Casualty (series 1)
Encyclopedia
The first series of the British medical drama
television series Casualty
aired between 6 September and 27 December 1986 on BBC One
.
on Saturday nights. The other idea was considered the safer option, a cottage hospital series however Powell decided to go for the more off-the-wall idea and gave the greenlight to develop a new drama series based around the work of A&E departments. On his decision, Powell commented: "I went for Casualty because there was a feeling of life and passion and, well I was anxious for new young people to create something." On the creators, Jeremy Brock
and Paul Unwin
, he remarked: "I put them with a very experience producer, Geraint Morris
, and hoped for the best."
Casualty eventually aired on UK television for the first time on 6 September 1986 and ran for an opening series of 15 episodes. Whilst on screen the major storyline to hit Holby's A&E department that year was the fight to keep the night shift open despite managerial attempts to close it down; however off screen the picture wasn't so different: Casualty soon found itself being condemned by Margaret Thatcher
's Government as well as being slammed by the Royal College of Nursing
and real life nurses objecting to how they were portrayed on screen. After just 8 episodes had aired, co-creator, Brock found himself hauled in front of BBC Management to defend the series. Various changes were implemented such as cutting down on the excessive amounts of smoking in the series but the series remained true to its form and continued to portray storylines concerning NHS funding and poor hospital conditions. Amid all of the controversy surrounding the series, it was beginning to appear as if the groundbreaking hospital drama would meet an unjustified early end - luckily work on a second series had already begun and with 15 new scripts prepared and paid for, the BBC took the plunge and decided to continue with the series.
. The original characters were consultant
Ewart Plimmer (Bernard Gallagher
), Senior house officer
Baz Samuels (Julia Watson), nurses Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson), Megan Roach (Brenda Fricker
), Clive King (George Harris
) and Lisa "Duffy" Duffin (Cathy Shipton
), paramedic
s Sandra Mute (Lisa Bowerman
) and Andrew Ponting (Robert Pugh
), receptionist Susie Mercier (Debbie Roza) and porter Kuba Trzcinski (Christopher Rozycki). Nigel Anthony
and Sonia Woolley had recurring roles as Ted Roach and Ros Plimmer respectively.
Thompson has continued in the show from its inception to the present date. Shipton remained in the role of Duffy until 1993, then returned from 1998-2003. She returned to the show as a guest-star in 2006, for two special episodes set in Cambodia
. Fricker continued as Megan until series five, episode 13
. Since then, the character has made guest returns in series 12
and series 21, and will again return for four episodes in series 24
, when the character will be killed off. Watson remained in the show until the end of the first series. She made a comeback in series nine, episode 20
, and continued as a regular until series 12, episode 26, when Baz married Charlie. After this, Baz would not be seen in the show again until series 18, episode 12
. Watson made her final in series 18, episode 19, when Baz was killed off following a road accident. Bowerman's character, Sandra Mute, was killed off in series two, episode 4
. However, Bowerman made a return to the series in 2007 for a cameo role as a patient.
The series also featured a number of guest stars. Graham Cole
played a doctor in the opening episode, and Michael Garner
appeared as a policeman in episode four. Also in episode four, Alfred Molina
played Harry Horner and Vas Blackwood
appeared as Bob. Stella Gonet
played anaesthetist Clare Wainwright in episodes four and seven, and would later go on to become a main cast member in Holby City
, playing CEO Jayne Grayson
. Perry Fenwick
appeared in episode nine as Marvin Osborne. Blackwood would later play the role of receptionist David Sinclair from series eleven
, episodes 21 to 24. Maggie McCarthy appeared in episode four, and would later play the guest role of receptionist Ada in series four
episode twelve, before being cast as receptionist Helen Green in series five
, from episodes one to thirteen.
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Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
television series Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
aired between 6 September and 27 December 1986 on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Development
Originally titled "Front Line", Casualty was the then BBC Head of Drama Jonathan Powell's choice out of two potential new dramas being developed to fill the gap left by the police drama series, Juliet BravoJuliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo is a British television series, which ran on BBC1 between 1980 and 1985. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire.-Programme name:...
on Saturday nights. The other idea was considered the safer option, a cottage hospital series however Powell decided to go for the more off-the-wall idea and gave the greenlight to develop a new drama series based around the work of A&E departments. On his decision, Powell commented: "I went for Casualty because there was a feeling of life and passion and, well I was anxious for new young people to create something." On the creators, Jeremy Brock
Jeremy Brock
Jeremy Brock is an English actor, producer, writer, fisher and director whose works include the screenplays Mrs. Brown, Driving Lessons, Last King of Scotland, and Charlotte Gray....
and Paul Unwin
Paul Unwin (film director)
Paul Unwin is a film, theatre, TV writer / director.As a theatre director his work includes The Man Who Had All the Luck by Arthur Miller at the Bristol Old Vic and the Young Vic, The Misanthrope at the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal National Theatre, Hamlet, Othello, In Times Like These by Jeremy...
, he remarked: "I put them with a very experience producer, Geraint Morris
Geraint Morris
Geraint Morris was a Welsh film and television director and producer.His first contribution to film directing came in 1971 when he directed The Onedin Line...
, and hoped for the best."
Casualty eventually aired on UK television for the first time on 6 September 1986 and ran for an opening series of 15 episodes. Whilst on screen the major storyline to hit Holby's A&E department that year was the fight to keep the night shift open despite managerial attempts to close it down; however off screen the picture wasn't so different: Casualty soon found itself being condemned by Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's Government as well as being slammed by the Royal College of Nursing
Royal College of Nursing
The Royal College of Nursing is a union membership organisation with over 395,000 members in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1916, receiving its Royal Charter in 1928, Queen Elizabeth II is the patron...
and real life nurses objecting to how they were portrayed on screen. After just 8 episodes had aired, co-creator, Brock found himself hauled in front of BBC Management to defend the series. Various changes were implemented such as cutting down on the excessive amounts of smoking in the series but the series remained true to its form and continued to portray storylines concerning NHS funding and poor hospital conditions. Amid all of the controversy surrounding the series, it was beginning to appear as if the groundbreaking hospital drama would meet an unjustified early end - luckily work on a second series had already begun and with 15 new scripts prepared and paid for, the BBC took the plunge and decided to continue with the series.
Cast
The first series of Casualty featured an ensemble cast of characters in the medical profession, who worked in the hospital's emergency departmentEmergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
. The original characters were consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
Ewart Plimmer (Bernard Gallagher
Bernard Gallagher
Bernard Gallagher is a British actor known for appearances in television soap operas and dramas. He was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire.Gallagher has appeared in many television series including Crown Court, Heartbeat, The thin blue line and Casualty.- External links :...
), Senior house officer
Senior house officer
A senior house officer is a junior doctor undergoing training within a certain speciality in the British National Health Service or in the Republic of Ireland. SHOs are supervised by consultants and registrars, who oversee their training and are their designated clinical supervisors...
Baz Samuels (Julia Watson), nurses Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson), Megan Roach (Brenda Fricker
Brenda Fricker
Brenda Fricker is an Irish actress of theatre, film and television. She had appeared in more than 30 films and television roles...
), Clive King (George Harris
George Harris (actor)
George William Harris is a British actor of film, stage, television, radio and musical theatre. His notable roles include Kingsley Shacklebolt in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Captain Simon Katanga in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clive King in popular medical drama Casualty, where he...
) and Lisa "Duffy" Duffin (Cathy Shipton
Cathy Shipton
Catherine Ellen Shipton , is an English actress.-Biography:Born to Irish parents, she was the seventh and second girl of nine children, where only four of her brothers survived. Shipton was raised as a Roman Catholic, and was educated in a convent in South London...
), paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s Sandra Mute (Lisa Bowerman
Lisa Bowerman
Lisa Bowerman is a British actress.Bowerman trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and was a regular in the first two series of BBC medical drama Casualty playing Sandra Mute, the show's first female paramedic. Her other television work includes: Dodgem, The Count of Solar, Grange Hill, The...
) and Andrew Ponting (Robert Pugh
Robert Pugh
Robert Pugh is a Welsh film and television actor.Pugh was born in Cilfynydd and graduated from Rose Bruford College in 1976. In 2007, he co-starred alongside Genevieve O'Reilly and Geraldine James in ITV1 drama The Time of Your Life, where he played a parent whose 36-year-old daughter was...
), receptionist Susie Mercier (Debbie Roza) and porter Kuba Trzcinski (Christopher Rozycki). Nigel Anthony
Nigel Anthony
Nigel Anthony, is a British theatre and television actor, who has also worked notably in radio with many broadcasts to his credit He is married to the actress Kate Binchy and is also an accomplished drummer with a wide knowledge of jazz.His theatre work includes The Taming of the Shrew, Happy...
and Sonia Woolley had recurring roles as Ted Roach and Ros Plimmer respectively.
Thompson has continued in the show from its inception to the present date. Shipton remained in the role of Duffy until 1993, then returned from 1998-2003. She returned to the show as a guest-star in 2006, for two special episodes set in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Fricker continued as Megan until series five, episode 13
Casualty (series 5)
The fifth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 7 September 1990 and finished on 7 December 1990.-Cast:...
. Since then, the character has made guest returns in series 12
Casualty (series 12)
The twelfth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 11 September 1997 and finished on 28 February 1998...
and series 21, and will again return for four episodes in series 24
Casualty (series 24)
The twenty-fourth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 12 September 2009 and concluded on 21 August 2010.Events of the series included a crossover with sister show Holby City....
, when the character will be killed off. Watson remained in the show until the end of the first series. She made a comeback in series nine, episode 20
Casualty (series 9)
The ninth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 17 September 1994 and finished on 25 March 1995.-Cast:*Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead*Patrick Robinson as Martin Ashford...
, and continued as a regular until series 12, episode 26, when Baz married Charlie. After this, Baz would not be seen in the show again until series 18, episode 12
Casualty (series 18)
The eighteenth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 13 September 2003 and finished on 28 August 2004...
. Watson made her final in series 18, episode 19, when Baz was killed off following a road accident. Bowerman's character, Sandra Mute, was killed off in series two, episode 4
Casualty (series 2)
The second series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 12 September 1987 and finished on 19 December 1987. -Production:...
. However, Bowerman made a return to the series in 2007 for a cameo role as a patient.
The series also featured a number of guest stars. Graham Cole
Graham Cole
Graham Cole is an English actor.He is best known as PC Tony Stamp in the ITV police drama The Bill, a role he has played from 1984 until 2009. He had made previous uncredited appearances as an unnamed PC....
played a doctor in the opening episode, and Michael Garner
Michael Garner
Michael Garner is an English theatre and television actor.-Education:Galliard Road Primary School, Edmonton. The Kings School, Grantham...
appeared as a policeman in episode four. Also in episode four, Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
played Harry Horner and Vas Blackwood
Vas Blackwood
Vasta Blackwood is a British television and film actor.Blackwood played Lenny Henry's sidekick Winston Churchill in The Lenny Henry Show and David Sinclair in Casualty...
appeared as Bob. Stella Gonet
Stella Gonet
Stella Gonet is a Scottish theatre, film and TV actress.- Career :Gonet trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and is known for playing Beatrice Eliott, one of the two lead roles, in three series of the television drama, The House Of Eliott and Chief Executive Officer Jayne...
played anaesthetist Clare Wainwright in episodes four and seven, and would later go on to become a main cast member in Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, playing CEO Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson
Jayne Grayson is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Stella Gonet. The character first appeared on-screen on 10 July 2007 in episode "Under the Radar" - series 9, episode 39 of the programme...
. Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick is an English film and television actor. He has one sister, Tracey, and two brothers, Faron and Lee. He is, also, the second cousin of Georgina Hagen, who played Lauren Waters in the series of Britannia High....
appeared in episode nine as Marvin Osborne. Blackwood would later play the role of receptionist David Sinclair from series eleven
Casualty (series 11)
The eleventh series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 14 September 1996 and finished on 22 February 1997....
, episodes 21 to 24. Maggie McCarthy appeared in episode four, and would later play the guest role of receptionist Ada in series four
Casualty (series 4)
The fourth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 8 September 1989 and finished on 1 December 1989.-Cast:...
episode twelve, before being cast as receptionist Helen Green in series five
Casualty (series 5)
The fifth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 7 September 1990 and finished on 7 December 1990.-Cast:...
, from episodes one to thirteen.
Key storylines
The key storyline of the show's first episode was a toxic gas outbreak at Holby docks. Subsequent major storylines included the collapse of Ewart's marriage to Roz, the beginning of Baz's affair with Charlie, Megan's cancer diagnosis, Duffy falling victim to rape, and the threat of the department being shut down.Episodes
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External links
- Casualty series 1 at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Casualty series 1 at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...