Casualty@Holby City Christmas 2005: Difference between revisions
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| Airdate =[[24 December]] [[2005]] |
| Airdate =[[24 December]] [[2005]] |
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| Writer =[[Al Ashton]]</br>[[Jeremy Brock]]</br>Gaby Chiappe</br>Pete Hambly</br>[[Paul Unwin]] |
| Writer =[[Al Ashton]]</br>[[Jeremy Brock]]</br>Gaby Chiappe</br>Pete Hambly</br>[[Paul Unwin (film director)|Paul Unwin]] |
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| Director = [[Paul Harrison]] |
| Director = [[Paul Harrison]] |
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Revision as of 22:28, 28 September 2008
| "Casualty@Holby City Christmas 2005" |
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| "Casualty@Holby City Christmas 2005" |
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Casualty@Holby City Christmas 2005 refers to the second set of Christmas crossover episodes of BBC medical dramas and sister shows Casualty and Holby City, under the title of Casualty@Holby City. The episodes saw characters from both shows in peril when a road tunnel collapsed en-route to the staff Christmas party. Broadcast on 24 December and 27 December 2005, both episodes were amongst the highest viewed terrestrial programmes of each respective day.[1][2]
Plot
Part 1
As the episode begins, Consultants Ric Griffin and Harry Harper interview candidates for a locum General Surgical Consultant's position, and are surprised by the arrival of old Cardiothoracic Registrar Nick Jordan. Ric questions Nick on his previous departure from Holby and change of surgical specialisation, and, fiercely defensive, Nick storms out. In need of a lift to the staff Christmas party, Staff Nurse Kelsey Phillips persuades Nick to take her spare ticket to the event, in exchange for driving her, fellow nurse Donna Jackson, and Paramedic Woody Joyner there. Clinical Nurse Specialist Charlie Fairhead and new girlfriend Helen are already in attendance at the party, however Charlie receives a call from Caroline Joyner, who he had left babysitting his son Louis, to inform him the boy has run away, and he is forced to head home again.
Elsewhere in Holby, taxi driver Bernie Doyle drives his car into a rival taxi company's office. Mitch Campbell, owner of the rival company, suffers an angina attack, while Bernie injures his wrist. Both men are unhappy that Bernie's daughter, Tara, and Mitch's son, Lee, are dating. Sean Doyle, Bernie's son, locks his sister in the taxi and heads home, whilst Lee gives chase. The car chase causes an accident in a tunnel, and Charlie, Nick, Woody, Donna, and Kelsey all end up trapped. Associate Specialist Selena Donovan who was also en-route to the party, manages the scene until the emergency services arrive. Helen suffers a collar bone fracture and is unable to leave the car. Kelsey agrees to sit with her, despite an intense fear of the dark. Meanwhile, Nick tends to Tara, who is seriously injured, and argues with Charlie over whether they should amputate her leg. Woody and Donna find a man, David, trapped in a car with his baby son. Attempts to rescue those trapped are dashed when the tunnel begins to collapse yet further.[3]
Part 2
As staff at the hospital find out about the collapse and attempt to go on with their work whilst worrying about their colleagues, Woody fights his way free from the rubble and goes in search of help. However Donna, the father and the baby are all still trapped in the car. Outside the tunnel, one of the casualties confesses to possessing stolen toxic chemicals, which have started to leak into the tunnel. Those trapped inside quickly become engulfed by the noxious fumes. Woody finds one of the canisters underneath the car with the baby in the back. In order to save the baby's life, he picks up the canister and attempts to run with it out of harm's way, however ends up breathing in a fatal dose of fumes. He is quickly transferred to hospital, however falls unconscious and soon thereafter dies.
Caroline finds Louis in the hospital car park and reunites Charlie with his son, only to be left devastated by news of her own son's death. Meanwhile, Helen tells Charlie that she doesn't think he or Louis are ready for him to be in a relationship yet, and they agree to part. Back at the accident, Donna remains with the father and baby, and fulfills the father's dying wish by contacting his parents so that they might meet their grandson before the child can be taken away by David's ex. Tara insists that she will not have her leg amputated, and Nick successfully performs a different procedure instead, however she still has internal bleeding. Back at the hospital, her boyfriend Lee is in need of an operation, however Sean lies to him that Tara didn't survive, causing him to refuse treatment. Nick reveals the truth, and the feuding families attempt to make their peace. As the episode ends, Ric, who has been impressed by Nick's performance, offers him the position he interviewed for. However, Nick says he wants to wait for a Consultant post and doesn't think he should settle for anything less.[4]
Production
Casualty's Executive Producer, Mervyn Watson, has commented on the decision to produce a second Christmas crossover that: "the last one was so successful that the Channel Controller ordered another!"[5] This Casualty@Holby City special was actually the fourth crossover between the two shows to date, and while Watson has not ruled out producing another - commenting that; "We can't guarantee any crossovers for next year, but the audience likes them. And as long as the Controller of BBC ONE wants them, then we'll be happy to oblige!"[5] - there have as yet been no announcements regarding plans for further crossovers.
As with the 2004 Christmas crossover, the cast of both Casualty and Holby City were involved in both parts of this special, with scenes filmed both on the set of Casualty in Bristol and Holby City in Elstree, London. A large portion of filming also took place in a road tunnel in Caernarvon, Wales, which Watson commented was: "the only one that we could hire for two weeks without causing huge traffic jams."[5] Filming took five weeks in total, despite natural problems which were encountered filming in a tunnel, on which Watson has said:
- "Staging stunts like car accidents is difficult and stressful at the best of times, but doing all that in a tunnel doubled it. The great advantage was that there was no problem with the weather, it was a totally controlled environment with excellent parking facilities for the unit, and a warm welcome from the locals, which is always nice."[5]
For the first time in producing a Casualty@Holby City crossover, the episodes were not divided up between the Casualty and Holby City teams as had always been standard in the past - with the first half of the special produced by regular Casualty staff and the second by Holby City. Instead, Diane Kyle was appointed to produce the entire episode, with Paul Harrison brought in to direct both parts for greater continuity.[5]
Cast member Will Thorp, Casualty's Paramedic Paul "Woody" Joyner, who departed from the series during the episodes, commented that:
- "They tested the water last year with the Christmas crossover and this year they've got a winning formula. It's going to be really dramatic. Filming it was like filming a feature film. Massive stunts and good storylines. There was a really good buzz on set all the time... As an actor, you couldn't wish for a better exit. It was absolutely brilliant."[6]
Reception
The episodes came under a degree of criticism in the press, described by The Times as "Intentionally or not, ...one of the comic highlights of Christmas."[7] The Daily Record deemed the crossover: "Two turkeys for the price of one",[8] while The Evening Standard wrote of it that:
- "even by Casualty and Holby City standards, this one is boringly formulaic. A monotoned, badly paced, cornily written, unexciting (despite its most desperate efforts), predictable, high-pitch squeal of a drama. For die-hard fans only."[9]
The Daily Mirror also criticized the series theme tune, describing it as: "basically both (Casualty and Holby City) theme tunes played at once."[10]
The Daily Post were more positive, stating that the episodes "will have Casualty and Holby City fans glued to their TV sets over the festive period."[11] Ratings also reflected well on the special, with the first of the two episodes receiving 8 m viewers, making it the third most watched terrestrial programme of the day,[1] while the second episode drew 8.82 m viewers,[2] this time the second most watched terrestrial programme of the day.[12]
References
- ^ a b "Weekly Viewing Summary w/e 25/12/2005". BARB. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- ^ a b "Weekly Viewing Summary w/e 01/01/2006". BARB. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- ^ "Deny Thy Father (Part 1)". Casualty@Holby City. 2005-12-24. BBC.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Deny Thy Father (Part 2)". Casualty@Holby City. 2005-12-27. BBC.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e "Crossover Interview". BBC. December 2005. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
- ^ "Interviews: Will Thorp". BBC. December 2005. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- ^ "Television: Christmas Eve". The Times. 24 December 2005. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ English, Paul (29 December 2005), "The Queen", Daily Record, Glasgow, Scotland
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|publication-date=(help) - ^ Ramsey, Terry (23 December 2005), "pick of the day", The Evening Standard, London, England
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|publication-date=(help) - ^ "Jim Shelley Goes For The Jugular 03/01/2006". The Daily Mirror. 3 January 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "TV drama in North Wales tunnel", The Daily Post, Liverpool, England, 23 December 2005
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|publication-date=(help) - ^ "Viewers flock to TV news for tsunami updates". The Guardian. 4 January 2005. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)