Doctors (2000 TV Series)
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''Doctors'' is a British
medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
, first 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 ...
on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional
West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff of both an
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 " ...
doctor's surgery A doctor's office in American English, a doctor's surgery in British English, or a doctor's practice, is a medical facility in which one or more medical doctors, usually general practitioners (GP), receive and treat patients. Description Doc ...
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 Pebble Mill Studios was the BBC's television studio complex located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, which served as the headquarters for BBC Birmingham from 1971 until 2004. The nine-acre site was opened by Princess Anne o ...
until 2004; production then relocated to the BBC Drama Village. Episodes are filmed three months prior to transmission. The soap is typically broadcast on weekdays at 1:45 pm on BBC One and takes three annual transmission breaks across the year; at Easter, during the summer and at Christmas. Since its inception, ''Doctors'' has consistently won the share of viewers in its daytime time slot, and as of 2022, it averages at 1.6 million live viewers in its daytime broadcast. The programme has been nominated for and won numerous awards, with critics praising them for tackling issues that are considered to be controversial and
taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
issues in
British culture British culture is influenced by the combined nations' history; its historically Christian religious life, its interaction with the cultures of Europe, the traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and the impact of the British Empire. ...
and social life that are typically unseen on British television. Earlier episodes of ''Doctors'' featured a noticeably smaller cast, with episodes more self-contained. However, as the episode output heightened, the cast also increased to include more continuing storylines. The longest serving cast member is currently Adrian Lewis Morgan, who was cast in the role of
Jimmi Clay Dr. Jimmi Clay is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Adrian Lewis Morgan. The actor joined the cast shortly after his role in ''Holby City'' came to an end. Morgan was a fan of the soap and was pleased to ...
in 2005. Alongside its regular cast, ''Doctors'' features numerous guest characters who typically appear in an episode as part of a self-contained "story of the day". Series producer Peter Eryl Lloyd estimated that at least 800 guest stars are contracted on the soap per year. Due to the large number of actors who have made a guest appearance, ''Doctors'' has gained a reputation for becoming "a British actor's rite of passage".


Production


Creation and time slot

''Doctors'' is produced by
BBC Birmingham BBC Birmingham is one of the oldest regional arms of the BBC, located in Birmingham. It was the first region outside London to start broadcasting both the corporation's radio (in 1922) and television (in 1949) transmissions, the latter from th ...
and is screened 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 ...
. It was created by Chris Murray, with
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 ...
as the original executive producer. Musician
Paul Hemmings Paul Jeremy Hemmings is an English musician and photographer. Hemmings is a supporter of Everton F.C Career He played with The La's, Mike Badger and The Onset and Ian Broudie and the Lightning Seeds. He is also a partner in Liverpool's indepen ...
was hired to compose the theme music for the opening and closing titles. When the series premiered, Jane Lush, the BBC's head of daytime programming, felt that commissioning ''Doctors'' was an ambitious move. She thought that the series offered something new and that viewers would not realise they would want a series like ''Doctors'' until they had seen it. Lush noted that despite its serial element, the premise of the programme meant that people could "dip in and out" since the core cast would stay the same and the episodes would be self-contained. Young echoed Lush's comments and said that he had wanted to create a daytime drama series long before his involvement with ''Doctors''. Young felt that the previously unfilled daytime slot would be good for the series due to there being an increase of remote workers in 2000. ''Doctors'' was originally shown at 12:30 pm as a lead-in to ''BBC News at One''. For a brief trial period in mid-2000, certain episodes from the first series were shown on Fridays at 7:00 pm, but due to rival soap ''
Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...
'' being transmitted at the same time, ''Doctors'' suffered from low ratings, and was instead trialled in a 2:10 pm time slot. The series later moved into its current timeslot of 1:45 pm in 2008. Cast member
Diane Keen Diane Keen (born 29 July 1946) is an English actress, known for her portrayal of Fliss Hawthorne in the Granada sitcom '' The Cuckoo Waltz'' and Julia Parsons on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. She also appeared in Nescafé advertisements from ...
opined that ''Doctors'' should be broadcast in a primetime slot, but Liam Keelan, controller of BBC Daytime schedules, commented: "its true home will always be as a hugely appreciated early afternoon drama". In a 2010 review of BBC continuing dramas, it was reported by
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
that ''Doctors'' regularly won the largest share in its time slot, and attracted consistent audience numbers, with an average of 2 million viewers per episode. In 2020, executive producer
Mike Hobson Mike Hobson is a British television producer, known for his work on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'' and the BBC drama series ''WPC 56''. Career Hobson made his professional debut in the television industry in 1995 as a second assistant directo ...
was asked by Allison Jones of '' Inside Soap'' if he would consider a late-night time slot, to which he commented: "for our audience, we sit quite nicely". He felt that if the soap was shown at nighttime, producers would "still tackle all the powerful subject matters hey do now and that seeing more sexual or swearing scenes would not add to the quality of the programme". In February 2022, it was announced that alongside its transmission at 1:45 pm on BBC One, episodes would be repeated at 7:00 pm on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
.
Kate Oates Kate Oates (born 1979 or 1980) is a British television producer, who was born in Nottingham and graduated from Warwick University. She began her career working as a researcher and editorial assistant for Germaine Greer, before becoming a script ...
, head of continuing drama at the BBC, said that her motivation to give ''Doctors'' a primetime evening slot was to give the programme a push for a new audience. The change took place from 7 March 2022. Despite being billed as a permanent change, the BBC Two repeats were dropped from the schedule after two months.


Filming and locations

Since the programme's inception, ''Doctors'' has filmed episodes three months in advance of broadcast. The episodes are filmed from January to November, and due to the effect weather has on the output, producers implement "seasonal episodes" to give the impression that the soap is set in real time. Episodes are filmed in groups of three, described as a "block". Each of the blocks have the same production crew and it takes seven days to shoot each block. Usually, two blocks are filmed at once, although, there are instances where three blocks are filmed at once. When there are three blocks being filmed, the regular cast members can be filming up to nine episodes within the same period of time. On his experience on the soap, former cast member
Christopher Timothy Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει ...
said: "The budget was a joke and the pressure more intense than anything I'd ever experienced. But it was six years of great fun". Each of the regular cast members are allocated a private dressing room, while guests and recurring cast are given a shared dressing room behind the wardrobe department. From 2000 to 2004, ''Doctors'' was filmed at the BBC's former
Pebble Mill Pebble Mill Studios was the BBC's television studio complex located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, which served as the headquarters for BBC Birmingham from 1971 until 2004. The nine-acre site was opened by Princess Anne on ...
studios in
Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family an ...
. The series used space originally occupied by ''
Pebble Mill at One ''Pebble Mill at One'' is a British television magazine programme that was broadcast live on weekdays at one o'clock on BBC1, from 2 October 1972 to 23 May 1986, and again from 14 October 1991 to 29 March 1996. It was transmitted from the Peb ...
''. A set was built especially for the series, with the BBC hoping that the series would become a "fixture of daytime schedules" like fellow BBC soap ''
Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
''. After the closure of Pebble Mill, BBC Birmingham moved to a smaller production base in Birmingham City Centre which had no studio space for the show. In 2004, production moved again to the BBC Drama Village development in
Selly Oak Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harborn ...
. To explain the transition between locations on screen, the soap featured a storyline in which the Riverside Health Centre, named after the series' original production home, is destroyed by an explosion, prompting the move to the Mill Health Centre. Alongside the Mill, which is filmed in Melville House, other regular locations include Letherbridge Police Station and the Icon Bar (filmed in Barrow-Cadbury House), the University of Letherbridge's Campus Surgery (filmed in Archibald House), St Phils Hospital (filmed outside of the Orchard Learning Resources Centre), HMP Letherbank Prison and Sutton Vale surgery (filmed in Wallis House/St Andrew's Hall). In 2022, BBC Birmingham announced that its base and all of its productions would be moving from Selly Oak to Digbeth in 2026.


Annual breaks

''Doctors'' takes two holiday-related annual breaks; at Easter and Christmas. On 4 June 2016, it was confirmed that ''Doctors'' was to take a three-month transmission break from 10 June 2016; the first long break since 2006. It was replaced by coverage of
UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
,
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...
,
Rio 2016 Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
and '' Red Rock''. The series returned on 30 August 2016. It has since taken annual breaks during the summer. It was later explained that the break is implemented so that the cast and crew have enough time to produce episodes to air throughout the rest of the year due to the small budget given to the programme; having the series not air during the summer allows for them to catch up with the pace of production.


History


2000–2016: ''Decade of Doctors'' and 3000 episodes

The first episode of ''Doctors'' was transmitted on 26 March 2000. In 2002, episodes received an average of 2.5 million viewers. Young departed from the position of executive producer on 6 April 2005, with Will Trotter assuming the position from the next day. In April 2006, ''Doctors'' aired the first same-sex wedding on British television when characters Greg Robinson ( Ben Jones) and
Rico Da Silva The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was en ...
(
Felix D'Alviella Felix D'Alviella (born 30 September 1978) is a Belgian actor best known for his character Rico Da Silva in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Along with Greg Robinson ( Ben Jones), the characters had the first gay wedding on British televisio ...
) got married. In 2009, the episode which reached the highest ratings in ''Doctors'' history was "Restraint" which was aired on 31 March. The episode saw
Ruth Pearce Ruth Pearce may refer to: * Ruth Pearce (diplomat), Australian diplomat * Ruth Pearce (sociologist) (born 1986), British sociologist *Ruth Pearce (Doctors) Ruth Pearce is an Australian diplomat ambassador in Honiara, Moscow - with accreditation ...
(
Selina Chilton Selina Chilton (born 1981) is an English actress. After making appearances in various stage productions including ''The Taming of the Shrew'', '' Can-Can'' and '' Marianne Dreams'', she was cast in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. She appeared ...
) admitted to a psychiatric hospital after developing an obsession over colleague and friend
Michelle Corrigan Michelle Corrigan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Donnaleigh Bailey. She first appeared in the episode broadcast on 8 June 2006 when she is hired at the fictional Mill Health Centre to replace Faith ...
(Donnaleigh Bailey). Another episode in 2009 that reached 3.4 million viewers was "Cold Comfort", which was the last episode aired in 2009; it involved the Christmas party, which saw
Lily Hassan Dr. Lily Hassan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Seeta Indrani, who made her first appearance on 28 October 2008. Her backstory involves going from a rebel in her youth to reinventing herself and achi ...
's (
Seeta Indrani Seeta Indrani (born 20 April 1963) is an English dancer and actress. Biography Performance After graduation as a dancer from the London Contemporary Dance School, Indrani took the role of Cassandra in the original 1981 West End production o ...
) marriage proposal to
Heston Carter Dr. Heston Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Owen Brenman. He made his first appearance in 2008, and he continued to appear until 2018, when Brenman left ''Doctors'', with Heston being killed i ...
(
Owen Brenman Owen Brenman (born 17 December 1956, in London) is an English actor best known for his role as next-door neighbour Nick Swainey in the multi-award-winning BBC sitcom '' One Foot in the Grave'', which ran for ten years (1990–2000) and was wri ...
) turned down. On 26 March 2010, ''Doctors'' celebrated its 10th anniversary and 1800th episode. Under the title ''Decade of Doctors'', the BBC aired five-minute episodes about the series after each day's episode during the anniversary week. In each episode, cast and crew members talked about topics including the conception of the series, their favourite storylines and facts about ''Doctors''. That year, the highest watched episode received 2.9 million viewers. The average for the year was 2 million viewers. On 16 February 2011, ''Doctors'' aired its 2000th episode titled "Quarantine", which was extended and ran for 60 minutes. From 17 September 2012 for 5 days, special red button episodes aired after the regular episodes, focusing on the conclusion of the
Harrison Kellor ''Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fiction ...
(
James Larkin James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party along with James Connolly and Willia ...
) storyline, exploring
Elaine Cassidy Elaine Cassidy (born 31 December 1979) is an Irish actress. She is best known for playing DC Dinah Kowalska in ''No Offence'', Abby Mills in the American television series ''Harper's Island'' for CBS, Felicia in '' Felicia's Journey'', Runt in ...
(
Janet Dibley Janet Dibley (born 13 December 1958) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Elaine Walker in the 1980s sitcom ''The Two of Us'', Lorna Cartwright in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and Elaine Cassidy in the BBC soap opera '' Doc ...
) and how she dealt with Harrison's change of plea for
Lauren Porter '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 ficti ...
's ( Alexis Peterman) murder. In 2012, ''Doctors'' aired a "
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
week", with episodes themed around "a number of his most popular plays". On 16 June 2015, Trotter departed from the position of executive producer, with
Mike Hobson Mike Hobson is a British television producer, known for his work on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'' and the BBC drama series ''WPC 56''. Career Hobson made his professional debut in the television industry in 1995 as a second assistant directo ...
assuming the position from the next day. Episodes in that year averaged at 1.7 million viewers, with the highest rating of the year being 1.94 million. In February 2015, ''Doctors'' sparked criticism after the word "pussy" was used in an episode. Due to the programme being transmitted in the daytime, the claims of "offensive language" led to an investigation by
Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
, a broadcasting regulator. They were later cleared of any breaches of the code, with an Ofcom spokesperson stating: "Following investigation, we found this BBC One soap didn't break our rules for offensive language before the watershed. The language used in the show was justified by the context it was presented in and aired at a time when children were unlikely to be watching." On 10 September 2015, ''Doctors'' aired its 3000th episode, "The Heart of England", which was extended and ran for 60 minutes. The average viewing figures for 2015 was 2 million. Later that year, to commemorate the 400th year of Shakespeare's death, the soap revisited his work, with a week of episodes focusing specifically on his sonnets. The cast filmed scenes at the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
in
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...
for the episodes, one of which includes Heston reciting Sonnet 73 to girlfriend
Ruhma Hanif Ruhma Carter (also Hanif) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Bharti Patel. Ruhma's storylines in the programme have included her relationship with, and dealing the subsequent death of Heston Carter (Owe ...
( Bharti Patel). Series producer Lloyd also stated that due to the rise of homelessness in the Birmingham area that year, the soap would be featuring a week that focuses on homelessness. The "emotional and powerful" homelessness week aired in May 2016. Script editor Nasreen Ahmed stated that lots of research went into the week, with researchers constantly finding new statistics and information. She added that it was tricky to cover the "darker stuff" with their daytime transmission slot, but opined that ''Doctors'' is the perfect platform for a homelessness storyline, due to the links to the medical surgery.


2017–present: Ratings increase and pandemic

In 2017, ratings for ''Doctors'' improved, averaging at 2.5 million viewers, with a peak of 4 million. In May 2018, ''Doctors'' aired another themed week, based around mental health. The transmission dates coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week. Writer Andrew Cornish felt that due to the seriousness of the topic, it felt "counter-productive and unrealistic" to "drop" regular characters into numerous mental health-related storylines for that one week, so he planned to have several storylines come to a head in the week. These included
Rob Hollins Rob Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'', portrayed by Chris Walker. Rob was introduced as a police sergeant at Letherbridge police station and made his first appearance during the episode broadcast 24 July 2009 ...
' ( Chris Walker) PTSD and
Al Haskey 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 stalking Jas Khella (Vineeta ...
's (
Ian Midlane Ian Midlane (born 2 February 1976) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Al Haskey on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. For his performance as Al, he won the award for Best Comedy Performance at the 2018 British Soap Awards. Ca ...
) struggle with the diagnosis of his mother's dementia. In November 2019, it was confirmed via Twitter that ''Doctors'' were filming for the 20th anniversary episode. As part of the celebrations for the milestone,
Julia Parsons Julia Parsons (also McGuire) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Diane Keen. She made her first appearance on 13 January 2003, and departed the show on 18 May 2012, after nine years of appearing in the s ...
(
Diane Keen Diane Keen (born 29 July 1946) is an English actress, known for her portrayal of Fliss Hawthorne in the Granada sitcom '' The Cuckoo Waltz'' and Julia Parsons on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. She also appeared in Nescafé advertisements from ...
) briefly returned to the series. It was also revealed that every regular cast member in the series will be featured in a scene together. To celebrate the 20th year of ''Doctors'', a competition was opened for viewers to visit the set at BBC Drama Village on 18 March 2020. However, 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 ...
, the set tour was postponed, and it was later announced that filming of ''Doctors'' had too been postponed due to the virus. On 26 March 2020, a 60-minute episode titled "A Day in the Life..." was broadcast, which saw the conclusion of a long-running prison storyline involving
Jimmi Clay Dr. Jimmi Clay is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Adrian Lewis Morgan. The actor joined the cast shortly after his role in ''Holby City'' came to an end. Morgan was a fan of the soap and was pleased to ...
( Adrian Lewis Morgan), and a documentary being made about The Mill. Also in March 2020, an episode starring
Joe Pasquale Joseph Ellis Pasquale (born 20 August 1961) is an English comedian, actor and television presenter. He won the fourth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' in 2004 and participated in the eighth series of ''Dancing on Ice'' ...
was broadcast. The episode, titled "The Joe Pasquale Problem", displays patient Lizzie Milton (Adele James) with the
Fregoli delusion The Fregoli delusion is a rare disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise. The syndrome may be related to a brain lesion and is often of a parano ...
, seeing everyone as Pasquale. The episode went viral on
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and Beth Maloney of ''Entertainment Daily'' described the episode as "bizarre but amazing". On 22 May 2020, despite having the government's permission to recommence production on set, ''Doctors'' announced that a
lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
episode was being filmed at cast members' homes using their mobile phones. ''Doctors'' became the first soap opera to address the pandemic, as well as the first to film an episode solely using mobile devices. The episode, titled " Can You Hear Me?", aired on 12 June 2020. On the same day of the episode's broadcast, series producer Peter Eryl Lloyd announced that the production team had donated all
personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...
(PPE) to the NHS, so upon the programme's return, the characters would not be wearing PPE in scenes broadcast on television. In August 2020, it was announced that ''Doctors'' had resumed filming, with Hobson stating that it was a "long process of preparing the set, the crew and actors, to make sure we are working in the safest environment possible". Cast members had to do their own hair and makeup looks until 2022. ''Doctors'' returned to transmission on 2 November with four weekly episodes, rather than the typical five. Series producer Lloyd stated that upon its return, the characters are in a "post Covid world, where social distancing and mask wearing are things of the past, but the ongoing effects of the virus are very much part of everyday life". Episodes in 2020 had an average of 1.6 million live viewers. In December 2020, it was announced that ''Doctors'' would be taking another extended transmission break until February, with no episodes set to be broadcast throughout January 2021. The series returned on 8 February 2021. On 12 October 2021, it was announced that ''Doctors'' would partake in a special crossover event involving multiple British soaps to promote the topic of
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. It was confirmed that a character from ''Doctors'' would appear on ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...
''. In June 2022, it was announced that after two years, ''Doctors'' would return to transmitting five weekly episodes. The added episode was added to schedules from September 2022, following the show's summer break.


Cast and characters

Series regulars of ''Doctors'' are met by series producers and executive producers for several rounds of auditions prior to their casting. Series producer Lloyd stated that as well as looking for talent, they look for somebody who is able to fit into the team of hardworking cast members due to the heavy filming schedule. Once cast on the series, actors are given detailed notes about their character, including their backstory, personality, characterisation and any other relevant details. Earlier episodes included a noticeably smaller cast, with episodes more self-contained. However, with the increased number of episodes, the cast also increased to include continuing storylines. The original nine regular characters to be introduced in ''Doctors'' were
Anoushka Flynn '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Riverside Health Centre, a ...
(
Carli Norris Carli Jo Norris (born 23 June 1974) is an English actress, known for her roles as Anoushka Flynn in '' Doctors'', Martha Kane in ''Hollyoaks'' and taking over the role of Belinda Peacock in ''EastEnders''. Career In June 1997, just before off ...
),
Joanna Helm '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Riverside Health Centre, a ...
(
Sarah Manners Sarah Manners (born 25 August 1975) is an English actress and entrepreneur known for her roles in ''Casualty, Strictly Come Dancing,'' The Bill, '' Doctors'' and creating her Pilates app, Pilates On Tap. Early and personal life Manners was educa ...
),
Kate Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...
( Maggie Cronin) and Mac McGuire (
Christopher Timothy Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει ...
),
Caroline Powers '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Riverside Health Centre, a ...
(
Jacqueline Leonard Jacqueline Jackie Leonard is a Scottish actress. She is known for playing Sarah Preston in the ITV drama ''Peak Practice'' from 1993 to 1996, Lorraine Wicks in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 1996 to 1997, Dr. Caroline Powers in the BB ...
), Helen Thompson (
Corrinne Wicks Corrinne Wicks (born 26 April 1968) is an English actress, notable for playing Dr. Helen Thompson in the BBC daytime soap opera '' Doctors'', from 2000 to 2005, and Ella Hart in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', from 2010 to 2011. Early lif ...
),
Rana Mistry '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Riverside Health Centre, a ...
(Akbar Kurtha),
Ruth Harding '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Riverside Health Centre, a ...
(
Yvonne Brewster Yvonne Jones Brewster (née Clarke; born 7 October 1938) is a Jamaican actress, theatre director and businesswoman, known for her role as Ruth Harding in the BBC television soap opera ''Doctors''. She co-founded the theatre companies Talawa in ...
) and Steve Rawlings (
Mark Frost Mark Frost (born November 25, 1953) is an American novelist, screenwriter, film-and-television producer and director. He is the co-creator of the mystery television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and was a writer and executive story ...
). In 2005, ''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) 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 pr ...
'' actor Adrian Lewis Morgan was cast in the role of
Jimmi Clay Dr. Jimmi Clay is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Adrian Lewis Morgan. The actor joined the cast shortly after his role in ''Holby City'' came to an end. Morgan was a fan of the soap and was pleased to ...
. Appearing continuously since, he has become the longest serving actor on ''Doctors''. Also during the 2000s, numerous other longstanding characters were introduced, including: Daniel Granger (
Matthew Chambers Matthew Guy Charles Chambers (born 20 August 1968) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Daniel Granger in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Early and personal life Matthew Guy Charles Chambers was born in London on 20 August 19 ...
), Heston Carter (Brenman), Ruth Pearce (Chilton), and
Zara Carmichael Dr. Zara Carmichael is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Elisabeth Dermot Walsh. Zara was introduced as the new general practitioner at the fictional Mill Health Centre on 4 June 2009 and remained a re ...
(
Elisabeth Dermot Walsh Elisabeth Dermot Walsh (born 15 September 1974) is an English actress, known for her role as Zara Carmichael in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. In 2015, she won Best Female Acting Performance at the RTS Midlands Awards for her portrayal of Zar ...
). 2009 saw the introduction of the Hollins family;
Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
(
Jan Pearson Jan Pearson (born 12 April 1959) is an English actress, known for her roles as Kath Fox in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'' and Karen Hollins in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', which she joined in February 2009. In 2010, Pearson won the ...
), Rob ( Chris Walker), Imogen ( Charlie Clemmow) and
Jack Hollins Jack Hollins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Nicolas Woodman. Jack first appeared on 4 August 2009 and left ''Doctors'' on 21 September 2012. He returned for brief stints in 2013 and 2014. His storylin ...
(
Nicolas Woodman Nicolas Woodman (born 21 March 1986) is an English actor best known for playing Jack Hollins in the BBC soap, '' Doctors'' from 2009 to 2012. Television career Woodman started acting professionally in 2001 when he appeared at the Royal Festiv ...
).
Mrs Tembe Winifred Clements (also Tembe) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Lorna Laidlaw. She is introduced on 5 January 2011 as a new receptionist at the fictional Mill Health Centre as a replacement for Ruth P ...
(
Lorna Laidlaw Lorna Laidlaw (born 1 February 1963) is an English actress. She has appeared on television as Mrs Tembe in the BBC medical soap opera '' Doctors'' and Aggie Bailey in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Laidlaw won the Royal Television ...
) was introduced as a receptionist at the Mill in 2011, who eventually became the practice manager. In 2012, several regular characters were introduced into the series, including general practitioner
Mandy Marquez '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fict ...
(
Danielle Henry Danielle Henry (born 1985/1986) is a British actress and yoga teacher, known for portraying the role of Mandy Marquez in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. She has also appeared as Latisha Daggert in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', as well as ...
), practice manager Howard Bellamy (
Ian Kelsey Ian Kelsey (born 17 December 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Dave Glover in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Patrick Spiller in the BBC medical drama '' Casualty'', DI Richard Mayne in the ITV crime drama '' Blue Mur ...
), police surgeon
Jas Khella '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fiction ...
(
Vineeta Rishi Vineeta Rishi, is an English actress, known for playing Jas Khella in the BBC One soap opera '' Doctors''. Born in Bracknell, Berkshire to Indian parents, Rishi grew up in Walkergate, Newcastle upon Tyne where she attended Walkergate Primary a ...
), general practitioner and police surgeon
Emma Reid Dr. Emma Reid is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'', portrayed by Dido Miles. Emma made her first appearance on 2 October 2012, and since her arrival, her storylines in the soap have included her romances with character ...
(
Dido Miles Dido Miles is an English actress. She is known for her role as Emma Reid on the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'', for which she has won two awards for at the RTS Midlands Awards. From 2001 to 2002, she starred in the CBBC children's series ''Oscar Cha ...
), receptionist
Valerie Pitman 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, nos ...
(
Sarah Moyle Sarah Moyle (born 14 September 1969) is an English actress, known for her roles as Linda Fawcett in various stage productions of ''Jerusalem'' and Valerie Pitman in the BBC soap opera ''Doctors''. Moyle also portrayed the recurring role of Caroli ...
) and general practitioner
Al Haskey 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 stalking Jas Khella (Vineeta ...
(
Ian Midlane Ian Midlane (born 2 February 1976) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Al Haskey on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. For his performance as Al, he won the award for Best Comedy Performance at the 2018 British Soap Awards. Ca ...
). Practice nurse Ayesha Lee (
Laura Rollins Laura Rollins (born 20 December) is a British-Bajan actress, known for portraying the role of Ayesha Lee on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', a role which she played from September 2014 to June 2020. For her portrayal of Ayesha, she won the awa ...
) made her debut appearance in 2014. Midwife Ruhma Hanif (Patel) and general practitioner
Sid Vere Dr. Sid Vere is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Ashley Rice. Sid made his first appearance on 27 April 2015 as an F2 doctor at the fictional Mill Health Centre. His storylines in the programme have incl ...
( Ashley Rice) were introduced in 2015. After the departure of Mrs Tembe, Ali Bastian was cast as practice manager Becky Clarke in 2019. Later in 2019, Bastian left ''Doctors'' after becoming pregnant, and in the programme, she is replaced by business manager
Bear Sylvester 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 interv ...
(
Dex Lee Dex Lee (born 16 May 1993) is an English actor, known for his role as Bear Sylvester on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Before he was cast in ''Doctors'', he appeared in numerous professional stage productions and worked part-time as a dance ...
). Nurse
Luca McIntyre 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 (Laura Rollins) the year prior. McLaren's ...
( Ross McLaren) joined the series in 2021, while receptionist
Scarlett Kiernan 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 ap ...
(
Kia Pegg Kia May Pegg (born 29 June 2000) is an English actress and television presenter. She portrayed Jody Jackson in the British children's drama show ''Tracy Beaker Returns'' (2012), as well as the spin-off series ''The Dumping Ground'' (2013–202 ...
) debuted in 2022. Alongside the regular cast, ''Doctors'' features numerous recurring and guest characters. Recurring characters typically have a connection to the regulars, such as
Izzie Torres 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 20 ...
(Bethan Moore), the daughter of Daniel,
Eve Haskey '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fictio ...
(
Rachel Bell Rachel Bell (born 1950 in Newcastle upon Tyne)"Bucket of Fun"
''The Northern Echo'' (8 July 20 ...
), the mother of Al, and Hazeem Durrani (Ashraf Ejjbair), the nephew of Ruhma. Following a storyline that sees the Mill take over Sutton Vale Surgery, several new recurring characters were introduced: receptionist
Rosie Colton '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 ficti ...
(
Janice Connolly 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'', ' ...
), trainee doctor
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 a ...
( Laura White) and nurse prescriber Maeve Ludlow (
Clelia Murphy Clelia Murphy (born 5 December 1975) is an Irish actress. From 1996 to 2017, Murphy starred in the RTÉ soap opera ''Fair City'' as Niamh Cassidy. After leaving her role as Niamh, she competed in the third series of the Irish edition of ''Dan ...
). Despite also being overseen by the executive production team, producers and directors cast the recurring characters for their own respective stories. ''Doctors'' also features guest stars in each episode, with examples including
Emilia Clarke Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke (born 23 October 1986) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal as Daenerys Targaryen in '' Game of Thrones''. She has received various accolades, including an Empire Award, a Saturn Award, ...
,
Alison Hammond Alison Hammond (born 5 February 1975) is an English television personality and actress. She competed in the third series of the reality show '' Big Brother'' in 2002, in which she was the second housemate to be evicted. She has since become a ...
,
Ruthie Henshall Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...
,
Jamelia ' Jamelia Niela Davis (born 11 January 1981) is an English singer, songwriter and television presenter. She has released three studio albums, each of which has reached the Top 40 in the UK, which collectively have spawned eight UK top-ten singl ...
,
Claire King Jayne Claire King (born Jayne Claire Seed; 10 January 1962) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Kim Tate in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' and Karen Betts in '' Bad Girls''. She has appeared in the fourth series of ''Stric ...
,
Joe Pasquale Joseph Ellis Pasquale (born 20 August 1961) is an English comedian, actor and television presenter. He won the fourth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' in 2004 and participated in the eighth series of ''Dancing on Ice'' ...
,
Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. Known for his roles in biopics and blockbusters, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Olivier Awards. He ...
,
Lisa Riley Lisa Jane Riley (born 13 July 1976) is an English actress and television presenter. Riley portrayed Mandy Dingle in the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' between 1995 and 2001, and again from 2019. She also replaced Jeremy Beadle as ...
and
Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), '' Two Pints ...
. With each new block, a noticeboard on the set is updated with photographs of the guest actors for that block. Series producer Lloyd estimated that at least 800 guest stars are contracted on the soap per year; owing to the large number of actors who have made a guest appearance, ''Doctors'' has gained a reputation for becoming "a British actor's rite of passage".


Storylines


2000s: McGuire family and Vivien March's rape

The storylines originally dealt with the lives of staff and patients at the fictional Riverside Health Centre and its secondary location, the Best Practice. During the early years, many storylines revolved around the lead character of Mac and his family life. These storylines include his romance with
Julia Parsons Julia Parsons (also McGuire) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Diane Keen. She made her first appearance on 13 January 2003, and departed the show on 18 May 2012, after nine years of appearing in the s ...
(
Diane Keen Diane Keen (born 29 July 1946) is an English actress, known for her portrayal of Fliss Hawthorne in the Granada sitcom '' The Cuckoo Waltz'' and Julia Parsons on the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. She also appeared in Nescafé advertisements from ...
) as well as his son, Liam McGuire ( Tim Matthews), facing a sexual assault allegation. 2006 saw
George Woodson Dr George Woodson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Stirling Gallacher. She first appeared during the episode broadcast on 7 January 2003, and departed on 27 March 2009. Shortly after her introduction t ...
( Stirling Gallacher) suffer from
post-natal depression Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth, which can affect both sexes. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and chan ...
after having daughter Bracken (Jessica Gallagher). Bracken becomes ill after being rejected, which leads to George overcoming her depression. Also in 2006, Faith Walker (
Eva Fontaine Eva Fontaine (born 1974) is an English actress, known for her role as Faith Walker in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'' between 2001 and 2006. The role gave her nominations in 2004 and 2006 for the British Soap Award for Best Actress. Life and ...
) is diagnosed with
retinitis pigmentosa Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic disorder of the eyes that causes loss of vision. Symptoms include trouble seeing at night and decreasing peripheral vision (side and upper or lower visual field). As peripheral vision worsens, people may ...
, and since it would result in the loss of her eyesight, she hands her job over to Michelle Corrigan (
Donnaleigh Bailey Donnaleigh Bailey (born 17 January 1983) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Michelle Corrigan in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. For her role as Michelle, she received two nominations for the British Soap Award for Best Ac ...
). Doctor Peter Kendrick (
Robert Cavanah Robert Cavanah is a Scottish stage and film actor, writer, director and producer. Biography Robert Cavanah was born in Edinburgh. He attended James Gillespie's High School in Edinburgh followed by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dra ...
) becomes depressed and commits suicide, a storyline that saw ''Doctors'' receive its first Best Storyline nomination at the
British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies give ...
. Julia discovers that Mac is having an affair in 2006, and demands he leave Letherbridge, buying his share in the Mill after his exit. In 2007, when more episodes were shown and there were fewer breaks in transmission, storylines included: receptionist Donna Parmar (Martha Howe Douglas) breaking patient confidentiality and her sacking from the Mill (2007), Nick West's (
Michael McKell Michael McKell (born 10 February 1959, in Bethnal Green, London) is an English actor. He is best known for playing Inspector Trevor Hands in '' Murder Investigation Team'' (2003-2005), Dr. Nick West in '' Doctors'' (2006-2008) and DS Nicholas ...
) car crash and later death (2008) and receptionist
Vivien March Vivien may refer to: * Vivien (name), variant spelling * Vivien, Western Australia, an abandoned town in Australia * , a British destroyer launched in 1918 and sold in 1947 for scrapping See also * Saint-Vivien (disambiguation) * Vivienne * Viv ...
's (
Anita Carey Anita Carey (born 16 April 1948) is an English actress, best known for playing Joyce Smedley in '' Coronation Street'' and later for playing Vivien March in '' Doctors''. Carey has appeared in British television programmes since the 1970s. Car ...
) rape (2008), which saw an influx of awards. 2009 also saw the departure of longstanding family unit Ronnie (
Seán Gleeson Seán Gleeson (born 18 February) is an English actor, director and producer, known for his roles as Conor Flaherty in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' and Ronnie Woodson in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. As well as acting, Gleeson also wor ...
), George and Bracken.


2010s: Hollins family and deaths

In 2011, Karen falls pregnant and has an abortion, which leads to a breakdown in her relationship with Rob, and their later separation. 2011 also sees the murder of temporary receptionist
Lauren Porter '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 ficti ...
( Alexis Peterman) by
Harrison Kellor ''Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fiction ...
(
James Larkin James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party along with James Connolly and Willia ...
). Both of these storylines saw nods for Best Storyline at the British Soap Awards. In 2012, Heston embarks on a relationship with health visitor
Marina Bonnaire '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fic ...
(
Marian McLoughlin Marian McLoughlin is a British actress, known for her role as Marina Bonnaire in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. She also played the role of Brenda Jacks in the BBC series ''Home Time'' in 2009 and Julia in ''Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me'' in ...
), which sees Heston subjected to domestic abuse. 2012 also sees Zara and Daniel have a baby,
Joe Granger Carmichael '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fiction ...
, and after Emma's introduction to the Mill, she becomes involved in a storyline that sees her assist her paralysed husband Sam (
Grant Masters Grant Masters (born 2 January 1965) is an English actor and comedian known for playing the role of Martin Campbell in the Channel 4 Soap Opera ''Hollyoaks.'' An early role came in ''Cider with Rosie'' (1998). He also played Dan in '' Casualty'', s ...
) to die. After Keen departed from her role as Julia, Howard becomes practice manager. Zara and Daniel decide to separate after she finds out about his affair with
Cherry Malone '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fictio ...
(
Sophie Abelson Sophie Abelson is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Cherry Clay in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'' from 2009 to 2012. For her role as Cherry, she received a nomination for the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer. Lif ...
), the wife of Jimmi. In 2013, Mrs Tembe gains a new love interest – Gordon Clement (
Steven Elder Steven Elder is an English actor and screenwriter, known for his roles in the feature films ''Good'' (2008) and '' The King'' (2019), and the BBC television series '' Apple Tree Yard'' (2017). Filmography Films Television Audio drama ''H ...
), the vicar of her church. Later that year, Jas is harassed by an obsessive stalker, Al. In 2014, Karen is involved in a car accident, and suffers severe head trauma and as a result, loses all of her memories from the age of 18 onwards. She spends months trying to readjust, knowing that she has two adult children and a husband. After Jas leaves Letherbridge, doctor
Niamh Donoghue Dr. Niamh Donoghue is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', portrayed by Jessica Regan. Niamh was introduced as a general practitioner at the fictional Mill Health Centre. She first appeared on 1 May 2014 and made her last ...
(
Jessica Regan Jessica Regan (born 24 February 1982) is an Irish actress, known for portraying the role of Niamh Donoghue in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. For her portrayal of the role, she won the award for Best Female Acting Performance at the 2014 RTS M ...
) is hired at the Mill, and she begins a relationship with Al. Heston struggles with memory loss and undergoes several tests designed to determine whether he has early-onset dementia. Mandy decides that it is time to move on from the Mill and is replaced by Ayesha. In 2015, ''Doctors 3000th episode was transmitted, in which a special storyline was created centring on a number of the main characters, most specifically Rob; when he was younger, he caused a car accident, but his childhood friend, took the blame as Rob was about to enter the police force. That same year, Howard dies of a
brain aneurism An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a brain aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel. Aneurysms in the posterior circu ...
. In 2016, Anthony Harker ( Adam Astill) joins as a new practice manager, and he bullies Mrs Tembe, who leaves to work for a rival surgery. Anthony's autocratic management style then targets Jimmi, who forms a plan with Mrs Tembe and Daniel to take over the Mill. Mrs Tembe is offered his position, to which she accepts. 2016 also sees the beginning of a
fostering Fosterage, the practice of a family bringing up a child not their own, differs from adoption in that the child's parents, not the foster-parents, remain the acknowledged parents. In many modern western societies foster care can be organised by th ...
storyline for Karen and Rob, with the pair getting the necessary training to become foster parents. The ''Doctors'' research team worked with British charity The Fostering Network for a year ahead of the storyline in order to represent fostering accurately, and they credited the programme with an insurgence of fostering representation on television. Whilst the fostering storyline was airing, the producers also decided to introduce a long-running
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
storyline for Rob. In 2018, Zara and Daniel are driven apart again, this time by Daniel's daughter Izzie, who pushes Zara to her limits. Zara slaps Izzie, causing Daniel to walk out on her. After Daniel returns home, he finds a drunken Zara has slept with Sid, which results in Daniel punching Sid and ending his relationship with Zara. 2018 also featured a car accident involving a number of characters, which led to the death of Heston. In 2019, Mrs Tembe becomes engaged to Gordon, and decides to leave Letherbridge with him; Mrs Tembe meets Becky, who she hires as the new practice manager of the Mill. Becky begins a relationship with Daniel, and eventually becomes pregnant. However, she miscarries, and Daniel sees it as an opportunity to reveal that he does not want more kids, and that he has cheated on her with Zara. Becky ends her relationship with Daniel, and departs from the Mill. Becky is replaced by business manager Bear. Sid tracks down his long-lost brother, Laurence Richards (Rishard Beckett), who he learns was put up for adoption by his parents since he has
Down syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...
. In late 2019, twin brothers
Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
and Gareth Regan (
Edward MacLiam Edward MacLiam (born Edward Wilson in 1976) is an Irish actor, known for his roles as Greg Douglas in the 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 ...
) are introduced. Adam begins a relationship with Zara, while Gareth moves in with Emma. Weeks into their relationships, it transpires that Gareth is addicted to drugs and jealous of his brother. He goes to Zara's house pretending to be Adam and attempts to rape Zara. He is subsequently arrested and charged. In the final episodes of 2019, Jimmi begins to experience strange events; he is mugged, his house alarm alerts on several occasions, and strangers arrive at the Icon asking for him. He is eventually arrested for the possession of drugs, and despite the staff at the Mill trying to prove his innocence and get him freed in time for Christmas, they fail.


2020s: Sutton Vale takeover

The beginning of 2020 saw Jimmi's colleagues discover that Jimmi has been framed by his solicitor,
John Butler John Butler may refer to: Arts and entertainment *John "Picayune" Butler (died 1864), American performer * John Butler (artist) (1890–1976), American artist *John Butler (author) (born 1937), British author and YouTuber *John Butler (born 1954), ...
(Richard Huw). Daniel and Zara rekindle their relationship, while Ruhma is temporarily suspended from her midwifery role. Another focus of 2020 was Karen and Rob's fostering experiences, including Abz Baker's (Amy Bowden) rape and
Jayden Hunt Jayden Hunt (born 3 April 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL), having previously played for the Melbourne Football Club. A defender, tall and weighing , ...
's (Ciaran Stow) epilepsy. They are then given the responsibility of caring for Tom (Max True) and
Ella Robson '' Doctors'' is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. 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 fictio ...
(Lily-Mae Evans), after it is claimed they witnessed their father murder their mother. It later transpires that Ella killed her, due to their mother abusing their father. 2020 also saw the departure of Ayesha, when she is given the opportunity to front a worldwide malaria campaign.
Lily Walker Lily Walker (born 5 June 2002) is an English field hockey player who plays for the England and Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it i ...
(
Verity Rushworth Verity Charlotte Rushworth (born 15 August 1985) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Donna Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1998 to 2009, with a guest appearance in 2014. She has played many theatre r ...
) is temporarily hired at the Mill, and after a brief relationship with Al, she stalks him. 2021 saw Luca's introduction; his initial storylines involve grieving for his dead boyfriend and having his
HIV positive The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...
status exposed to the public, which leads to a negative response. Other focuses of 2021 included the breakdown and eventual reconciliation of Karen and Rob's marriage, Sid feeling unsure about his medical career, Bear and his mother experiencing racism in the medical industry and Valerie marrying herself after a cancer scare. The focus of 2022 was the Mill's takeover of Sutton Vale, which featured the introduction of numerous characters such as Princess, Scarlett and Maeve. This created individual storylines that saw Princess bully and manipulate Scarlett, Maeve beginning a relationship with Jimmi which ends in Maeve confessing to fraud and Scarlett's struggle with the cost of living crisis. It climaxed in the murder investigation of Dr. Ashdown, Sutton Vale's former lead GP, and numerous characters have been included as suspects.


Reception


Awards and nominations

In 2003, ''Doctors'' was nominated for
Best British Soap The British Soap Award for Best British Soap is an award presented annually by The British Soap Awards. Alongside Best Actor and Best Actress, the award is voted for by the public. ''EastEnders'' is the most awarded soap in the category, with e ...
at the British Soap Awards for the first time, where it has been nominated annually since. The next year, ''Doctors'' won their first award at the British Soap Awards, when they won Best Single Episode for "Say A Little Prayer". In 2005,
Andrea Green Andrea Green is a British actress and presenter. She is known for her role as Sarah Finch in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors'', for which she was awarded Best Newcomer at the 2005 British Soap Awards. Prior to this, Green was a continuity pre ...
won the
British Soap Award for Best Newcomer The British Soap Award for Best Newcomer is an award presented annually by the British Soap Awards. Unlike awards that are voted for by the general public such as Best Actress, Best Actor, Best British Soap and Best Leading Performer, the awar ...
for her role as Sarah Finch. At the 2009 British Soap Awards, Vivien's rape won the award for Best Storyline; Carey also won the award for Best Female Dramatic Performance for her role in the storyline. The storyline was nominated again at the 2018 ceremony in the category of Greatest Moment. Also at the 2018 ceremony, ''Doctors'' won a shared award with fellow BBC soap ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
''. Both soaps won the award for Scene of the Year; the first time two soaps have won a singular award. At the 2019 ceremony, Moyle received the Best Comedy Performance award for her portrayal of Valerie. ''Doctors'' won Best Single Episode once again in 2022 for " Three Consultations and a Funeral", with the panel stating that if the episode had aired in a primetime slot, it could have won a
BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
. ''Doctors'' is nominated annually at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards. Laidlaw won the award for Best Daytime Star for her role as Mrs Tembe in 2017, while the soap itself won Best Daytime Soap the following year. The soap has also received annual longlist nominations from the
National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted ...
, with Walsh having two nominations for her role as Zara Carmichael. At the Royal Television Society Midlands Awards, Miles has won the award for Acting Performance of the Year twice, in 2013 and 2017. ''Doctors'' has also won the Drama award three times at the ceremony. At the 2021 ceremony,
Lucy Benjamin Lucy Benjamin (born Lucy Jane Baker; 25 June 1970) is an English actress. After appearing in various television series including '' Close to Home'' (1989–1990), ''Press Gang'' (1989–1993) and ''Jupiter Moon'' (1990, 1996), she was cast in ...
won the Acting Performance award for her role as Jan Fisher in the episode "Three Consultations and a Funeral", which also won the award in the Scripted category. In 2017, the
Writers' Guild of Great Britain The Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG). History The un ...
awarded the soap for Best Long Running TV Series. Later that year, script editor Ahmed won the Services to Media award at the
British Muslim Awards The British Muslim Awards are an annual award ceremony that honours the success and achievements of British Muslim individuals, groups and businesses. It was established in 2013. Overview The British Muslim Awards was founded by Oceanic Consult ...
.


Critical reception

''
Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...
'' writer Kathryn Hearn opined that ''Doctors'' is the best show on television. She appreciated the "rich, three-dimensional characters" in the series, as well as the storylines taken from real life, noting the storyline that saw a paedophile ring exposed. Hearn applauded the writers for tackling issue-led storylines which she always found to be accurate, noting their representation of immigration, underage sex,
upskirting Upskirting or upskirt photography is the practice of taking nonconsensual photographs under a person's skirt or kilt, capturing an image of the crotch area, underwear, and sometimes genitalia. An "upskirt" is a photograph, video, or illustrat ...
, mental health and homelessness. Hearn also appreciated the casting on the series. She felt that unlike other soaps, the characters "look ordinary" and are realistic to life. She hoped that more people would begin watching the soap as she felt it was "treated as the bridesmaid, never the bride". Ammar Kalia, another ''Guardian'' writer, praised ''Doctors'' on its 20th anniversary. He described it as "the perfect medicine" during the COVID-19 pandemic and found it to be the best offering of the British daytime schedule. he hoped that due to most of the UK public staying at home during the pandemic, the series would pick up more viewers and that it would continue long past its 20th anniversary. Roz Laws, writing for the ''
Birmingham Mail The ''Birmingham Mail'' (branded the ''Black Country Mail'' in the Black Country) is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, England but distributed around Birmingham, the Black Country, and Solihull and parts of Warwickshire, Worcestershire ...
'' complimented ''Doctors'' for its ability to mix comedy with serious stories. Laws also felt that the soap's diversity was ahead of other soaps, noting particularly that their first gay wedding was years before any of the others. The storylines have also received praise from health professionals. Paul Daverson, a mental health nurse, was impressed with how accurately ''Doctors'' covered mental health. He found that the soap covered the issues sensitively and accurately and it gave Daverson hope for the depiction of mental health issues on television. He noted Jimmi Clay's (Morgan) counselling sessions and Ruth Pearce's (Chilton) psychotic breakdown were especially accurate. He praised the latter for being a brave depiction since it aired in the 2000s, a time he felt it was rare for mental health to be portrayed correctly. He noted that the series had always been progressive, particularly for a daytime series, and that as well as covering mental health issues, ''Doctors'' was also great at covering LGBTQ+ topics. He highlighted Simon Bond (
David Sturzaker David Sturzaker is an English actor born in Hammersmith in London, who played Dr. Simon Bond in the BBC soap, Doctors from 2009 to 2011. Early life Sturzaker was born in Hammersmith in west London and grew up in Dulwich. He has an older brot ...
), a gay doctor, whose character he found not to be completely focused on his sexuality and "who just happened to be gay". He was also appreciative of ''Doctors'' for covering Marina Bonnaire (McLoughlin) abusing Heston Carter (Brenman), the first time he had seen a woman abusing a man on television.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doctors (2000 TV series) 2000 British television series debuts 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 television soap operas 2020s British medical television series 2020s British workplace drama television series BBC medical television shows BBC television dramas BBC television soap operas British medical television series English-language television shows Television productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic Television series by BBC Studios Television shows set in Birmingham, West Midlands