Casualty series 1

Production

The show was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. Geraint Morris was appointed as the show's producer. Prior to first series airing, Brock and Unwin visited the Bristol Royal Infirmary where they met a charge nurse called Pete Salt who was appointed the series medical advisor.

The first series of Casualty consisted of fifteen episodes with individual titles, which aired weekly on a Saturday night. The first series featured ten main characters, who were all appointed different roles within the A&E department. By the end of the first series, two actors would not be returning for the second series: Julia Watson (Baz Samuels) and George Harris (Clive King). Watson eventually returned to the programme in 1995 in Series 9 Episode 20.

Development

The idea of Casualty came together when co-creators Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin were both hospitalised for different reasons. During their time at the hospital, the pair were 'deeply concerned by what they saw'. Brock and Unwin pitched a document and sent it to the BBC in 1985. Unwin said in an interview with Radio Times that their pitch 'read like a manifesto', with the first sentence being: "In 1948, a dream was born - a National Health Service. In 1985, the dream is in tatters." Unwin said that he and Brock were both 'left–wing and passionate', and that they 'knew what stories there were to tell'. After the commissioning of Casualty, the BBC decided to team Unwin and Brock up with television producer Geraint Morris.

One of the reasons Casualty was produced was to help boost decreasing ratings for the BBC between 1984 and 1985 during peak viewing times on Friday and Saturday evenings. Before Brock and Unwin scripted the first series, they took a visit to a hospital based in Bristol. There, they met Pete Salt, a charge nurse. Salt was appointed the series medical advisor, advising the team of Casualty on what was and wasn't medically possible or accurate.

Cast

Overview

The first series of Casualty featured ten main characters. All ten characters were introduced in the first episode of the series. The fifteenth episode saw the last appearances of characters Baz Samuels and Clive King, whose respective departures were explained in the second series. The other eight characters reprised their roles in series two.

Throughout the duration of the first series, there were seven notable actors who appeared in guest roles. Graham Cole played a junior doctor in episode one, Michael Garner played PC McMorrow in episode four, Alfred Molina played Fleet Street journalist Harry Horner in episode four, while Vas Blackwood also appeared in episode four, as Bob. Stella Gonet played Clare Wainwright, a specialist registrar in general medicine in episode seven, while Perry Fenwick played patient Marvin Osborne in episode nine.

Main characters

• Lisa Bowerman as Sandra Mute
• Brenda Fricker as Megan Roach
• Bernard Gallagher as Ewart Plimmer
• George Harris as Clive King
• Robert Pugh as Andrew Ponting
• Debbie Roza as Susie Mercier
• Christopher Rozycki as Kuba Trzcinski
• Cathy Shipton as Lisa "Duffy" Duffin
• Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead
• Julia Watson as Barbara "Baz" Samuels

Episodes

Notes

References

References

1. "IMDB Casualty Series 1". IMDB.
2. "BBC Press Pack - Casualty A-Z – Locations to medical facts". BBC.
3. "BBC Genome Casualty: 1: Gas". BBC.
4. "IMDB Casualty S9 E20 ''Branded''". IMDB.
5. (7 September 2011). "25 years strong: the idea that defined Casualty". [[BBC]].
6. Unwin, Paul. (3 September 2011). "Casualty creator: we were left-wing and passionate". [[Radio Times]].
7. Hayward, Anthony. (15 July 1997). "Obituary: Geraint Morris". [[The Independent]].
8. Holland, Patricia. "Broadcasting and the NHS in the Thatcherite 1980s: The Challenge to Public Service".
9. "Series 1 (1986)". [[BBC]].
10. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Clive King". Holby.tv.
11. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Baz Wilder". Holby.tv.
12. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Graham Cole". Holby.tv.
13. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Michael Garner". Holby.tv.
14. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Alfred Molina". Holby.tv.
15. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Vas Blackwood: Previous Appearances". Holby.tv.
16. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Stella Gonet: Previous Appearances". Holby.tv.
17. (11 October 2013). "My six best books: Actress Stella Gonet on Little Women, Rebecca and French cooking". [[Sunday Express]].
18. Griffin, Cheryl. (13 January 2010). "Perry Fenwick". Holby.tv.