Casualty

Image: Catherine Shipton as Duffy, Julia Watson as Baz Samuels, Christopher Rozycki as Kuba Trzcinski, Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead, Bernard Gallagher as Ewart Plimmer, Debbie Roza as Susie, George Harris as Clive King and Brenda Fricker as Megan Roach. In series 1 of the medical drama Casualty

Casualty, the longest running primetime medical drama in the world, was first broadcast on 6 September 1986. The action was set in the Accident and Emergency Department of Holby City Hospital, in a fictionalised version of Bristol. It was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, who were inspired by the "comedy and heroics" of everyday life in the National Health Service.

The constant stream of patients provided the drama that made a peak time hit, while the show was not afraid to deal with controversial issues such as health rationing and attitudes to HIV/AIDS.

The first series of Casualty introduced the regular members of the night shift, including nurses Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson), Megan Roach (Brenda Fricker), Clive King (George Harris) and Lisa “Duffy” Duffin (Cathy Shipton). In the opening episode they had to contend with a chemical spill at the docks, along with awkward patients and a stolen bunch of flowers. The humour with which the staff coped was a reflection of the time Brock and Unwin spent observing in real hospitals.

Casualty expanded beyond its initial 15 week run, so it now runs almost year round. Its success led a revival in medical dramas and to the creation of Holby City in 1999, which looked at life on the wards of the hospital. Casualty celebrated its 1000th episode in June 2016 and its 30th anniversary with a feature length special.