The two-part blockbuster centred on a high-stakes major incident which threw Holby into chaos.
A Beeb spokesperson said: “The anniversary episodes celebrated 40 years of Casualty while signalling an exciting new chapter, demonstrating the ambition, storytelling and emotional impact at the heart of the series.”
The episodes also featured a surprise – but welcome – return of former characters Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) and Ethan Hardy (George Rainsford).
William Beck, who plays Dylan Keogh, described Casualty as “a unique environment.”
He said: “The Emergency Department is somewhere that we all have experience of, most frequently when we really don’t want it. We’re thrown in with people who are entirely at random, which is such an amazing environment to make a drama.
People recognise it and have sympathy for those who work there and for the people being treated there. It’s also something that we know we’re lucky to have, and we continue to fight for. My parents both worked for the NHS and are avid supporters of it, but it didn’t make them, or me, blind to the huge difficulties that it faces. Everybody recognises that.”
Melanie Hill, who plays Siobhan McKenzie, believes the show’s endearing popularity is due to its being so “down to earth.”
She said: “It’s mainly because, as well as all the epic stunts and big set pieces in these 40th anniversary episodes, Casualty tells stories of normal people on the worst days of their lives. The patients that come through the door mirror the stories going on in the staff’s lives. They’re just normal people trying to help everyone. That’s what Casualty does really well. It tells stories about people that we all know, in abnormal situations.”
IT’S BEEN almost 10 years since DR FOSTER (BBC and iPlayer) was last on our screens but Suranne Jones’ fans will be delighted to hear the BAFTA winning drama is finally coming back for a third season.
The five-part series will again see Suranne (currently starring in Season 3 of Vigil on BBC1) , Bertie Carvel and Tom Taylor reprise their roles as Gemma, Simon and Tom.
Slow Horses and Criminal Record star Dustin Demri-Burns joins the cast as Callum, Gemma’s new partner, with Adam James returning as Gemma’s neighbour Neil, and Thusitha Jayasundera reprising her role as Ros, Gemma’s friend and colleague, and Anna Madeley returning as Lucy.
For those who may not have seen the first two seasons or simply can’t remember due to the mists of time, the show centred on a woman (Dr Gemma Foster, played by Suranne) enacting a masterful revenge on discovering her husband was having an affair. But the fallout was devastating when her 15-year-old son Tom disappeared. Now, in series three, Gemma is still a GP, still in the same house, but on the brink of a fresh start: she has met someone new and is getting married. But as the wedding day draws closer, and friends and family gather, shadows from the past begin to re-emerge threatening both her happiness and her reputation. As Gemma fights to protect those she loves and expose whoever’s intent on hurting her, will she be able to put the past to bed, dispense justice, and claim the future she deserves, before it is too late?
With the drama attracting almost 10 million people for the finale of Season Two, it looks certain to be one of the year’s biggest hits when screened.
Well that’s it for now – catch you next week for some more TV chatter. Stay safe!
Author: Steve
Editor of Hartlepool Life and author of TV Life