Casualty

Casualty history

Casualty burst on screen in 1986 with a host of unforgettable characters and storylines drawn from the staff and patients of the emergency department at Holby City General Hospital, a mythical medical centre located in Holby. They included formidable Irish nurse Megan Roach (Brenda Fricker), compassionate Lisa’Duffy’Duffin (Cathy Shipton) and the diplomatic Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson). The first series had every kind of medical drama, from Duffy getting raped to Megan being diagnosed with cervical cancer. Since then, 19 series have been treated with arrivals and departures galore! Memorable characters included cheeky porter Jimmy Powell (Robson Green), stalwart paramedic Josh Griffiths (Ian Bleasdale), caring nurse Ash (Patrick Robinson), happy-go-lucky nurse Tina Seabrook (Claire Goose), tough consultant Harry Harper (Simon MacCorkindale), gay nurse Sam Colloby (Jonathan Kerrigan) and feisty paramedic Comfort Jones (Martina Laird). And let’s not forget the special guest stars. Kate Winslet, Minnie Driver, Johnny Lee Miller, Helen Baxendale, Ray Winstone and Norman Wisdom have all trod the wards of Holby General. If there wasn’t enough drama in the characters’complex lives, there was plenty of action elsewhere. Over the years, Casualty has seen a toxic gas outbreak, an IRA bomb blast, a devastating plane crash, an arson attack and even a train derailment! And the last series was as action-packed as ever. The love triangle between Selena, Nathan and Harry ended in tragedy, bad boy Stitch turned up and got Guppy hooked on drugs, and Dixie confessed her love for Cyd as the pretty paramedic fought for her life. Coming back with a bang (quite literally), series 22 picks up where it left off with some familiar faces – and a whole host of new ones – dealing with life at the frontline of TV’s busiest emergency department. Keep logging on to whatsontv.co.uk to keep up to date with all the drama as it unfolds…