Casualty
Format	Medical drama
Created by	Jeremy Brock Paul Unwin
Starring	Current cast
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. A medical drama is a Television Drama in which events center upon a Hospital, an ambulance staff or any medical environment This article lists the characters and the actors who portray them from the BBC television series Casualty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located  of episodes	624 (As of 29 March 2008) (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	50 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One
Original run	6 September 1986 – present
Chronology
Related shows	Holby City HolbyBlue Casualty 1906 Casualty 1907
External links
Official website
IMDb profile

Casualty is the longest running emergency medical drama series in the world,^[1] first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted in the UK on BBC One (with repeats on UKTV Gold). Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Due to the lengths of series of Casualty, lists of its episodes can be found in multiple articles between which one can navigate using the following table Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Holby City, styled as HOLBY CI+Y, is a BAFTA award winning Medical drama Television serial transmitted by BBC One in the United HolbyBlue is a British police drama series that aired on BBC One from 2007 to 2008 Casualty 1906 is an innovative BBC TV hospital drama that plunges the viewer into the Receiving Room today known as Accident and Emergency, of Casualty 1907 is a BBC TV 3-part historical medical drama set in 1907 at The London Hospital in the East End of London Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) It was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. The producer was Geraint Morris. Geraint Morris (28 March 1941 &ndash 12 July 1997 was a Welsh Film and Television director and producer The programme is based around the fictional Holby City Hospital and focuses on the staff and patients of the hospital's Accident and Emergency Department. Holby is the name of the fictional city in which BBC Medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, and where the short lived police Casualty is filmed approximately 3 months in advance of broadcast and runs for most of the year, taking a month's break during the summer.

The programme and its history

Filming for Casualty at a school in Yate near Bristol.

Location

Casualty is set in the fictional city of Holby. The show is filmed almost entirely in Bristol and well-known landmarks such as the floating harbour and Clifton Suspension Bridge are often visible in outdoor scenes. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Bristol Harbour is the Harbour in the city of Bristol, England The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a Suspension bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge and linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in City of Bristol College was used as the location for most exterior shots of the hospital from 1986 until 2002 when a new exterior set was built on an industrial estate in the city at 51°27′33″N 2°34′01″W / 51.459094, -2.567030. City of Bristol College is a large general Further education College based in the English city of Bristol. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

About the show

The drama concerns a group of doctors, nurses and administrators who work in the Accident & Emergency department (since Series 18 termed the Emergency Department (ED)). The show centres around the work of the medical staff and depicts their struggle to do their job effectively whilst dealing with bureaucracy and the difficult working environment of the NHS. The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four Publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually (although This has been a recurring theme over the years, particularly in the early series, when the show was frequently criticised for endorsing criticism of National Health Service management under the Conservative government of the day. The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four Publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually (although The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom.

History and broadcast

Susan Cookson (Maggie Coldwell) during filming

The programme has usually been transmitted on Saturday nights, although for a period in the late 1980s it switched to Fridays. Susan Cookson (Born 20 April 1965 in Manchester) is an English Television Actress. Casualty is the world's longest running Medical drama, first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Since 2001, popularity of the show resulted in a switch from a traditional seasonal format to an almost year-round production and transmission. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Casualty has no fixed time slot, and usually begins airing in the 20:00 - 21:00 slot on BBC1, however it is sometimes broadcast after 21:00. The show is very rarely broadcast before 20:00, however, special events such as Eurovision and sporting events sometimes see the schedule moved around. On some of these occasions, Casualty is taken off air for the night to make way for alternative shows.

Adaptations and related media

Holby City

Main article: Holby City

Holby City began on 12 January 1999 as a spin-off from Casualty and is named after the fictional Holby City Hospital in which both series are set. Holby City, styled as HOLBY CI+Y, is a BAFTA award winning Medical drama Television serial transmitted by BBC One in the United Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new Organization or Entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a Television series based on a pre-existing Holby is the name of the fictional city in which BBC Medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, and where the short lived police The show follows the lives and careers of staff and patients on the surgical wards of the hospital, and deals with a range of clinical and ethical issues. Similar to Casualty, the regular characters are all surgeons, nurses and other medical and ancillary staff, with patients played by guest actors - which have included some famous names such as Eric Sykes, Phill Jupitus, Michael Jayston, Michele Dotrice, Ronni Ancona, Emma Samms, Lee Ryan, Nikki Sanderson and Johnny Briggs. Eric Sykes, CBE (born 4 May 1923 is an English comedy writer and actor Phill Jupitus (born 25 June 1962 is an English broadcaster. He is a regular on television and radio panel shows including BBC Radio 4 's Michael Jayston (born Michael A James 29 October 1935 in Nottingham) is an English Actor. Michele Dotrice (born September 27 1948 in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) is a British actress best known for her portrayal Veronica 'Ronni' Ancona (born 4 July 1968 is a Scottish impressionist and actress of Italian/Jewish ancestry who won the Best TV Comedy Actress award at the British Comedy Emma Samms (born Emma Samuelson on 28 August 1960 is a British Television Actress. Lee Ryan (born 17 June 1983 in Chatham Kent) is a singer-songwriter actor and former member of the British Boy band Blue and is now pursuing Nikki Ann Sanderson (born 28 March 1984 in Blackpool, Lancashire) is an English actress and Glamour model who is best known for playing John Briggs may refer to Johnny Briggs (cricketer (1862-1902 English cricketer Johnny Briggs (actor (born 1935 English actor who ^[2] The show was created by Mal Young and Tony McHale, who is currently its Executive Producer and occasional scriptwriter. Mal Young (born 26 January 1957 Liverpool, England) is a British Television producer and Executive producer. Tony McHale is a British Actor, writer and director who has the dubious honour of being best known as a "stooge" to Jeremy Beadle Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production

Casualty@Holby City

Main article: Casualty@Holby City

Casualty@Holby City credits

Reflecting Holby City's origins as a spin-off from Casualty and the closely-related premises of the two programmes, the BBC has screened occasional crossover mini-dramas entitled Casualty@Holby City and featuring a number of characters from each of the two casts. Casualty@Holby City is the name given to special crossover episodes of BBC Medical dramas Casualty and Holby City Mervyn Watson, Executive Producer of Casualty, has commented on the origins of the idea to fully cross the two sister shows over for the first time: "I think the idea came from somebody in the comedy department, who casually said to the Controller of Drama "Wouldn't it be a good idea if. Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production . . . " The Controller did think it was a good idea, spoke to myself and Holby's Executive Producer, got it commissioned by the Head of BBC One and the rest is history. "^[3] Filming of Casualty@Holby City episodes is usually divided between Casualty's Bristol set, and Holby City's Elstree studios, although a large proportion of the Christmas 2005 crossover was also filmed on location in a road tunnel in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales. Casualty@Holby City Christmas 2005 refers to the second set of Christmas crossover episodes of BBC Medical dramas and sister shows Casualty Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms "Caernarvon" or "Carnarvon" is a North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. ^[4] The theme tune used for crossover Casualty@Holby City episodes consists of a shortened version of both the Casualty and Holby City theme tunes, played over one another in sync, critizised by The Mirror for being "basically both theme tunes played at once. "^[5] There have been four crossovers to date involving both casts:

The Christmas 2004 crossover featured a fuel tanker lorry crashing into the Accident & Emergency department of Holby City Hospital. Casualty@Holby City Christmas 2004 marked the first full crossover episodes of BBC Medical dramas and sister shows Casualty and A tank truck ( United States usage or tanker lorry ( United Kingdom usage is a Motor vehicle designed to carry liquefied loads, Holby is the name of the fictional city in which BBC Medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, and where the short lived police Casualty character Jim Brodie died rescuing his colleagues from the burning hospital building. This article lists the characters and the actors who portray them from the BBC television series Casualty. ^[6] In August 2005, an Interactive episode was screened as part of the BBC's DoNation season, raising the profile of organ donation issues. Casualty@Holby City Interactive refers to the second Casualty@Holby City Crossover of BBC Medical dramas Casualty Organ donation is the removal of the tissues of the Human body from a person who has recently Died, or from a living donor for the purpose of transplanting Viewers voted for one of two patients to receive an organ donation during the show. The plot was designed to raise awareness of the scarcity of organs and encourage viewers to consider joining the NHS Donor Register. ^[7] A third crossover was produced for Halloween 2005. Casualty@Holby City Halloween 2005 refers to the third Casualty@Holby City Crossover of BBC Medical dramas Casualty This four episode special focused on issues around youth violence, featuring an ambulance hijack and an assault on character Comfort Newton by pupils at a failing secondary school. This article lists the characters and the actors who portray them from the BBC television series Casualty. Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes ^[8] The last crossover to date aired at Christmas 2005 and saw a group of staff involved in a road collision when a tunnel collapsed en-route the hospital Christmas party. Casualty@Holby City Christmas 2005 refers to the second set of Christmas crossover episodes of BBC Medical dramas and sister shows Casualty Former character Nick Jordan returned, and Paramedic Woody Joyner died saving the life of a baby. The following characters formerly appeared regularly on the British BBC television drama, Holby City, as hospital staff A paramedic is a medical professional usually a member of the emergency medical service, who primarily provides Pre-hospital advanced medical and This article lists the characters and the actors who portray them from the BBC television series Casualty. ^[9]

Interviewed prior to broadcast of the Christmas 2005 crossover, Executive Producer Mervyn Watson commented on the future of Casualty@Holby City: "We can't guarantee any crossovers for next year, but the audience likes them. Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production And as long as the Controller of BBC One wants them, then we'll be happy to oblige. "^[10] In November 2007, Holby City producer Diana Kyle added: "We like to do crossovers whenever we can, but it's tricky because both Holby City and Casualty film for 52 weeks a year, so the actors on each show have to work flat-out on their own programmes. We are trying to create more opportunities where the two dramas can merge, though. "^[11]

HolbyBlue

Main article: HolbyBlue

HolbyBlue title credits

In April 2006, the BBC announced that a spin-off drama from Holby City, to be named HolbyBlue, was in early stages of production. HolbyBlue is a British police drama series that aired on BBC One from 2007 to 2008 HolbyBlue is a British police drama series that aired on BBC One from 2007 to 2008 ^[12] The series focuses on the police service of Holby South, and aired for the duration of its first series on BBC One on Tuesday nights, with Holby City switching back to its former Thursday night slot at 20:00. Despite Holby Blue being billed as a spin-off from Holby City, the first series saw no crossovers between characters from either show. Long running Casualty character Charlie Fairhead appeared in HolbyBlue's first episode, and a full two part crossover episode with Holby City aired at the beginning of the show's second series. Casualty is the world's longest running Medical drama, first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. ^[13]

Casualty 1906, Casualty 1907

Main articles: Casualty 1906 and Casualty 1907

In December 2006, the BBC broadcast a historical medical drama titled Casualty 1906, reflecting life in the emergency department of the Royal London Hospital 100 years previously. Casualty 1906 is an innovative BBC TV hospital drama that plunges the viewer into the Receiving Room today known as Accident and Emergency, of Casualty 1907 is a BBC TV 3-part historical medical drama set in 1907 at The London Hospital in the East End of London Casualty 1906 is an innovative BBC TV hospital drama that plunges the viewer into the Receiving Room today known as Accident and Emergency, of Royal London Museum and Archives The Royal London has a museum which is located in the crypt of a 19th century church A full series, titled Casualty 1907, has been developed for broadcast in 2008. Casualty 1907 is a BBC TV 3-part historical medical drama set in 1907 at The London Hospital in the East End of London Although not a direct spin-off, nor set in the same fictional location, the Times have suggested "that this is BBC high-concept brand- extension at its very best",^[14] with the BBC using the popularity of and viewer familiarity with Casualty to launch a new historical drama - a conclusion The Guardian also assert. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ^[15]

Awards and accolades

In 2007 Casualty won its first major award, the BAFTA for the best continuing drama. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for film television television craft video games and forms of animation Long serving Ian Bleasdale, who plays the character Josh accepted the award at the ceremony, which took place at the London Palladium. Ian Bleasdale (born 1952 is a British Actor. He was born in Upholland, Lancashire and divides his time between Haworth in The London Palladium is a 2286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. He said "To the doctors, nurses and ambulance crews, thank you for doing the job you do. I hope we go some way to showing exactly what it is," and dedicated the award to show's original producer, Geraint Morris, who died in 1997. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar

The cast of the show released the single "Everlasting Love", which peaked at 5 in the UK in 1998. " Everlasting Love " is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)

Wins

Since its conception, Casualty has won and been nominated for the following awards. ^[16]

Nominations

Casualty Series 1 DVD release

DVD release

The first series of Casualty was released on DVD (Region 2, UK) by 2 Entertain/Cinema Club on 10 April 2006. The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards TV Quick is a British weekly TV listing Magazine published by family-run German company H Bauer Publishing The Royal Television Society (commonly known in the television industry as the RTS) is a British -based society for the discussion analysis and preservation of The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The Royal Television Society (commonly known in the television industry as the RTS) is a British -based society for the discussion analysis and preservation of The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The National Television Awards is a British Television awards ceremony sponsored by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. Elyes Gabel (born 8 May 1983 in London) is an English actor who played Doctor Gupreet "Guppy" Sandhu in the BBC medical drama Casualty The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards Claire Goose (born 10 February 1975 is a British actress. She was educated at Wisbech Grammar School. Jonathan Kerrigan (born 14 October 1972 in Lincolnshire) is an English actor well known for his portrayal of gay nurse Sam Colloby in the BBC medical dramas The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The second series was released on 10 July, with series three released on 11 September. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul The third was released to coincide with the show's 20th Anniversary celebrations. There are no future DVD releases planned at present.

Theme music, titles and credits

The Casualty theme music was composed by Ken Freeman, who also composed the theme for sister show, Holby City. The closing music was traditionally quite different from the opening theme, although in recent years there have been few differences. In 2000 the garage duo Oxide & Neutrino sampled the theme tune in the song 'Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty)', which got to number one in May. Different variations of the theme music have been introduced throughout the show’s history. The longest running was the original theme, which ran for fifteen years between 1986 and 2001. 2001 to 2006 saw a new, ‘poppier’ version of the theme, replaced between 2006 and 2007 by a theme more akin with the original, again composed by Ken Freeman. However, as of the start of the 22nd series, the 2001-2006 theme is once more being used.

There have been nine different variations of the opening titles and closing credits since the show’s inception. Closing credits, inside a Motion picture or Television program come at the end of a movie or show and list all the cast and crew involved in the production In 2001 the show’s characters have appeared in the opening titles, in place of previous generic hospital environment shots. However from 2002 onwards, generic shots were used again, with that theme lasting for four years until it was replaced.

Cast

Main article: Characters of Casualty

See also: List of characters in Casualty

Episode list

Main article: List of Casualty episodes

References

External links

• Casualty at bbc.co.uk
• holby.tv - UK Casualty and Holby City website
• Casualty at the Internet Movie Database
• Casualty at the BFI's Screenonline
• Casualty at What's on TV website