Casualty series 12

Production

Sally Haynes took over from Ros Anderson as producer for this series.

This series was notable as episodes 1 and 17 had an extended 'feature-length' running time of 75 minutes, compared to the standard episode length of 50 minutes.

"Give My Love To Esme" (episode 1), featured a dramatic storyline involving a car bomb exploding in a shopping centre car park. It was initially scheduled to air on the evening of Saturday 6 September. However, following the broadcast of the Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales earlier that day, the BBC postponed the episode until the following Thursday, deeming it unsuitable to show such content so soon after the national tragedy.

"The Golden Hour" (episode 17), featured a huge motorway pile-up, involving multiple vehicles and a fuel tanker. Filming took place at RAF Wroughton in Wiltshire, where set designers spent five weeks constructing two three-lane carriageways, with filming scheduled across six nights. The episodes that followed highlighted the traumatic effects of the accident on General Manager Eliot Matthews, who starts to suffer with post-traumatic stress.

A significant storyline started in "Degrees of Separation" (episode 20), in which nurse Tina Seabrook was sexually assaulted. When the producers informed Goose she was getting the dramatic storyline, she was not "daunted" and instead used the opportunity to show her skills as an actress. Goose immediately undertook research for the storyline, before the writers had a chance to script it and spent a total of six months researching the topic. Producers hoped the four-part storyline would increase ratings and raise awareness of the dangers nurses face at work from similar attacks. The storyline also dealt with the issue of government cuts, as the hospital's CCTV fails to capture Tina's assault.

The series also featured the first official two-part story, "Everlasting Love", which played out over episodes 25 and 26, seeing the temporary return of characters Ash, Duffy, Megan and Mike Barratt. Filming for Charlie and Baz's wedding took place aboard a pleasure cruiser moored at Southampton Docks. The cast released a cover version of "Everlasting Love" as featured in the episode as a Children in Need charity single in 1998, with lead vocals performed by actress Rebecca Wheatley. The single reached no. 5 in the UK singles chart.

Cast

Overview

The twelfth series of Casualty features a cast of characters working in the emergency department of Holby City Hospital. The series began with 8 roles with star billing, with a number of cast changes following the departures of several characters at the end of the previous series. Peter Birch and Julia Watson starred as emergency medicine consultants Jack Hathaway and Barbara "Baz" Hayes. Gray O'Brien appeared as senior house officer Richard McCaig. Derek Thompson continued his role as charge nurse Charlie Fairhead while Sorcha Cusack portrayed sister Kate Wilson. Jonathan Kerrigan appeared as staff nurse Sam Colloby. Ian Bleasdale and Sue Devaney starred as paramedics Josh Griffiths and Liz Harker. Soo Drouet continued her recurring role as Monica, an anaesthetist, until episode three.

The series' opening episode saw the introduction of six new characters: general manager Elliot Matthews (Peter Guinness); senior house officer Georgina "George" Woodman (Rebecca Lacey); senior staff nurse Mark Grace (Paterson Joseph); staff nurse Tina Seabrook (Claire Goose); receptionist Amy Howard (Rebecca Wheatley); and porter Derek "Sunny" Sunderland (Vincenzo Pellegrino). Barbara Marten also joined the cast in episode thirteen as senior staff nurse (later, sister) Eve Montgomery. Donna Alexander returned to the cast as paramedic Penny Hutchens, now a regular cast member following guest appearances in the previous series. Patrick Robinson, Brenda Fricker, Cathy Shipton and Clive Mantle reprised their roles as Martin "Ash" Ashford, Megan Roach, Lisa "Duffy" Duffin and Mike Barratt for the two-part season finale which saw Charlie and Baz marry. Six cast members departed throughout this series: Cusack, Birch and Devaney departed in episodes ten, eleven and twelve respectively; and Watson, O'Brien and Guinness left at the conclusion of the series.

Main characters

• Donna Alexander as Penny Hutchens (from episode 1)
• Peter Birch as Jack Hathaway (until episode 11)
• Ian Bleasdale as Josh Griffiths
• Sorcha Cusack as Kate Wilson (until episode 10)
• Sue Devaney as Liz Harker (until episode 12)
• Claire Goose as Tina Seabrook (from episode 1)
• Peter Guinness as Elliot Matthews (episodes 1−26)
• Paterson Joseph as Mark Grace (from episode 1)
• Jonathan Kerrigan as Sam Colloby
• Rebecca Lacey as Georgina "George" Woodman (from episode 1)
• Barbara Marten as Eve Montgomery (from episode 13)
• Gray O'Brien as Richard McCaig (until episode 26)
• Vincenzo Pellegrino as Derek "Sunny" Sunderland (from episode 1)
• Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead
• Julia Watson as Barbara "Baz" Hayes (until episode 26)
• Rebecca Wheatley as Amy Howard (from episode 1)

Recurring and guest characters

• Soo Drouet as Monica (until episode 3)
• Brenda Fricker as Megan Roach (episodes 25−26)
• Clive Mantle as Mike Barratt (episodes 25−26)
• Joseph May as Paul (episodes 3−17)
• Tim Perrin as Keith Merrick (episodes 21−26)
• Patrick Robinson as Martin "Ash" Ashford (episodes 25−26)
• Cathy Shipton as Lisa "Duffy" Duffin (episodes 25−26)

Episodes

Extended episode, lasting 75 minutes. Due to broadcast on 6 September 1997, although was postponed following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Note: Font & Title Sequence (Black & Turquoise) changed

Kate Wilson departs

Notes

References

Bibliography

References

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3. ""Casualty" Give My Love to Esme (TV Episode 1997) - IMDb". IMDB.
4. ""Casualty" The Golden Hour (TV Episode 1997) - IMDb". IMDB.
5. "BBC Programme Index - Casualty: Give My Love to Esme". BBC.
6. Hockney, Karen. "How can we top this!".
7. [[#refsilver. Silver 1998]], p.24.
8. Smith, Aidan. (7 February 1998). "Hard times on Casualty ...but I love it". [[Daily Record (Scotland).
9. Docherty, Gavin. (25 January 1998). "Real-life hell behind TV's Casualty rape terror; Many women do not report an attack because they feel so guilty". [[Sunday Mail (Scotland).
10. "BBC Programme Index - Casualty: Everlasting Love". BBC.
11. Knight, Fiona. "Oh ER! Baz bags her man".
12. "CAST FROM CASUALTY ". Officialcharts.com.
13. Pryer, Emma. (25 June 2016). "Casualty celebrates 1,000 episodes, 30 years and 2,500 gallons of fake blood". Daily Mirror.
14. "Series 12 (1997-98)". [[BBC]].
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