Linden Cullen
Encyclopedia
Linden Cullen is a fictional character
from the BBC
medical drama
Holby City
, portrayed by actor Duncan Pow
. Linden appeared from series ten to twelve - January 2008 to October 2010, as the head of Holby City Hospital's surgical admissions ward.
had been cast in the role of Linden, when series producer Diana Kyle described the new character as "dishy...good-looking and sexy". In the context of the show, Linden was introduced as the new head of the hospital's Acute Assessment Unit
, a position which had been filled on a temporary basis by Lola Griffin (Sharon D. Clarke) since the departure of the department's former head, consultant
Abra Durant
(Adrian Edmonson), at the end of the show's ninth series.
Interviewed a year after his casting was announced, Pow commented on his time on Holby City so far: "I don't think I've ever enjoyed a job as much. It is a pleasure to get up every morning and spend my days working at Holby. From the producers, writers and production staff through to the crew and the cast, everyone is lovely to work with and the atmosphere is always positive and good fun. What more could I wish for? I'm getting paid to do something I love [...] Linden is a very complex character to play and getting your teeth into him has been a dream, any actor would relish the opportunity, I just feel lucky and privileged that it was me that was given the chance".
Pow has commented that his favourite scenes as Linden are those revolving around Olivia and Holly. Asked whether he felt Linden could ever fall in love again, Pow commented: "I think Linden has the potential, very much, to love again. I think Linden was a wonderful husband and father. I'm sure that Olivia, Linden and Holly laughed together all the time. I think that their life was one of love, joy and family. I think that is why it is so hard for him to carry what he has lost every single day. I think there are things with Holly he needs to resolve before he can move on from Olivia. But I think he has feelings for someone that have awoken something inside him and I think that what happens in the future with Linden, and in his love life, will show the viewers more facets of his personality, but I also think it will show you that Linden deserves to fall in love again. There is a good human being with a big heart wasting away on his own. I think he could make someone's life really special and I hope that one day he gets the chance to."
is to be transformed into a surgical admissions ward. Staff nurse Donna Jackson
quickly develops a crush on him, but a brief lunch date in episode "Final Cut" proves them to be incompatible. Linden quickly develops a reputation as a maverick, irritating both Lola Griffin and Mark Williams
by performing surgical procedures in the treatment bay, which is not yet ready for use as a theatre. Maddy Young
is intrigued by Linden's refusal to treat one specific patient, believing his reticence to stem from his Catholic
faith and his assumption the patient has just undergone an abortion
, when in fact she has miscarried
. When the patient later dies, Linden is forced to admit to Maddy that his actions towards her were driven by her strong resemblance to his deceased wife, Olivia.
In episode "New Lands, New Beginnings", Linden travels to Cape Town
, South Africa
, with Registrar
Joseph Byrne
, to track down missing Ward Sister Faye Morton
. Linden develops feelings for Faye, and admits in confessional
to feeling he has betrayed Olivia. He reveals that Olivia was killed in a car crash, for which he blames himself, and that his daughter Holly reminds him of Olivia to the extent that he cannot bear to see her, so is being raised by Olivia's parents instead of him.
Episode "Only Believe" sees Linden suspended after the death of a patient on his operating table. It is several weeks before he is cleared of negligence, with Maddy illegally obtaining samples from the deceased patient for testing in order to prove his innocence. In the interim, Linden becomes deeply involved with a pair of Korean asylum seekers, the Tans, one of whom is pregnant with conjoined twins
. As the couple are Christian, he feels compelled by his faith to help them, and becomes embroiled in their plight to the extent that he is not allowed to assist in the twins' eventual separation operation because of his over-involvement. He aids hospital Chief Executive Officer
Jayne Grayson
in defending the procedure to the national press, helping to secure funding for the operation from the British government, and is relieved when the procedure proves successful and both twins survive. Linden later saves the life of Jayne's son Christian, successfully reviving him when the boy is retrieved from a river, having been submerged for over six hours. As a result, he proposes a trial of the flash cooling technique he utilized to the hospital board, but is disappointed when they refuse to fast-track the trial through the testing stages.
Linden confesses his love for Faye shortly after she marries Joseph. They kiss, but Faye immediately regrets it and tells Linden she is committed to Joseph. Faye's son Archie later dies, and Linden supports her through her bereavement. In late 2009, Holly arrives at the hospital having run away from her grandparents. She moves in with Linden, but their relationship remains strained until Holly is hit by a car and Linden saves her life, using the same procedure he attempted unsuccessfully on Olivia. When Faye and Joseph separate, she and Linden begin a relationship. Faye discovers that she is pregnant with Joseph's baby, but Linden promises to support her and they become briefly engaged. Linden's Christian principles are tested when Faye cites their infidelity as the reason for her impending divorce. He becomes concerned that Faye may be a pathological liar, and terminates their engagement. Faye is later attacked by a heroin-addicted patient. Linden attempts to defend her, but is hit in the head with a glass bottle and dies.
, Diana Kyle and the writing team coming up with such an interesting character and Tony, Diana, Liz Stoll and Julia Crampsie for giving me the opportunity to play him". Discussing the feedback he receives from viewers about Linden, Pow explained that people "like his honesty and dedication to others", commenting that: "he's quite selfless, I guess, and that is an incredibly endearing quality".
In September 2008, the Daily Mirror Jane Simon wrote critically of the character, stating: "Holby has developed an unpleasant rash of annoyingly wet and whispering male docs. Elliot, Linden, Joseph - you daren't let any of them out in the rain in case they dissolve." The two-part episode which saw the climax of Linden's involvement with the Tans and their conjoined twins proved popular with critics, and was selected as a televisual "Pick of the Day" by the Western Mail, the Daily Record
, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner
, the Sunday Mercury
, the Daily Mirror, the Birmingham Mail
, and the Liverpool Echo
.
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...
, portrayed by actor Duncan Pow
Duncan Pow
Duncan Pow is a Scottish actor best known in his role in Sky One's Dream Team, as Liam Mackay the captain of Harchester United F.C. and as Linden Cullen in the BBC1 medical drama, Holby City.-Early life:...
. Linden appeared from series ten to twelve - January 2008 to October 2010, as the head of Holby City Hospital's surgical admissions ward.
Creation
It was first announced on 6 November 2007 that actor Duncan PowDuncan Pow
Duncan Pow is a Scottish actor best known in his role in Sky One's Dream Team, as Liam Mackay the captain of Harchester United F.C. and as Linden Cullen in the BBC1 medical drama, Holby City.-Early life:...
had been cast in the role of Linden, when series producer Diana Kyle described the new character as "dishy...good-looking and sexy". In the context of the show, Linden was introduced as the new head of the hospital's Acute Assessment Unit
Acute Assessment Unit
An acute assessment unit, or acute admissions unit, is a short-stay department in some hospitals that is sometimes part of the emergency department, although a separate department. The AAU acts as a gateway between a patient's general practitioner, the emergency department, and the wards of the...
, a position which had been filled on a temporary basis by Lola Griffin (Sharon D. Clarke) since the departure of the department's former head, 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...
Abra Durant
Abra Durant
Percival "Abra" Durant is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Adrian Edmondson. The character first appeared on-screen on 5 July 2005 in the episode "Tuesday's Child", episode 38 of the show's seventh series...
(Adrian Edmonson), at the end of the show's ninth series.
Interviewed a year after his casting was announced, Pow commented on his time on Holby City so far: "I don't think I've ever enjoyed a job as much. It is a pleasure to get up every morning and spend my days working at Holby. From the producers, writers and production staff through to the crew and the cast, everyone is lovely to work with and the atmosphere is always positive and good fun. What more could I wish for? I'm getting paid to do something I love [...] Linden is a very complex character to play and getting your teeth into him has been a dream, any actor would relish the opportunity, I just feel lucky and privileged that it was me that was given the chance".
Development
Pow explained of his character: "Linden has demons and I really enjoy examining where his pain derives from and how it manifests itself in his day to day life. I guess for Linden he is living a life that he hasn't chosen for himself, he has great faith in God and when Olivia died I think that that was when he chose the path he walks every day. I think if I had lived Linden's life I would have renounced God, not been able to accept what had happened. It would have driven me mad or to drink probably. But Linden made his choice then, to keep his Faith, to put his Faith in God and to try and spend his life doing good in the knowledge that God has a purpose for him. I think we have all experienced loss at some point in our lives and how we cope with that loss, defines us. Exploring that in Linden has been emotional but gratifying". Asked to describe the similarities and differences between his own personality and Linden's, Pow replied: "I work incredibly hard at my job, as does Linden. He punishes himself for mistakes, as do I. I guess in many ways we share the same work ethos and the same guilt complex. The similarities end there though."Pow has commented that his favourite scenes as Linden are those revolving around Olivia and Holly. Asked whether he felt Linden could ever fall in love again, Pow commented: "I think Linden has the potential, very much, to love again. I think Linden was a wonderful husband and father. I'm sure that Olivia, Linden and Holly laughed together all the time. I think that their life was one of love, joy and family. I think that is why it is so hard for him to carry what he has lost every single day. I think there are things with Holly he needs to resolve before he can move on from Olivia. But I think he has feelings for someone that have awoken something inside him and I think that what happens in the future with Linden, and in his love life, will show the viewers more facets of his personality, but I also think it will show you that Linden deserves to fall in love again. There is a good human being with a big heart wasting away on his own. I think he could make someone's life really special and I hope that one day he gets the chance to."
Storylines
Linden's arrival at Holby City Hospital in episode "Stolen" surprises staff with the announcement that the Acute Assessment UnitAcute Assessment Unit
An acute assessment unit, or acute admissions unit, is a short-stay department in some hospitals that is sometimes part of the emergency department, although a separate department. The AAU acts as a gateway between a patient's general practitioner, the emergency department, and the wards of the...
is to be transformed into a surgical admissions ward. Staff nurse Donna Jackson
Donna Jackson
Donna Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actress Jaye Jacobs. She appeared in the programme from its sixth series in 2004, to its thirteenth in 2011. Donna entered the series as a staff nurse, characterised as a wild-child with a chaotic personal life...
quickly develops a crush on him, but a brief lunch date in episode "Final Cut" proves them to be incompatible. Linden quickly develops a reputation as a maverick, irritating both Lola Griffin and Mark Williams
Mark Williams (fictional character)
Mark Williams is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Robert Powell. The character first appeared on-screen on 15 February 2005 in episode "Stick or Twist" - series seven, episode eighteen of the programme...
by performing surgical procedures in the treatment bay, which is not yet ready for use as a theatre. Maddy Young
Maddy Young
Madeleine "Maddy" Young is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Nadine Lewington. The character first appeared on-screen on 16 January 2007, in episode "Face Value" - series 9, episode 15 of the programme. Her final appearance in the show was in the Series...
is intrigued by Linden's refusal to treat one specific patient, believing his reticence to stem from his Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
faith and his assumption the patient has just undergone an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, when in fact she has miscarried
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
. When the patient later dies, Linden is forced to admit to Maddy that his actions towards her were driven by her strong resemblance to his deceased wife, Olivia.
In episode "New Lands, New Beginnings", Linden travels to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, with Registrar
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
Joseph Byrne
Joseph Byrne
Joseph Charles Mortimer Byrne is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by Luke Roberts. Joseph first appeared in the 3 January 2006 episode "Mother Love", series eight, episode twelve of the programme...
, to track down missing Ward Sister Faye Morton
Faye Morton
Faye Lindsey Byrne is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Patsy Kensit. The character first appeared on-screen on 30 January 2007 in the episode "Into the Dark" - series nine, episode 17 of the program...
. Linden develops feelings for Faye, and admits in confessional
Confessional
A confessional is a small, enclosed booth used for the Sacrament of Penance, often called confession, or Reconciliation. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church, but similar structures are also used in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic orientation, and also in the...
to feeling he has betrayed Olivia. He reveals that Olivia was killed in a car crash, for which he blames himself, and that his daughter Holly reminds him of Olivia to the extent that he cannot bear to see her, so is being raised by Olivia's parents instead of him.
Episode "Only Believe" sees Linden suspended after the death of a patient on his operating table. It is several weeks before he is cleared of negligence, with Maddy illegally obtaining samples from the deceased patient for testing in order to prove his innocence. In the interim, Linden becomes deeply involved with a pair of Korean asylum seekers, the Tans, one of whom is pregnant with conjoined twins
Conjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
. As the couple are Christian, he feels compelled by his faith to help them, and becomes embroiled in their plight to the extent that he is not allowed to assist in the twins' eventual separation operation because of his over-involvement. He aids hospital Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
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...
in defending the procedure to the national press, helping to secure funding for the operation from the British government, and is relieved when the procedure proves successful and both twins survive. Linden later saves the life of Jayne's son Christian, successfully reviving him when the boy is retrieved from a river, having been submerged for over six hours. As a result, he proposes a trial of the flash cooling technique he utilized to the hospital board, but is disappointed when they refuse to fast-track the trial through the testing stages.
Linden confesses his love for Faye shortly after she marries Joseph. They kiss, but Faye immediately regrets it and tells Linden she is committed to Joseph. Faye's son Archie later dies, and Linden supports her through her bereavement. In late 2009, Holly arrives at the hospital having run away from her grandparents. She moves in with Linden, but their relationship remains strained until Holly is hit by a car and Linden saves her life, using the same procedure he attempted unsuccessfully on Olivia. When Faye and Joseph separate, she and Linden begin a relationship. Faye discovers that she is pregnant with Joseph's baby, but Linden promises to support her and they become briefly engaged. Linden's Christian principles are tested when Faye cites their infidelity as the reason for her impending divorce. He becomes concerned that Faye may be a pathological liar, and terminates their engagement. Faye is later attacked by a heroin-addicted patient. Linden attempts to defend her, but is hit in the head with a glass bottle and dies.
Reception
In 2009, Linden was voted Holby City fans' "Favourite Newcomer of Series 10", receiving 58.5% of the vote. Pow commented on his character's popularity and award win: "I try not to think too much about Linden and how he is viewed by fans. I think it's great that you guys voted Linden as Best Newcomer and that he has been well received but I guess the fact he has a fan base is down to Tony McHaleTony McHale
Tony McHale is a British actor, writer and director who has the dubious honour of being best known as a "stooge" to Jeremy Beadle on Game For A Laugh and later, Beadle's About. He trained at Rose Bruford College. He also enjoyed a long stint as a writer/director on the top rated BBC1 soap opera...
, Diana Kyle and the writing team coming up with such an interesting character and Tony, Diana, Liz Stoll and Julia Crampsie for giving me the opportunity to play him". Discussing the feedback he receives from viewers about Linden, Pow explained that people "like his honesty and dedication to others", commenting that: "he's quite selfless, I guess, and that is an incredibly endearing quality".
In September 2008, the Daily Mirror Jane Simon wrote critically of the character, stating: "Holby has developed an unpleasant rash of annoyingly wet and whispering male docs. Elliot, Linden, Joseph - you daren't let any of them out in the rain in case they dissolve." The two-part episode which saw the climax of Linden's involvement with the Tans and their conjoined twins proved popular with critics, and was selected as a televisual "Pick of the Day" by the Western Mail, the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
The Huddersfield Daily Examiner is an English local daily evening newspaper covering Huddersfield and its surrounding areas. The first edition was published, as a weekly, on September 6, 1851, as the Huddersfield & Holmfirth Examiner and the newspaper has been published on a daily basis since...
, the Sunday Mercury
Sunday Mercury
Sunday Mercury is a Sunday tabloid published in Birmingham, UK, and owned by Trinity Mirror.The first editor was John Turner Fearon , who left the Dublin-based Freeman's Journal to take up the position...
, the Daily Mirror, the Birmingham Mail
Birmingham Mail
The Birmingham Mail is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham, The Black Country, Solihull, Warwickshire and parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. The newspaper, which was re-branded from the Birmingham Evening Mail in October 2005, is one of the biggest...
, and the Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
.