BBC drama ''The House of Eliott'' (1991–1994 ...

as Mrs. Sarah Hills *Connor Quilty as Teddy * Tom Riley as Dr. James Walton *

Sarah Smart Sarah Smart (born 3 March 1977) is an English actress. Early life Smart was born on 3 March 1977 in Birmingham, England and lived in Northfield until 1987. She was a pupil of St Paul's School for Girls in Birmingham. Career Her career star ...

as Nurse Ada Russell *

Hywel Simons Hywel Simons (born 10 February 1970) is a British actor from Neath, Wales. Born in Neath, he was brought up in Porthcawl. He started acting while a pupil at Porthcawl Comprehensive School, before he went on to study at LAMDA. Simons first T ...

as Dr. Lawes *

David Troughton David Troughton (born 9 June 1950) is an English actor. He is known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage and for his many roles on British television, including Dr Bob Buzzard in ''A Very Peculiar Practice'' and Ricky Hanson in ''Ne ...

as Hurry Fenwick *Katie Ventress as Nurse Mary Green *

Jason Watkins Jason Watkins (born 28 October 1962) is an English stage, film and television actor. He played the lead role in the two-part drama ''The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies'', for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He has also ...

as Ernest Wilson *Lyall B. Watson as Hard Up *Antonia Willans as Polly *Mike Lockley as Doctor *Adam Sarath as Patient *Jasmine Lundon as Singing Patient *Joshua Lundon as Singing Patient

''Casualty 1907''

Alfie Allen Alfie Evan Allen (born 12 September 1986) is an English actor. He portrayed Theon Greyjoy on all eight seasons of the HBO fantasy series '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Out ...

as Nobby Clark *

Leah Bracknell Alison Rosalind Bracknell (12 July 1964 – 15 September 2019), known professionally as Leah Bracknell, was an English actress who played the role of Zoe Tate in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (1989–2005), for which she was nominated for the ...

as Mrs Turner *

as Sydney Holland *

Neil Fitzmaurice Neil Simon Fitzmaurice (born 20 August 1969) is an English actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Jeff, the love rival of protagonist Mark Corrigan, in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Peep Show''. He has written for a number of ot ...

as Thomas Hooley *

William Houston William Churchill Houston ( 1746 – August 12, 1788), a Founding Father of the United States, was a teacher, lawyer and statesman. Houston served as a delegate representing New Jersey in both the Continental Congress and Constitutional Conventi ...

as Dr.

Dominic Jephcott Dominic Jephcott (born 1957) is a RADA-trained English actor and writer. He is known for his work in ''The Beiderbecke Affair'', ''The Beiderbecke Connection'', '' Midsomer Murders'', and in '' Holby City'' and ''Casualty'', as the adulterous Doc ...

as Bedford Fenwick *Lilli Ella Kelleher as Dora *

Lydia Leonard Lydia Leonard (born 5 December 1981) is a British stage, film and television actress, best known for her roles in the television series '' Bring Up the Bodies'', '' Ten Percent'' and ''The Crown''. Early life and education Leonard was born in ...

as Laura Goodley *Mike Lockley as Doctor *

Matron Matron is the job title of a very senior or the chief nurse in several countries, including the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and other Commonwealth countries and former colonies. Etymology The chief nurse, in other words the person ...

*Jessica Mullins as Maud *Youkti Patel as Corisande Veveers * Tom Riley as Dr. James Walton * Lewis Robinson as Reggie *

as Dr Lawes *

as Ada Russell *

Adam Sopp Adam Michael Richard Sopp (born 27 August 1986) is a British actor, known for his role as teenager Darren Clarke in the long-running BBC school drama, ''Grange Hill'', from 1999 to 2002. Career He has also appeared in daytime soap opera ''Docto ...

as Frank Gorman *

as Mr Hurry Fenwick * Charity Wakefield as Ethel Bennet

''Casualty 1909''

Main characters

as Matron

as Sister Ada Russell *

Will Houston William Houston (born 19 July 1968), sometimes credited as Will Houston, is an English actor. Early life and career Born in Sussex, he grew up in Northern Ireland. Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, Houston has played many le ...

as Dr

as Chairman Sydney Holland * Charity Wakefield as Nurse Ethel Bennet *

as Hurry Fenwick * Paul Hilton as Henry Percy Dean *

as Nurse Laura Goodley * Tom Hughes as Dr Harry Ingrams *

Anton Lesser Anton Lesser (born 14 February 1952) is an English actor. He is well known for his roles as Qyburn in the HBO series '' Game of Thrones'', as Thomas More in ''Wolf Hall'', as Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in ''The Crown'', as Prime Ministe ...

as Dr

* Tessa Parr as Nellie Bowers * Andrew Readman as Ernest Morris *

Jo Hartley Joanne Victoria Hartley (born 12 March 1972) is an English actress born in Oldham, Lancashire who has appeared in the films ''The Young Victoria'', ''Eddie the Eagle'', ''Slaughterhouse Rulez'' and '' Torvill & Dean'' and in British television ...

as Anna * Rebecca Johnson as Sister Spencer *

Aidan McArdle Aidan McArdle (born 1970) is an Irish actor. Early life McArdle was born in Dublin. He studied for an Arts degree at University College Dublin before going on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. Career First r ...

as Saul Landau * Imogen Bain as Mrs Anderson *

Eleanor Bron Eleanor Bron (born 14 March 1938) is an English stage, film and television actress, and an author. Her film roles include Ahme in the Beatles musical ''Help!'' (1965), the Doctor in '' Alfie'' (1966), Margaret Spencer in '' Bedazzled'' (1967), a ...

as Miss De Burgh

Supporting characters

Kenneth Colley Kenneth Colley (born 7 December 1937) is an English film and television actor whose career spans over 60 years. He came to wider prominence through his role as Admiral Piett in the '' Star Wars'' films ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and '' ...

as Frederick Smith * Dorothy Atkinson as Nurse Granger * Eamon Geoghegan as Hospital Steward *

Aimee-Ffion Edwards Aimee-Ffion Edwards (born 21 November 1987) is a Welsh actress and singer. She is known for playing Sketch in '' Skins'', Esme Shelby in ''Peaky Blinders'', Sophie in '' Detectorists'' and Abi in '' Loaded''. She also had a starring voice role ...

as Deborah Lynch *

Kate Fleetwood Kate Fleetwood (born 24 September 1972) is an English actress. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Lady Macbeth in ''Macbeth'', which first opened at Chichester Festival Theatre and was transferred to the West End and Bro ...

as Grace Barnes *

Clare Higgins Clare Frances Elizabeth Higgins (born 10 November 1955) is an English actress. Her film appearances include ''Hellraiser'' (1987), '' The Worst Witch'' (2017 - 2020) '' Hellbound: Hellraiser II'' (1988), ''Small Faces'' (1996) and ''The Golden ...

as Mrs Ramsbury * Amy Stratton as Mrs Tabard *

Jon Lolis Jon or Leonidas Lolis is an Albanian/Greek actor who is most noted for his role of Aleksander Malota in British Channel 4 soap ''Hollyoaks''. He played the estranged husband of Jacqui McQueen who fell in love with her younger sister Carmel. Jo ...

as Stepanovs * John Davies as Uncle Mick *

Grace Cassidy Grace May Cassidy (born 24 March 1993) is an English actress. She began her career as a child actress in the BBC One drama '' The Chase'' (2006–2007), the CBBC series ''Grange Hill'' (2007–2008), and the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2009– ...

as Teenage Girl *

David de Keyser David de Keyser (22 August 1927 – 20 February 2021) was an English actor and narrator. Life and career Born in London in August 1927, in the mid-sixties de Keyser worked twice with the writer, actor and director Jane Arden (director), Jane A ...

as Mr Fischoff * Caroline Harding as Edith Dean * Lisa Brookes as Nurse Ansett * Jennie Stoller as Mrs Gold *

Tim Woodward Timothy Oliver Woodward (born 24 April 1953) is an English actor. Tim Woodward was born in Kensington, London, England, the son of actors Edward Woodward and Venetia Barrett. He was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College. He is pr ...

as DSI Hatton * Christopher Wright as Mr Knopf * Colin Tierney as Prescott

References

External links

*
Stone City Films
* {{Holby BBC television dramas 2009 British television series debuts 2000s British medical television series Fiction set in 1906 Fiction set in 1907 Fiction set in 1909 2000s British drama television series Television series set in the 1900s Television shows set in London