Casualty (TV Series)
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Casualty (TV Series)
OR:
Casualty (TV Series) on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

''Casualty'' (stylised as ''CASUAL+Y'') is a British
medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...
series that airs weekly 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 ...
. Created by
Jeremy Brock Jeremy Brock MBE (born 1959) is a British writer and director whose works include the screenplays '' Mrs Brown'', ''Driving Lessons'', ''The Last King of Scotland'', '' Charlotte Gray'', and '' The Eagle''. Brock has also written two plays for ...
and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast in the United Kingdom 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 ...
on 6 September 1986. The original producer was
Geraint Morris Geraint Morris (28 March 1941 – 12 July 1997) was a profound Welsh film and television director and producer. His first work as a director was on ''The Onedin Line''. Later contributions included '' Sutherland's Law'', ''Barlow at Large'' ...
. Having been broadcast weekly since 1986, ''Casualty'' is the longest-running primetime medical drama series in the world. The programme is set in the fictional
Holby City Hospital Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, the setting for the BBC medical dramas '' Casualty'' and ''Holby City'', and the police drama '' HolbyBlue''. It is based on the real city of Bristol, where ''Casualty'' was formerly filmed, and i ...
and focuses on the staff and patients of the hospital's Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department. The show has strong ties to its sister programme '' Holby City'', which began as a spin-off series from ''Casualty'' in 1999, set in the same hospital. The final episode of ''Holby City'' was broadcast in March 2022. ''Casualty''s exterior shots were mainly filmed outside the Ashley Down Centre in Bristol from 1986 until 2002, when they moved to the centre of Bristol. In 2011, ''Casualty'' celebrated its 25th anniversary and moved production to the
Roath Lock Studios BBC Roath Lock Studios is a television production studio that houses BBC drama productions including ''Doctor Who'', '' Casualty'', and . The centre topped out on 20 February 2011 and filming for such productions commenced in autumn of the sam ...
in Cardiff, where it is currently filmed. The 1,000th episode of ''Casualty'' aired on 25 June 2016. A feature-length 30th anniversary episode of ''Casualty'' aired on 27 August 2016, episode 1 of series 31. For the series 31 finale, creator Paul Unwin returned to write a special episode which was entirely recorded in one take using only one camera, five boom operators and forty microphones. On 17 March 2020, production on the series was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
along with all other
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
shows; filming resumed in September 2020. When ''Casualty'' returned, it had a shorter duration time of 40 minutes rather than its usual 50 minutes. It was later confirmed that ''Casualty'' would return on 2 January 2021.


Creation

The series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. According to writer Susan Wilkins, it was meant to be a response to the
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
era, and Unwin said that as young
socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the eco ...
, they wanted to create a "television revolution" that would be
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
,
anti-racist Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and deliberate ...
, pro-
NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
and anti-
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
. The creators discussed this again as part of YouTube and Podcast Creator David Hackett’s The Journey series.


Production


Location

''Casualty'' and ''Holby City'' are both set in Holby City Hospital, in the fictional county of Wyvern, in the south-west of England. From the show's inception to series 26, episode 16, the city exterior was represented by
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, including well-known landmarks such as the
floating harbour Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It is the former natural tidal river Avon through the city but was made into its current form in 1809 when the tide was prevented from going out per ...
and
Clifton Suspension Bridge The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Avon Gorge and the River Avon, linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset. Since opening in 1864, it has been a toll bridge, the income from which provides f ...
often visible in outdoor scenes. The
City of Bristol College City of Bristol College is a further education and higher education college in Bristol, England. It provides courses for young people and adults aged 16 and above in areas such as: A Levels, Animal Care, Floristry, Horticulture, Applied Forensic ...
was used as the location for most exterior shots of the hospital from 1986 until 2002, when a new exterior set was built in Lawrence Hill Industrial Park in the city. Casualty has also filmed at
Chavenage House Chavenage House, Beverston, Gloucestershire is a country house dating from the late 16th century. The house was built in 1576 and is constructed of Cotswold stone, with a Cotswold stone tiled roof. David Verey and Alan Brooks, in their Gloucest ...
back in 1997. Following plans to switch filming to
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, it was confirmed on 26 March 2009 that filming of ''Casualty'' from 2011 would move to a purpose-built studio and
backlot A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction. Uses Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...
set at the BBC
Roath Lock BBC Roath Lock Studios is a television production studio that houses BBC drama productions including ''Doctor Who'', '' Casualty'', and . The centre topped out on 20 February 2011 and filming for such productions commenced in autumn of the sam ...
studios in
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
,
South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
. Episode 16 of series 26 marked the final episode filmed in Bristol, with a fire destroying the department. The first episode from Cardiff, broadcast on 7 January 2012, was an 80-minute episode. Most exterior shots of the city of Holby are now shot within the city of Cardiff and wider area of South Wales. Railway scenes are shot on location at various preserved railways, which from the start of shooting have centred around the
West Somerset Railway The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is a heritage railway line in Somerset, England. The freehold of the line and stations is owned by Somerset County Council; the railway is leased to and operated by West Somerset Railway plc (WSR plc); which i ...
, the Avon Valley Railway and more recently the
Barry Tourist Railway The Barry Tourist Railway (formerly the Barry Island Railway) is a railway developed to attract visitors to Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is a key element of the Barry Rail Centre which also includes engineering and training ...
. In May 2018, filming for the premier of series 33 was shot in Bristol and Yate.


Broadcast

The programme has usually been transmitted on Saturday nights, although for a period in the late 1980s and early 1990s it switched to Fridays. The first two series each consisted of 15 episodes; series 3 ran for 10 episodes (although one of those episodes was postponed following the death of its guest star,
Roy Kinnear Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was a British character actor. He was known for his roles in films such as The Beatles' ''Help!'' (1965), Clapper in '' How I Won the War'' (1967) and Planchet in ''The Three Musketeer ...
); series 4, 5 and 6 were 12, 13, and 15 episodes long respectively. The final episode of series 6, which focused on a plane crash, was postponed until February 1992, after being initially scheduled for transmission on 20 December 1991 – one day before the 3rd anniversary of the
Lockerbie disaster Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. The transatlantic leg of the route was operated by ''Clipper Maid of the Seas'', a Boeing ...
. When the show moved back to Saturday nights in September 1992, the series length was extended to 24 episodes per year, and placed in a pre-watershed slot at approximately 8pm. This initially caused some controversy due to the graphic and controversial nature of some of the storylines. In 1997–8, the episode number was increased again, with 26 episodes (including two 75-minute specials) making up series 12. Subsequent series each saw an increase in episodes; series 13 ran for 28 episodes, series 14 ran for 30 episodes, series 15 ran for 36 episodes, series 16 and 17 ran for 40 episodes and series 18 ran for 46 episodes. Since 2004, popularity of the show resulted in a switch from a traditional seasonal format (which had progressed from three months in its early years to around seven months by 2001) to an almost year-round production and transmission — each series from series 19 (2004/5) to 25 (2010/11) has lasted for 48 episodes. However, this figure was dropped to 42 for series 26, with no summer break, which was related to production moving from Bristol to
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
. Series 27 consists of 44 episodesan increase of 2 episodes on the previous series and returned to 48 for series 28. In addition, from series 26, the show also began broadcasting in August of their respective years, rather than start in September with a two-week break in late December. ''Casualty'' usually runs for 50 minutes between 20:0022:00 slot on BBC One. Special events such as the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
and sporting events sometimes see the schedule moved around. On most of these occasions, ''Casualty'' is taken off-air for the night to make way for alternative shows. It has been known in the past that if an episode is in two parts, part one will be aired on the Saturday and part two on Sunday. It is broadcast across Europe via
BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment is an international television channel broadcasting comedy, drama, light entertainment, reality and children's programming (some regions only) from the BBC, Channel 4 and other UK production houses. The channel broadcasts regi ...
on the same date.


Cast and characters

''Casualty'' follows the professional and personal lives of the medical and ancillary staff of Holby City Hospital's emergency department. It features an ensemble cast of regular characters, and began with ten main characters in its first series. The original characters are
consultant A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...
Ewart Plimmer (
Bernard Gallagher Bernard Gallagher (26 September 1929 – 27 November 2016) was an English actor known for his stage work, including with the National Theatre and the Royal Court; and his many appearances in television soap operas and dramas. He was born in Bra ...
),
senior house officer A senior house officer (SHO) is a non-consultant hospital doctor in the Republic of Ireland. SHOs are supervised in their work by consultants and registrars. In training posts these registrars and consultants oversee training and are usually their d ...
Baz Samuels (
Julia Watson Julia Watson (born 13 September 1953) is a British actress known for playing Barbara 'Baz' Wilder in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'' in 1986, 1995–98 and again from 2003 to 2004. Personal life Julia Watson was born on 13 September 1953 in ...
),
charge nurse Nursing management consists of the performance of the leadership functions of governance and decision-making within organizations employing nurses. It includes processes common to all management like planning, organizing, staffing, directing and ...
Charlie Fairhead Charlie Fairhead, played by Derek Thompson, is a fictional character from the BBC British medical drama ''Casualty''. He is the longest-serving character, having played the role of Charlie for over 36 years, and the only remaining original ch ...
( Derek Thompson), staff nurse
Clive King David Clive King (28 April 1924 – 10 July 2018) was an English author best known for his children's book ''Stig of the Dump'' (1963). He served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in the last years of the Second World War and then worked for t ...
( George Harris),
state enrolled nurse A licensed practical nurse (LPN), in much of the United States and Canada, is a nurse who cares for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled. In the United States, LPNs work under the direction of physicians, mid-level practition ...
Megan Roach ''Casualty'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 6 September 1986 on BBC1. The series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. It is set in the fictional Holby City Hospital, in the equally fictitious city of Hol ...
(
Brenda Fricker Brenda Fricker (born 17 February 1945) is an Irish actress, whose career has spanned six decades on stage and screen. She has appeared in more than 30 films and television roles. In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Awar ...
), student nurse
Lisa "Duffy" Duffin Lisa "Duffy" Duffin is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', played by Cathy Shipton. Duffy was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin as one of the serial's ten original characters. Shipton received her audition ju ...
(
Cathy Shipton Catherine Ellen Shipton (born 27 March 1957) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Lisa "Duffy" Duffin in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. After leaving the series in 2020, she has since appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera ...
),
paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
s
Sandra Mute ''Casualty'' is a British medical drama television series that has been broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom since 6 September 1986. The series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin and focuses on the fictional lives, both profess ...
and
Andrew Ponting ''Casualty'' is a British medical drama television series that has been broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom since 6 September 1986. The series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin and focuses on the fictional lives, both profess ...
(
Lisa Bowerman Lisa Bowerman (born 1 February 1962) is a British actress. She is best known for portraying Sandra Mute, the paramedic, in the BBC One medical drama ''Casualty'', in the first two series (1986–1987). She also starred as Professor Bernice Summe ...
and
Robert Pugh Robert Pugh (born 11 October 1950) is a Welsh actor, known for his many television appearances, including the role of Craster in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. Life and career Pugh was born in the Tynte, Mountain Ash and grew up in Cilf ...
), receptionist Susie Mercier (Debbie Roza) and porter Kuba Trzcinski (Christopher Rozycki). Currently, the regular cast consists of acting clinical lead
Dylan Keogh Dylan Keogh is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', played by William Beck. He first appeared in the twenty-fifth series episode "Only Human", broadcast on 12 March 2011. The character was introduced as a replacemen ...
( William Beck) and consultant
Ethan Hardy Ethan Hardy is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', played by actor George Rainsford. He first appeared in the series twenty-eight episode "Bad Timing", broadcast on 11 January 2014. Rainsford's casting was announced ...
( George Rainsford) and Stevie Nash (
Elinor Lawless Elinor Lawless is a Northern Irish actress, known for portraying the role of Stevie Nash in the BBC medical drama series ''Casualty (TV series), Casualty''. Prior to her role in ''Casualty'', Lawless appeared in various stage productions and BB ...
); foundation training doctor Rash Masum (
Neet Mohan Neet Mohan (born 11 November 1985) is an English actor, known for his role as PC Taz Ahmed on the Channel 4 series ''No Offence'' (2017) and Rash Masum, Dr. Rash Masum on the BBC One, BBC medical drama ''Casualty (TV series), Casualty'' (2017– ...
);
clinical nurse manager 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 ...
,
Jacob Masters Jacob Masters is a fictional character from the British medical drama ''Casualty'', played by Charles Venn. He made his first appearance during the twenty-ninth series episode "If You Could Bottle It", which was broadcast on 18 July 2015. Venn' ...
(
Charles Venn Charles Venn (born 24 June 1973), formerly known by the stage names Chucky Venice and Chucky Venn, is a British actor, known for his roles as Ray Dixon in ''EastEnders'', Jacob Masters in '' Casualty'', Curtis Alexander in Sky One's ''Dream Team ...
), senior
charge nurse Nursing management consists of the performance of the leadership functions of governance and decision-making within organizations employing nurses. It includes processes common to all management like planning, organizing, staffing, directing and ...
and
emergency nurse practitioner Emergency nursing is a specialty within the field of professional nursing focusing on the care of patients who require prompt medical attention to avoid long-term disability or death. In addition to addressing "true emergencies," emergency nurses i ...
Charlie Fairhead Charlie Fairhead, played by Derek Thompson, is a fictional character from the BBC British medical drama ''Casualty''. He is the longest-serving character, having played the role of Charlie for over 36 years, and the only remaining original ch ...
( Derek Thompson); advanced clinical practitioner Faith Cadogan (
Kirsty Mitchell Kirsty Loretta Mitchell (born 28 June 1974) is an award nominated Scottish actress, She is the Scottish voice of Mòrag Ladair in ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2''. In 2019, she began appearing in the BBC medical drama series '' Casualty'' as ACP Fait ...
); staff nurses
Robyn Miller Robyn Charles Miller (born August 6, 1966) is the co-founder of Cyan Worlds (originally Cyan) with brother Rand Miller. He served as co-designer of the popular computer game ''Myst'', which held the title of best-selling computer game from it ...
(
Amanda Henderson Amanda Henderson (born 26 September 1986) is a British actress, known for her role as Robyn Miller in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. She also appeared in the West End musical '' Oliver!'' and the 2012 film ''Les Misérables''. In 2015, she a ...
),
David Hide ''Casualty'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 6 September 1986 on BBC1. The series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. It is set in the fictional Holby City Hospital, in the equally fictitious city of Hol ...
(
Jason Durr Jason Durr (born 2 December 1967) is an English actor (although he also holds an Irish passport) of theatre, television and film. After trading at LAMDA he began his career with The Royal Shakespeare Company, later making his television debut a ...
) and Marty Kirkby (
Shaheen Jafargholi Shaheen Jafargholi ( fa, شاهین جعفرقلی; born 23 January 1997) is a Welsh actor and singer. In 2009, he finished in seventh place on the ITV competition series ''Britain's Got Talent''. Since then, he has portrayed the roles of Shak ...
); operational duty manager Jan Jenning (
Di Botcher Diane Botcher (born 2 June 1959) is a Welsh actress. She has starred in several British television sitcoms and dramas, including the Sky comedy drama '' Stella'', BBC comedies '' Little Britain'' and ''Tittybangbang'' and the ITV period drama ...
),
paramedics A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson), Teddy Jenning (Milo Clarke) and Sah (Arin Smethurst);. A survey published by ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' magazine in March 2004 found that ''Casualty'' has featured more future stars than any other UK soap or drama series. Actors who appeared in the show before wider success include Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom,
Minnie Driver Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in 1995's '' Circle of Friends''. She went on to star in a wide range of films including the cult classic '' Grosse ...
,
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...
,
Christopher Eccleston Christopher Eccleston (; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor. A two-time BAFTA Award nominee, he is best known for his television and film work, which includes his role as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series '' ...
,
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...
, Ashley Artus, Parminder Nagra, Caryn Edwards,
Sadie Frost Sadie Liza Frost (née Vaughan; born 19 June 1965) is an English actress, producer and fashion designer, who ran fashion label Frost French (until its closure in 2011) and a film production company (Blonde to Black Pictures). Early life Frost ...
,
Ray Winstone Raymond Andrew Winstone (; born 19 February 1957) is an English television, stage and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is perha ...
,
David Walliams David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Br ...
,
Jonny Lee Miller Jonathan Lee Miller (born 15 November 1972) is a British film, television and theatre actor. He achieved early success for his portrayal of Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson in the dark comedy-drama film '' Trainspotting'' (1996) and as Dade Murphy i ...
,
Martin Freeman Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Freeman's most not ...
,
Helen Baxendale Helen Victoria Baxendale (born 7 June 1970) is an English actress of stage and television, known for her roles as Rachel Bradley in the British comedy drama '' Cold Feet'' (1997–2003), and Emily Waltham in the American sitcom '' Friends'' (19 ...
,
Robson Green Robson Golightly Green (born 18 December 1964) is an English actor, angler, singer-songwriter and presenter. His first major TV role was as hospital porter Jimmy Powell in BBC drama series '' Casualty'' in 1989. He then went on to portray Fusi ...
and
Brenda Fricker Brenda Fricker (born 17 February 1945) is an Irish actress, whose career has spanned six decades on stage and screen. She has appeared in more than 30 films and television roles. In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Awar ...
. Discussing her 1993 appearance in ''Casualty'', Winslet told the ''Radio Times'': "In England, it almost seems to be part of a jobbing actor's training o appear in ''Casualty'' As far as I was concerned it was a great episode, a great part. Appearing in ''Casualty'' taught me a big lesson in how to be natural in front of the camera." In addition, the series has featured a variety of more established stars, including
Marina Sirtis Marina Sirtis (; born 29 March 1955) is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and four ''Star Trek'' feature films, as well as other appearances ...
,
Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless onscreen character often called Norman ...
,
Amanda Redman Amanda Jacqueline Redman, (born 12 August 1957) is an English actress, known for her roles as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman in the BBC One series '' New Tricks'' (2003–2013) and as Dr. Lydia Fonseca in ''The Good Karma Hospital'' ...
,
Anita Dobson Anita Dobson (born 29 April 1949) is an English stage, film and television actress, and singer. She is best known for her role from 1985 to 1988 as Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 1986, she reached number four in the UK Si ...
,
Jenny Seagrove Jennifer Ann Seagrove (born 4 July 1957) is an English actress. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and first came to attention playing the lead in a television dramatisation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's '' A Woman of Substance'' ...
,
Rula Lenska Rula Lenska (born Róża Maria Leopoldyna Łubieńska, 30 September 1947) is a British actress. She mainly appears in British stage and television productions and is known in the United States for a series of television advertisements in the 19 ...
,
Prunella Scales Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales (''née'' Illingworth; born 22 June 1932) is an English former actress, best known for playing Sybil Fawlty, wife of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), in the BBC comedy '' Fawlty Towers'', her nomination for a ...
,
Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...
,
Toyah Willcox Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English musician, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Willcox has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays an ...
,
Maureen Lipman Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...
,
Frances Barber Frances Barber (née Brookes, born 13 May 1958) is an English actress. She received Olivier Award nominations for her work in the plays '' Camille'' (1985), and ''Uncle Vanya'' (1997). Her film appearances include three collaborations with Gar ...
,
Andrew Sachs Andreas Siegfried Sachs (7 April 1930 – 23 November 2016), known professionally as Andrew Sachs, was a German-born British actor and writer. He made his name on British television and found his greatest fame for his portrayal of the comical Sp ...
,
Russ Abbot Russ Abbot (born Russell Allan Roberts; 18 September 1947) is an English musician, comedian and actor. Born in Chester, he first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black Abbots, la ...
,
Stephanie Beacham Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English television, film, radio and theatre actress. Although she has a wide number of credits to her name, Beacham is best known for for playing Sable Colby in the ABC soap operas ''The Colbys'' ...
,
Honor Blackman Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 58. (1962 ...
and
Michelle Collins Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is an English actress and TV presenter, best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''EastEnders'' and ''Coronation Street''. Collins played Cindy Beale in the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from ...
in cameo roles.


Home releases

The first three series of ''Casualty'' were released on DVD ''(Region 2, UK)'' by 2 Entertain/Cinema Club. The third was released to coincide with the show's 20th anniversary celebrations. In Australia the first series was released by Umbrella Entertainment. There are no future DVD releases planned at present for the UK or Australia.


International broadcast

Irish viewers can stream the series on the free
RTÉ Player RTÉ Player is an on demand video service provided by Irish public media broadcaster RTÉ. The service provides live and recorded RTÉ television programmes, and content exclusive to the player as well as content from other international broad ...
service. American viewers can watch the series on
Britbox BritBox is an online digital video subscription service, founded by BBC Studios and ITV plc, operating in nine countries across North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa.
, a subscription-based U.S. streaming service.


Adaptations and related media


''Holby City''

''Holby City'' began on 12 January 1999 as a spin-off from ''Casualty'' and is named after the fictional
Holby City Hospital Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, the setting for the BBC medical dramas '' Casualty'' and ''Holby City'', and the police drama '' HolbyBlue''. It is based on the real city of Bristol, where ''Casualty'' was formerly filmed, and i ...
in which both series are set. The show follows the lives and careers of staff and patients on the surgical wards of the hospital, and deals with a range of clinical and ethical issues. Similarly to ''Casualty'', the regular characters are all surgeons, nurses and other medical and ancillary staff, with patients played by guest actors, including famous names such as
Eric Sykes Eric Sykes (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor, and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and performed with many other leading com ...
, Phill Jupitus,
Michael Jayston Michael James (born 29 October 1935), known professionally as Michael Jayston, is an English actor. He played Nicholas II of Russia in the film ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971). He has also made many television appearances, which have include ...
,
Michele Dotrice Michele Dotrice (born 27 September 1948) is an English actress. She portrayed Betty Spencer, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, portrayed by Michael Crawford, in the BBC sitcom ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', which ran from 1973 to 1978, ...
,
Ronni Ancona Veronica "Ronni" Jane Ancona (born 4 July 1966)''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' is a British actress, comedian, impressionist and writer best known for '' The Big Impression'', which she co-wrote and starred in an ...
,
Emma Samms Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson MBE known professionally as Emma Samms, (born 28 August 1960) is an English actress and TV host, known for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera '' General Hospital'' and as the second actre ...
,
Lee Ryan Lee Ryan (born 17 June 1983) is an English singer, songwriter and actor, best known as a member of the boy band Blue. Ryan took part in the BBC series ''Strictly Come Dancing''. He was partnered with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova and was ...
,
Nikki Sanderson Nikki Ann Sanderson (born 28 March 1984) is an English actress and former glamour model who is known for playing Candice Stowe in the television soap opera '' Coronation Street'', Dawn Bellamy in '' Heartbeat'' and Maxine Minniver in ''Hollyo ...
and Johnny Briggs. The show was created by
Mal Young Mal Young (born 26 January 1957) is a British television producer, screenwriter and executive producer. Career Mersey TV Young began his career in graphic design. At age 27 he began working in television, on the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brook ...
and
Tony McHale Tony McHale (born Anthony John Wright, Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire) is a British actor, writer, director and producer, who is known for starring in ''Coronation Street'' and also known as a "stooge" to Jeremy Beadle on '' Game For A Laugh ...
, who became its
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
between 2007 and 2010. He was succeeded by Casualty executive producer Belinda Campbell.


''Casualty@Holby City''

Reflecting ''Holby City'' origins as a spin-off from ''Casualty'' and the closely related premises of the two programmes, the BBC has screened occasional crossover mini-dramas entitled ''Casualty@Holby City'', featuring a number of characters from each of the two casts. Mervyn Watson, former
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
of ''Casualty'', has commented on the origins of the idea to fully cross the two shows over for the first time: "I think the idea came from somebody in the comedy department, who casually said to the Controller of Drama 'Wouldn't it be a good idea if ...' The Controller did think it was a good idea, spoke to myself and Holby's executive producer, got it commissioned by the Head of
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 ...
and the rest is history." Filming of ''Casualty@Holby City'' episodes is usually divided between ''Casualty'''s Bristol set, and ''Holby City'' Elstree studios, although a large proportion of the Christmas 2005 crossover was also filmed on location in a road tunnel in
Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is ...
, Wales. The theme tune used for crossover episodes consists of a shortened version of both the ''Casualty'' and ''Holby City'' theme tunes, played over one another in sync, criticized by the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' for being "basically both theme tunes played at once." Interviewed before the Christmas 2005 crossover was broadcast, Watson commented on the future of ''Casualty@Holby City'': "We can't guarantee any crossovers for next year, but the audience likes them. And as long as the Controller of BBC One wants them, then we'll be happy to oblige." In November 2007, ''Holby City'' producer Diana Kyle added: "We like to do crossovers whenever we can, but it's tricky because both ''Holby City'' and ''Casualty'' film for 52 weeks a year, so the actors on each show have to work flat-out on their own programmes. We are trying to create more opportunities where the two dramas can merge, though." Another crossover was broadcast in 2010, with ''Casualty'' producer Oliver Kent commenting that the production teams enjoy airing crossovers, and that the difficulty in producing them is "purely logistics".


''HolbyBlue''

In April 2006, the BBC announced that a spin-off drama from the show, to be named ''
HolbyBlue ''HolbyBlue'' (also known as ''Holby Blue'') was a British police procedural drama series. The show revolves around the daily lives of a number of police officers working at Holby South police station. The cast for series one included Jimmy Ak ...
'', was in early stages of production. The series focuses on the police service of Holby South, and aired for the duration of its first series 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 ...
on Tuesday nights, with ''Holby City'' switching back to its former Thursday night slot at 8:00pm. Long running ''Casualty'' character
Charlie Fairhead Charlie Fairhead, played by Derek Thompson, is a fictional character from the BBC British medical drama ''Casualty''. He is the longest-serving character, having played the role of Charlie for over 36 years, and the only remaining original ch ...
appeared in ''HolbyBlues first episode, and a full two-part crossover episode with ''Holby City'' aired at the beginning of the show's second series. On 6 August 2008, the BBC announced that ''HolbyBlue'' has been axed after two series.


''Casualty 1900s''

In December 2006, the BBC broadcast a historical medical drama titled '' Casualty 1906'', reflecting life in the 'Receiving Room' ( A+E was a concept not yet developed) of the
Royal 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 s ...
100 years previously, based on historical hospital records and news reports of the time. A three-episode miniseries, titled ''
Casualty 1907 ''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''. It places the viewer in the Receiving Room of the London Hospital, in London's ...
'', was developed for broadcast in 2008. Although not a direct spin-off, nor set in the same fictional location, ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' has suggested "that this is BBC high-concept brand-extension at its very best", with the BBC using the popularity of and viewer familiarity with ''Casualty'' to launch a new historical drama — a conclusion
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
also asserted. A third series, ''Casualty 1908'', featuring
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 ...
, was also commissioned. On 25 March 2009, it was announced that the BBC would be airing '' Casualty 1909'', a six-part series which aired in June and July 2009.


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Casualty (TV series) 1986 British television series debuts 1980s British medical television series 1980s British television soap operas 1980s British workplace drama television series 1990s British medical television series 1990s British television soap operas 1990s British workplace drama television series 2000s British medical television series 2000s British television soap operas 2000s British workplace drama television series 2010s British medical television series 2010s British television soap operas 2010s British workplace drama television series 2020s British medical television series 2020s British television soap operas 2020s British workplace drama television series BBC Cymru Wales television shows BBC high definition shows BBC medical television shows BBC television soap operas English-language television shows Holby Lesbian-related television shows Television shows shot in Bristol Television shows set in England Television series by BBC Studios