Henrik Hanssen
Encyclopedia
Henrik Hanssen is a fictional character
from the BBC
medical drama
Holby City
, played by actor Guy Henry. He first appeared in "Shifts", the premiere episode of the programme's thirteenth series
, broadcast on 19 October 2010. A consultant
general surgeon
, and the Director of Surgery at Holby City, Hanssen has also appeared in Holby City sister show, Casualty
.
(Amanda Mealing
). In a meeting with the hospital board, he criticises Connie's plan to purchase a new MRI scanner for the cardiothoracic ward as being self-serving and naïve. He later informs the staff that budget cuts and redundancies will have to be made for the good of the hospital in a fraught economic climate. Hanssen considers making general surgeon Ric Griffin
(Hugh Quarshie
) redundant, as he is unable to perform clinical duties while undergoing chemotherapy. Connie defends Ric's position, and Hanssen allows her to make the final decision on redundancies, resulting in the dismissal of six nurses. Hanssen later grants Ric an absence of leave to concentrate on his health. Before departing, Ric requests that Hanssen direct his budget cuts away from the general surgery department.
After Connie Beauchamp's resignation from Holby City at the start of 2011, Hanssen becomes the sole Director of Surgery. In March 2011, after attempting to move all Upper-GI surgical cases from Keller ward to St James' Hospital, undermining Ric in the process and causing Ric to form a mutiny with fellow members of staff, Hanssen offers to operate on Ric in a risky bid to remove his terminal cancer.
), in order to observe the work there and clashes with Clinical Lead Consultant Nick Jordan, prompting Hanssen to instate a new Joint Clinical Lead, in the form of Miriam Turner, Jordan's old mentor.
to make budget cuts. Executive producer Belinda Campbell commented that Henry was a "great asset" to the cast, expanding: "His character will make waves from his very first scene and upset the apple cart of Holby City in more ways than one." Henry shadowed Daren Francis, a surgeon at a North London hospital and Holby City general surgical advisor, as research for the role. He described Hanssen as "punctilious, pedantic and passionate about his work", but with a dry sense of humour, essential for his rivalry of Connie. He explained that Hanssen is not afraid of making enemies and relishes his Machiavellian tendencies, attributing his fractious relationship with Connie to their mutual God complexes and arrogance. Henry considers Hanssen willing to goad people "to go out of their depth", with an ability to frequently "wrong-foot" others. What's on TV
deemed Hanssen "Holby own George Osbourne".
Hanssen was initially presented as an "unknown quantity", including to Henry, who knew little of his character's backstory. In an interview with TV Choice, Henry stated that he believed Hanssen to have come from a "rather unfortunate background". He was sent from Sweden to attend public school in Britain, possibly following the death of his mother, resulting in him becoming "a little more pedantic and English than the English." As of October 2010, his family and love-life had not been decided upon, but it was suggested to Henry that while Hanssen was at medical school, he entered a relationship which did not work out and had not had a romance since. Henry commented that it was possible Hanssen was gay or bisexual, and that an upcoming storyline with a younger female mentee may involve unrequited love. In November 2010, media entertainment website Digital Spy
announced that Laila Rouass
had been cast as Sahira Shah, a surgeon who shares a "dark history" with Hanssen, who has guided her career.
similarly commented that "Henry has a ball playing Holby new top dog, stealing all the best lines as he adds a wonderful slice of cutting humour to proceedings." Another positive review of Hanssen came from Becky Jones of the Leicester Mercury
, who deemed him "the best thing about the programme", with all of the best lines. Rebecca Jordan of OntheBox enjoyed Henry's "sarcastic yet strangely affable" character, comparing him to Gregory House
for his ability to diagnose patients "nearly as fast as he distributes withering one-liners." Jordan pinpointed Hanssen's appeal as being the "much-needed humour" he brought to the series, as well as the dynamic between Hanssen and Connie, writing that "the volatile rapport between him and Connie is thoroughly engaging and leaves little doubt in our minds that he will quickly become an exciting addition to the show." What's on TV selected the episode "The Short Straw" as the "Top TV" choice of the day, commenting that "some of the script is a little heavy-handed, but Guy Henry as panto-esque axeman Henrik is particularly good fun". Sarah Ellis writing for Inside Soap
said "He's great – but I'm still very glad that he's not my boss!"
In April 2011, The Guardian
Daniel Maier wrote that Hanssen was "the best thing about Holby". Maier observed that "he is unerringly calm and logical and as such represents the voice of the viewer when irrational behaviour threatens to glibly generate plot. Continuing drama is nothing without secrets, unkeepable promises, anger and jealousy and yet Hanssen unerringly roots these out and placidly advises his charges to get on with the job. He's pure quiet efficiency gold when he should be dramatic poison."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
medical drama
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...
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...
, played by actor Guy Henry. He first appeared in "Shifts", the premiere episode of the programme's thirteenth series
Holby City (series 13)
The thirteenth series of the British medical drama television series Holby City began airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 October 2010, and ran for 52 episodes, concluding on 11 October 2011.-Episodes:...
, broadcast on 19 October 2010. A 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...
general surgeon
General surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
, and the Director of Surgery at Holby City, Hanssen has also appeared in Holby City sister show, 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...
.
Holby City
Hanssen is introduced as the new joint Director of Surgery at Holby City, working alongside Connie BeauchampConnie Beauchamp
Constance "Connie" Beauchamp is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Amanda Mealing. She first appeared in the series six episode "In at the Deep End", broadcast on 1 June 2004, and remained in the programme until its thirteenth series, departing in the...
(Amanda Mealing
Amanda Mealing
Amanda Jane Mealing is a British actress best known for playing Connie Beauchamp in the BBC One medical drama series Holby City.-Early life:...
). In a meeting with the hospital board, he criticises Connie's plan to purchase a new MRI scanner for the cardiothoracic ward as being self-serving and naïve. He later informs the staff that budget cuts and redundancies will have to be made for the good of the hospital in a fraught economic climate. Hanssen considers making general surgeon Ric Griffin
Ric Griffin
Kobina Eric "Ric" Griffin MBBS MD PhD FRCS FRCS is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Hugh Quarshie. The character first appeared on-screen on 9 October 2001 in episode "Rogue Males" - series 4, episode 1 of the programme...
(Hugh Quarshie
Hugh Quarshie
- Early and Personal Life :Quarshie is of mixed Ghanaian, English and Dutch ancestry and was born in Accra, Ghana, to Emma Wilhelmina and Richard Quarshie, and emigrated with his family to the United Kingdom when he was aged three...
) redundant, as he is unable to perform clinical duties while undergoing chemotherapy. Connie defends Ric's position, and Hanssen allows her to make the final decision on redundancies, resulting in the dismissal of six nurses. Hanssen later grants Ric an absence of leave to concentrate on his health. Before departing, Ric requests that Hanssen direct his budget cuts away from the general surgery department.
After Connie Beauchamp's resignation from Holby City at the start of 2011, Hanssen becomes the sole Director of Surgery. In March 2011, after attempting to move all Upper-GI surgical cases from Keller ward to St James' Hospital, undermining Ric in the process and causing Ric to form a mutiny with fellow members of staff, Hanssen offers to operate on Ric in a risky bid to remove his terminal cancer.
Casualty
In February 2011, Hanssen visits the Emergency Department downstairs (as seen in CasualtyCasualty (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...
), in order to observe the work there and clashes with Clinical Lead Consultant Nick Jordan, prompting Hanssen to instate a new Joint Clinical Lead, in the form of Miriam Turner, Jordan's old mentor.
Development
Henry's casting in Holby City was announced in August 2010. He deemed Hanssen "a bit of a mystery man", sent to the hospital by the Department of HealthDepartment of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
to make budget cuts. Executive producer Belinda Campbell commented that Henry was a "great asset" to the cast, expanding: "His character will make waves from his very first scene and upset the apple cart of Holby City in more ways than one." Henry shadowed Daren Francis, a surgeon at a North London hospital and Holby City general surgical advisor, as research for the role. He described Hanssen as "punctilious, pedantic and passionate about his work", but with a dry sense of humour, essential for his rivalry of Connie. He explained that Hanssen is not afraid of making enemies and relishes his Machiavellian tendencies, attributing his fractious relationship with Connie to their mutual God complexes and arrogance. Henry considers Hanssen willing to goad people "to go out of their depth", with an ability to frequently "wrong-foot" others. What's on TV
What's On TV
What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...
deemed Hanssen "Holby own George Osbourne".
Hanssen was initially presented as an "unknown quantity", including to Henry, who knew little of his character's backstory. In an interview with TV Choice, Henry stated that he believed Hanssen to have come from a "rather unfortunate background". He was sent from Sweden to attend public school in Britain, possibly following the death of his mother, resulting in him becoming "a little more pedantic and English than the English." As of October 2010, his family and love-life had not been decided upon, but it was suggested to Henry that while Hanssen was at medical school, he entered a relationship which did not work out and had not had a romance since. Henry commented that it was possible Hanssen was gay or bisexual, and that an upcoming storyline with a younger female mentee may involve unrequited love. In November 2010, media entertainment website Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
announced that Laila Rouass
Laila Rouass
Laila Abdesselam Rouass is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Amber Gates in the British television drama Footballers' Wives and as Sarah Page in the third season of Primeval .-Career:...
had been cast as Sahira Shah, a surgeon who shares a "dark history" with Hanssen, who has guided her career.
Reception
Hanssen's initial appearances received positive reviews from critics. The Daily Mirror Jane Simon commended Henry's debut, writing that he was "off to a head-start, carrying off the haughty, brisk arrogance of a top consultant." What's on TVWhat's On TV
What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...
similarly commented that "Henry has a ball playing Holby new top dog, stealing all the best lines as he adds a wonderful slice of cutting humour to proceedings." Another positive review of Hanssen came from Becky Jones of the Leicester Mercury
Leicester Mercury
The Leicester Mercury is a British regional newspaper, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust, for the city of Leicester and the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland...
, who deemed him "the best thing about the programme", with all of the best lines. Rebecca Jordan of OntheBox enjoyed Henry's "sarcastic yet strangely affable" character, comparing him to Gregory House
Gregory House
Gregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
for his ability to diagnose patients "nearly as fast as he distributes withering one-liners." Jordan pinpointed Hanssen's appeal as being the "much-needed humour" he brought to the series, as well as the dynamic between Hanssen and Connie, writing that "the volatile rapport between him and Connie is thoroughly engaging and leaves little doubt in our minds that he will quickly become an exciting addition to the show." What's on TV selected the episode "The Short Straw" as the "Top TV" choice of the day, commenting that "some of the script is a little heavy-handed, but Guy Henry as panto-esque axeman Henrik is particularly good fun". Sarah Ellis writing for Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
said "He's great – but I'm still very glad that he's not my boss!"
In April 2011, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Daniel Maier wrote that Hanssen was "the best thing about Holby". Maier observed that "he is unerringly calm and logical and as such represents the voice of the viewer when irrational behaviour threatens to glibly generate plot. Continuing drama is nothing without secrets, unkeepable promises, anger and jealousy and yet Hanssen unerringly roots these out and placidly advises his charges to get on with the job. He's pure quiet efficiency gold when he should be dramatic poison."
External links
- Henrik Hanssen at BBC Online