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175-603: Doctors is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of the Mill Health Centre, a fictional NHS doctor's surgery , as well as its sister surgery located at a nearby university campus. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in Doctors in 2011, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by

350-522: A brain aneurysm , Howard dies, and made his last appearance on 26 October 2015. In 2013, Kelsey was nominated for Best Comedy Performance at the 2013 British Soap Awards , and received a longlist nomination for Sexiest Male. Later that year, he was longlisted for Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards . The next year, he was longlisted for Best Actor at the British Soap Awards, and

525-457: A lockdown episode was being filmed at cast members' homes using their mobile phones. Doctors became the first soap opera to address the pandemic, as well as the first to film an episode solely using mobile devices. The episode, titled " Can You Hear Me? ", aired on 12 June 2020. On the same day of the episode's broadcast, series producer Peter Eryl Lloyd announced that the production team had donated all personal protective equipment (PPE) to

700-438: A "block". Each of the blocks have the same production crew and it takes seven days to shoot each block. Usually, two blocks are filmed at once, although, there are instances where three blocks are filmed at once. When there are three blocks being filmed, the regular cast members can be filming up to nine episodes within the same period of time. On his experience on the soap, former cast member Christopher Timothy said: "The budget

875-509: A "breath of fresh air". Dr. Kevin Tyler , portrayed by Simon Rivers , first appeared on 11 May 2011 and made his final appearance on 30 October 2014. Kevin first arrives for job interview at the Mill and after getting the job, he is mentored by Daniel Granger ( Matthew Chambers ). Kevin is an ambitious person who is driven to succeed, but his BBC profile noted that "life has bruised him". Kevin thinks he

1050-465: A "difficult position". A statement said, "Discovering that Alex's wife went missing after an affair with Harrison, Elaine is forced to consider that he may have killed other women too. Plagued by phone calls from Harrison in prison, will Elaine be able to confront her former lover and resist his charms?". Series producer Mike Hobson finished in saying, "Lauren's murder was one of Doctors most popular storylines, and this Red Button event picks up on one of

1225-550: A "relationship" saying that, "As the new character Jas has come into the show and she's an old medical friend of Kevin's, we've got a relationship forming there, where there's a bit of banter!" She was also recently involved in a storyline where she was being stalked. She originally thought it was her colleague, Al Haskey ( Ian Midlane ), but it was revealed to be a patient of hers, Gus Harper (Neil Haigh). Grace Jacobs , portrayed by Naomi Battrick, first appeared on 5 September 2012 and made her final appearance on 1 October 2013. Grace

1400-568: A British soap opera, and for her portrayal of Emma, Miles has wins and nominations at the RTS Awards , the British Soap Awards and the Inside Soap Awards . Valerie Pitman , portrayed by Sarah Moyle , made her first appearance on 15 October 2012. Valerie was introduced as a receptionist at the Mill. In August 2022, Moyle announced her decision to leave Doctors and Valerie's last scenes aired in 2022. For her portrayal of Valere, Moyle

1575-471: A broadcasting regulator. They were later cleared of any breaches of the code, with an Ofcom spokesperson stating: "Following investigation, we found this BBC One soap didn't break our rules for offensive language before the watershed. The language used in the show was justified by the context it was presented in and aired at a time when children were unlikely to be watching." On 10 September 2015, Doctors aired its 3000th episode, "The Heart of England", which

1750-530: A car accident involving a number of characters, which led to the death of Heston. In 2019, Mrs Tembe becomes engaged to Gordon, and decides to leave Letherbridge with him; Mrs Tembe meets Becky, who she hires as the new practice manager of the Mill. Becky begins a relationship with Daniel, and eventually becomes pregnant. However, she miscarries, and Daniel sees it as an opportunity to reveal that he does not want more kids, and that he has cheated on her with Zara. Becky ends her relationship with Daniel, and departs from

1925-467: A couple who appeared on 1 November 2012. On 5 October 2012, it was announced that Riley, known for her role as Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale , and Money, were both to appear in Doctors . Riley portrayed the role of Laura, a "tragic would-be mother". The couple arrive at Letherbridge Police Station, where they meet Lynette Driver ( Elizabeth Rider ) and Jimmi Clay ( Adrian Lewis Morgan ) and report that

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2100-464: A difficult position". A statement said: "Discovering that Alex's wife went missing after an affair with Harrison, Elaine is forced to consider that he may have killed other women too. Plagued by phone calls from Harrison in prison, will Elaine be able to confront her former lover and resist his charms?". Series producer Mike Hobson finished in saying: "Lauren's murder was one of Doctors most popular storylines, and this Red Button event picks up on one of

2275-436: A direct result of Freya searching for stability. However, Mandy is left to contend with Freya's prevailing feelings for Kevin. Corfield opined that the dynamic of the three characters was "glorious" and that Mandy is not sure where she fits in. Freya reassures Mandy, but "there's still such a pull towards Kevin" which she fails to hide. Corfield revealed that Freya and Mandy's romance would face problems in future episodes. Freya

2450-495: A doctor and waitress at once. Grace returns a month later, after Jas needs a reference to get a full-time job at The Mill, after a placement for a full-time doctor opens. Howard interviews Grace, where she speaks badly of Jas, so Howard decides not to give the full-time job to her. However, three weeks later, Jas receives the full-time job. Kingsley Apollo , portrayed by Charlie Hollway, first appeared on 13 September 2012 and made his final appearance on 24 September 2012. Kingsley

2625-433: A football game, and Mandy comes to watch. When Mandy gets there, the team is a player short, so Mandy is asked to play. They win, and Mandy asks Freya back to her house. Mandy begins a relationship with Freya. Lloyd told Katy Moon of Inside Soap that he believed Freya needed to grow up and have a "mature relationship" with meaning. He added that Freya's crush on Cherry and her fling with Kevin Tyler ( Simon Rivers ) were

2800-453: A girlfriend would sort him out. He enjoys nursing but it's more about the idea of helping people and being something of a Samaritan rather than the duties of being a nurse. He feels a strong connection to kids and I think tries to give them the care and support he missed out on from his mother. Ultimately he's a good guy who needs to learn to put himself first from time to time. Wright said he was "pretty nervous" on his first day on Doctors but

2975-425: A house fire. Following the character's death, Corfield went on to play the role of her sister, Lois Wilson, in 2014. For her portrayal of Freya, Corfield received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 2012 British Soap Awards . At the 2012 Inside Soap Awards , Corfield was nominated for Best Daytime Star. Alison Slade from TVTimes said that Corfield was a strong contender for the accolade because Freya had been

3150-406: A long time, though, as it's what my character has wanted ever since she came into the show. That was nearly three years ago, so to finally get the thing that I've played her as wanting for so long was quite emotional to shoot." On calling the baby Joe, she said, "I think it's really appropriate, because Daniel's father figure was Joe, who was on the show for years and was the patriarch of Doctors for

3325-581: A long time. So that's a very significant name for Daniel, and I think it's very loving of Zara that she doesn't insist on calling the baby something like Lysander or Demetrius - as she'd teased him that she would!" Walsh also stated that it has been "amazing" working with babies. Joe departed in August 2012, as Walsh was expecting a baby and left to go on maternity leave. Producer Peter Eryl Lloyd said that Zara's exit storyline would air in August 2012 and would take Joe with her since "she has to take Joe with her and have

3500-473: A love interest for Heston Carter ( Owen Brenman ). Additionally, multiple other characters appeared throughout the year. Winifred Clements (also Tembe ), portrayed by Lorna Laidlaw , made her first appearance on 5 January 2011 as a new receptionist at the Mill as a replacement for Ruth Pearce ( Selina Chilton ). Introduced as Mrs Tembe, she later reveals her forename to be Winifred. In April 2016, Mrs Tembe's role within Doctors changed, as she becomes

3675-551: A love interest for Julia Parsons ( Diane Keen ), and Howard Bellamy ( Ian Kelsey ) debuts in May as the new practice manager of the Mill. Jas Khella ( Vineeta Rishi ) arrives in August as a police surgeon. Emma Reid ( Dido Miles ), Valerie Pitman ( Sarah Moyle ) and Chris Reid ( Nathan Wright ) are all introduced in October, as well as Al Haskey ( Ian Midlane } a month later. Additionally, multiple other characters appeared throughout

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3850-498: A man, but he tells her that she can join them. Imogen runs off crying, ruining Kingsley's artwork in the process. She then leaves Letherbridge, choosing to go to art college. Helen Callaway , portrayed by Jade Williams , first appeared on 17 September 2012. She departed in Fallout: Part 5 , which aired on 21 September 2012. Helen appeared in three episodes in the main series, as well as three spin-off episodes, which aired on

4025-447: A new job working as a manager for a children's charity. Laidlaw's final scenes aired on 13 February 2019. Dr. Freya Wilson , portrayed by Lu Corfield , first appeared on 11 May 2011 and made her final appearance on 18 June 2012. Freya is bisexual; a columnist for AfterEllen said that Freya's sexuality was true to life and not "likely to be straight-forward". They hoped that Doctors would explore Freya in depth, noting that it would be

4200-532: A primetime slot, it could have won a BAFTA Award . In 2023, Jan Pearson and Chris Walker won the Best On-Screen Partnership accolade for a second time, after winning it previously in 2010. Doctors is nominated annually at the Inside Soap Awards . Laidlaw won the award for Best Daytime Star for her role as Mrs Tembe in 2017, while the soap itself won Best Daytime Soap the following year. The soap has also received annual longlist nominations from

4375-403: A real doctor, there would be far too much blood". Howard Bellamy , portrayed by Ian Kelsey , first appeared on 28 May 2012, where he is introduced as the practice manager of the Mill Health Centre. His storylines in the programme included suffering from bulimia , his on-off relationship with colleague Emma Reid ( Dido Miles ) and dealing with the miscarriage of their child together. After

4550-445: A really good job [...] I think Mandy and Freya's sexuality is just incidental a lot of the time - they're just two people who have a lot in common and really love each other. At the core of it, that's the most important thing". Freya and Kevin were revealed to be involved in a fire storyline leading to them both being seriously injured. After an argument with Kevin, Freya goes around to his house to find it on fire. Freya decides to enter

4725-566: A reason to come back". The characters returned after Walsh's maternity leave. When Daniel begins dating Becky Clarke , Joe is confused by their relationship but takes a shine to Becky. Half-sister Izzie Torres (Bethan Moore) tells Joe that Daniel has poor taste for women and that he should get used to his parents fighting for Joe's love. When Daniel and Zara are invited to an online safety assembly, they insist they are busy. Al Haskey ( Ian Midlane ) disagrees with their trust in Joe, so he pretends to be

4900-479: A relationship with Kevin Tyler ( Simon Rivers ), he murders her by strangling her with a tea towel , and is then sent to prison. In August 2012, it was announced that Larkin had reprised his role. Larkin appeared in a week of episodes airing on the Red button as Harrison changes his plea for Lauren's murder to not guilty. Elaine is "in shock" and Alex Redmond ( Stuart Laing ) asks for help from Elaine, "which puts her in

5075-443: A relationship. Corfield told Digital Spy's Kilkelly that she and Rivers went on "a massive journey" together. Initially, they fought like "cat and dog" which was gradually developed into a "fondness between them". Corfield added that "their default setting is to always snap at each other, but they care about each other a lot and they'll always look out for each other." After Freya dies in a house fire to save Tyler, his profile noted that

5250-483: A result Chris is much closer to his paraplegic father", stating that his mother "can never do anything right". In an interview with the BBC , Wright said of Chris, Chris is a caring, loving and loyal guy but is also someone who holds his demons close to the surface. He's very troubled by his relationship with his mom and he's at a point in his life where he feels a bit lost, I think essentially he's looking for consistency, maybe

5425-497: A self-contained "story of the day". Series producer Peter Eryl Lloyd estimated that at least 800 guest actors are contracted on the soap per year. Due to the large number of actors who have made a guest appearance, Doctors has gained a reputation for becoming "a British actor's rite of passage". In October 2023, the BBC announced that Doctors had been cancelled due to financing issues. The final episode aired on 14 November 2024. Doctors

List of Doctors characters introduced in 2011 - Misplaced Pages Continue

5600-468: A series regular in September 2024, trainee doctor Princess Buchanan ( Laura White ) and nurse prescriber Maeve Ludlow ( Clelia Murphy ). 2024 also introduced the villainous Dr Graham Elton (Alex Avery), Dr Michelle Walton ( Joanna Bending ) as a new general practitioner at The Mill, and an old friend of Zara 's. Despite also being overseen by the executive production team, producers and directors cast

5775-707: A story about Elaine's reactions as well as questioning Harrison's ex-wife Fiona ( Jenni Keenan Green ). Helen approaches Elaine, asking if she read the article. She tries to persuade Elaine to do an interview about Harrison. However, Elaine stills refuses, not wanting anything to do with it. Helen finds a man called Alex Redmond ( Stuart Laing ) had a wife, Kate, who had an affair with Harrison, and he believes that Harrison killed Kate. Helen phones Alex, wanting an interview about Harrison and his wife Kate. She meets with Alex at his house, asking questions about this. When Helen tells Alex that she knows that Kate did not die but just left Alex, he gets angry, and strangles Helen with

5950-492: A three episodes in the main series, as well as four spin-off episodes, which aired on the red button . The red button episodes are an extension of the main episodes. Alex first appears when he follows Elaine Cassidy ( Janet Dibley ) to her home. Alex explains to Elaine that his wife, Kate, had an affair with Elaine's ex-boyfriend Harrison Kellor ( James Larkin ), who killed Lauren Porter ( Alexis Peterman ). Alex wants to know if Harrison killed Kate, as she went missing after

6125-533: A towel. However, she is later found alive at Alex's house. Williams was involved in a major storyline which saw the return of Harrison, a major character who appeared towards the end of 2011. A statement said, "Discovering that Alex's wife went missing after an affair with Harrison, Elaine is forced to consider that he may have killed other women too. Plagued by phone calls from Harrison in prison, will Elaine be able to confront her former lover and resist his charms?". Series producer Mike Hobson said, "Lauren's murder

6300-550: A very short temper. A culmination of these things lead to Heston deciding to end the relationship. He asks Marina to leave the house and she ends up back at her son's place in the hope she could stay. However, Ian sees that she is in the wrong and tells her she has landed herself in this mess. Doctors (2000 TV series) Doctors was a British medical soap opera , first broadcast on BBC One on 26 March 2000, and concluded on 14 November 2024. Filmed in Birmingham and set in

6475-680: A young girl called Pixie. He chats with Joe online, and asks him to send personal details, to which Joe does. He then educates Joe on the dangers of the internet, and what not to do online. When Joe meets new classmate Ozzy Bashara (Deen Mohammed) who is fasting for Ramadan , Joe decides he wants to fast too. Zara explains that he is not a Muslim, so he does not have to fast, but he refuses to listen. Zara and Daniel eventually persuade Joe to not fast, after he cannot wait until sundown for food. When Daniel discovers that Joe has been using voice assistant Harper (voiced by Tyrone Huggins) to do his homework for him, he confiscates it. After Daniel drives drunk,

6650-430: Is Jas Khella 's ( Vineeta Rishi ) colleague at a café she works at as a waitress. Upon her return in October, the BBC stated that Grace would "throw a spanner in the works" for Jas. Digital Spy also said that for Jas, "Grace proves to be her downfall". She and Jas become friends, and when Jas' colleague at the Mill, Kevin Tyler ( Simon Rivers ) arrives, he begins flirting with Grace, which ultimately fails. When

6825-620: Is "useless" in relationships because she is "petrified" that something will go wrong as she has never been treated well. While Corfield felt that the pair setting up home was moving too fast, in the long-run it would benefit Freya. She added that Freya would mess things up "quite wonderfully" which sets the scene of the relationship that will not run smoothly. It was noted that a Doctors storyline never usually develops without problems. Like Corfield; Henry also believed Freya's "love-hate relationship" with Kevin could cause issues. Although, their relationship has positive traits which help Freya. Mandy

7000-420: Is a "slick player" but does not pull it off due to having a conscience. His backstory involves being raised by his mother, Laura Tyler ( Rebecca Lacey ), singlehandedly, with his Asian father having abandoned them when Kevin was very young. As a result, Kevin "has never considered himself 'Asian' in any sense", but his BBC profile hinted that Kevin would eventually have to address this part of his background. This

7175-438: Is a famous contemporary artist who meets Imogen Hollins ( Charlie Clemmow ). Kingsley first appears when he talks to Imogen after seeing her artwork. He meets with Imogen, unannounced, wanting her to join him at her work, to which she agrees, much to the dislike of Imogen's father, Rob ( Chris Walker ). The next day, Imogen arrives at Kingsley's art gallery, where he shows her around his work. The next day, whilst Imogen

List of Doctors characters introduced in 2011 - Misplaced Pages Continue

7350-399: Is able to fit into the team of hardworking cast members due to the heavy filming schedule. Once they have been cast, actors are given detailed notes about their character, including their backstory, personality, characterisation and any other relevant details. Earlier episodes included a noticeably smaller cast, with episodes more self-contained. However, with the increased number of episodes,

7525-458: Is addicted to drugs and jealous of his brother. He goes to Zara's house pretending to be Adam and attempts to rape Zara. He is subsequently arrested and charged. In the final episodes of 2019, Jimmi begins to experience strange events; he is mugged, his house alarm alerts on several occasions, and strangers arrive at the Icon asking for him. He is eventually arrested for the possession of drugs, and despite

7700-538: Is an arsonist . Julia confronts him about this, though he states that a former employee accused him of this, as he had just been fired by Martin. He is not sure whether Julia trusts him. A week later, Julia phones Martin to apologise. The two go on a date, but Martin sees Elaine. As she does not want Martin to know who she really is, Elaine and Julia pretend that Elaine is Alicia and that the two have never met. The three have dinner together, joined by Barry Biglow (David Perks), who has feelings for Julia. Elaine explains

7875-491: Is arrested. Before leaving, Alex tells Elaine that Helen is actually alive and tries to apologise to Elaine, but she rejects him. Laing's casting was announced in a news release of Harrison Kellor's return, a major character who appeared towards the end of 2011. Alex is the husband of one of Harrison's possible victims, when his wife had an affair with Harrison, she went missing after the affair ended. Alex asks for Harrison's former lover Elaine Cassidy's help, putting Elaine in

8050-406: Is characterised as "honest" and "very upfront", which works out well for the indecisive Freya. Mandy's "straight-down-the-line" attitude and dislike to overcomplicate a situation; results in her just wanting to be with Freya. Mandy does not foresee the possible problems that Freya does. In one storyline, Freya promotes her blog on a radio station and gets ridiculed for her bisexuality. Mandy interrupts

8225-599: Is diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa , and since it would result in the loss of her eyesight, she hands her job over to Michelle Corrigan ( Donnaleigh Bailey ). Doctor Peter Kendrick ( Robert Cavanah ) then becomes depressed and commits suicide. Julia discovers that Mac is having an affair in 2006, and demands he leave Letherbridge, buying his share in the Mill after his exit. In 2007, when more episodes were shown and there were fewer breaks in transmission, storylines included: receptionist Donna Parmar ( Martha Howe-Douglas ) breaking patient confidentiality and her sacking from

8400-513: Is enormously detrimental, not only for those regularly engaged on the show, but also for those who will be deprived of an opportunity of work – particularly in the Midlands, where there are very few job prospects due to continuing underinvestment in the region. The BBC has to do better to represent and serve the Midlands region and we call on the BBC to enter into talks with the Union to go through exactly how

8575-505: Is friends with Lauren's mother. On her first day, she immediately attracts the attention of the staff, particularly Kevin Tyler ( Simon Rivers ), but only disdain from Dr. Freya Wilson ( Lu Corfield ). Kevin instantly takes interest in Lauren and tries to win her over by offering her dinner, but she turns him down. However, they later embark on a relationship. Lauren catches a homeless man named Dennis ( Andy Devine ) washing his hands and feet in

8750-491: Is furious when she gleefully admits that she has been cheating on him with Kevin. He murders Lauren in a rage by strangling her to death with a tea towel . Series producer Mike Hobson said that Lauren's murder was one of Doctors most popular storylines. Daniel Kilkelly, writing for Digital Spy , described Lauren as a "bitchy" villain. Dr. Harrison Kellor , portrayed by James Larkin , first appeared on 11 August 2011 and made his final appearance on 21 September 2012. Harrison

8925-434: Is hired at the Mill, and she begins a relationship with Al. Heston struggles with memory loss and undergoes several tests designed to determine whether he has early-onset dementia. Mandy decides that it is time to move on from the Mill and is replaced by Ayesha. In 2015, Doctors' 3000th episode was transmitted, in which a special storyline was created centring on a number of the main characters, most specifically Rob; when he

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9100-416: Is interviewed by Heston Carter ( Owen Brenman ) and Howard Bellamy ( Ian Kelsey ), and the interview proves successful. Jas arrives at the Mill later on, and is surprised to see her friend Kevin Tyler ( Simon Rivers ) working there, knowing him from medical school. Jas asks Kevin if she can sleep at his house as she is struggling for cash. Kevin refuses at first, but laters agrees. Jas is displeased that

9275-689: Is introduced as the son of Emma Reid ( Dido Miles ). It was first announced that Wright was to play a new regular character on his official credits. Digital Spy confirmed Miles' casting on 14 October 2012. Chris is a newly graduated nurse. Emma suggests to Howard Bellamy ( Ian Kelsey ) that Chris could be a replacement to the departed Cherry Clay ( Sophie Abelson ), to which Howard agrees. On his official BBC profile, it describes Chris as "dedicated", "earnest", "stubborn" and "resentful", adding that his relationship with his mother "is already complicated", never understanding his parents' marriage. It finished in saying, "He felt neglected by his mum, which as

9450-548: Is missing her university lectures, and considers returning to Nigeria. Akono begins to develop feelings for Mrs Tembe, though she does not feel the same way about him. Later on, Akono kisses her. Mrs Tembe is shocked by this, and asks Akono to move out. Malcolm Malone and Paula Malone , portrayed by Jeremy Swift and Tracey Childs , are Cherry Clay 's ( Sophie Abelson ) parents, who arrive for Cherry's wedding to Jimmi Clay ( Adrian Lewis Morgan ). The couple first appeared on 31 January, before departing on 14 February 2012, after

9625-518: Is painting a portrait for a piece in Kingsley's art gallery, her kisses her, and the two have sex. Imogen become smitten with Kingsley, and invites him to stay at her house. He arrives at her house, where Imogen's mother Karen ( Jan Pearson ) tries to persuade Kingsley that he cannot stay round, but he persuades her to allow him to. Kingsley decided to center his next art piece on the Hollins family, using

9800-399: Is produced by BBC Birmingham and is screened on BBC One . It was created by Chris Murray, with Mal Young as the original executive producer. Musician Paul Hemmings was hired to compose the theme music for the opening and closing titles. When the series premiered, Jane Lush, the BBC's head of daytime programming, felt that commissioning Doctors was an ambitious move. She thought that

9975-447: Is stunned by this, and rejects Martin. She meets up with Martin again, but when Martin says that he wants to retire and move to Wales, she once again rejects him, as she does not want this. He tries to persuade Julia to come to live with him to Wales, though she once again declines. They keep arguing about this, and whilst they are, their car crashes with another vehicle, and they are both knocked unconscious. Martin and Julia survive, and

10150-405: Is the perfect platform for a homelessness storyline, due to the links to the medical surgery. In 2017, ratings for Doctors improved, averaging at 2.5 million viewers, with a peak of 4 million. In May 2018, Doctors aired another themed week, based around mental health. The transmission dates coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week . Writer Andrew Cornish felt that due to the seriousness of

10325-453: The 2016 Summer Olympics along with Irish drama Red Rock . The series returned on 30 August 2016. It has since taken annual breaks during the summer. It was later explained that the break is implemented due to the small budget given to the programme, meaning they cannot transmit episodes year-round. It also allows the cast and crew to produce episodes through the summer to catch up with the pace of production. The first episode of Doctors

10500-460: The BBC Drama Village , where it filmed until 2024. Episodes are filmed three months prior to transmission. The show was typically broadcast Mondays to Thursdays at 2:00 pm on BBC One, as well as having classic episodes broadcast on Drama . It took three annual transmission breaks across the year: at Easter, during the summer and at Christmas. Since its inception, Doctors had consistently won

10675-515: The British Soap Award for Best Newcomer for her role as Sarah Finch . At the 2009 British Soap Awards , Vivien's rape won the award for Best Storyline; Carey also won the award for Best Female Dramatic Performance for her role in the storyline. The storyline was nominated again at the 2018 ceremony in the category of Greatest Moment. Also at the 2018 ceremony, Doctors won a shared award with fellow BBC soap EastEnders . Both soaps won

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10850-716: The National Television Awards , with Walsh having two nominations for her role as Zara Carmichael. At the Royal Television Society Midlands Awards , Miles has won the award for Acting Performance of the Year twice, in 2013 and 2017. Doctors has also won the Drama award three times at the ceremony. At the 2021 ceremony, Lucy Benjamin won the Acting Performance award for her role as Jan Fisher in

11025-424: The cost of living crisis . It climaxed in the murder investigation of Dr. Ashdown, Sutton Vale's former lead GP, and numerous characters were included as suspects. 2023 so far has seen an explosion that introduces Nina as a new partner of the Mill, a change that the staff do not react well to. She introduces her son, Suni, to the practice, which has seen a romantic dynamic for himself and Scarlett. 2023 has also seen

11200-460: The red button . The red button episodes are an extension of the main episodes. Helen first appears when she poses as a patient to get Elaine Cassidy 's ( Janet Dibley ) side of the story when Elaine's ex-boyfriend, Harrison Kellor ( James Larkin ), changes his plea for the murder of Lauren Porter ( Alexis Peterman ). When Elaine asks Helen to leave, she refuses, which leads to Karen Hollins ( Jan Pearson ) kicking her out. Helen later publishes

11375-404: The "rich, three-dimensional characters" in the series, as well as the storylines taken from real life, noting the storyline that saw a paedophile ring exposed. Hearn applauded the writers for tackling issue-led storylines which she always found to be accurate, noting their representation of immigration, underage sex, upskirting , mental health and homelessness. Hearn also appreciated the casting on

11550-473: The 20th anniversary episode. As part of the celebrations for the milestone, Julia Parsons ( Diane Keen ) briefly returned to the series. It was also revealed that every regular cast member in the series will be featured in a scene together. To celebrate the 20th year of Doctors , a competition was opened for viewers to visit the set at BBC Drama Village on 18 March 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic ,

11725-488: The BBC deciding not to fund a move for the Doctors set, the series was cancelled and concluded their filming on the Selly Oak site. Doctors took three holiday-related annual breaks: at Easter ,Summer and Christmas. On 4 June 2016, it was confirmed that Doctors was to take a three-month transmission break from 10 June 2016; the first long break since 2006. It was replaced by coverage of UEFA Euro 2016 , Wimbledon and

11900-615: The Best Practice. During the early years, many storylines revolved around the lead character of Mac and his family life. These storylines include his romance with Julia Parsons ( Diane Keen ) as well as his son, Liam McGuire ( Tim Matthews ), facing a sexual assault allegation. 2006 saw George Woodson ( Stirling Gallacher ) suffer from post-natal depression after having daughter Bracken (Jessica Gallagher). Bracken becomes ill after being rejected, which leads to George overcoming her depression. Also in 2006, Faith Walker ( Eva Fontaine )

12075-477: The Christmas party, which saw Lily Hassan 's ( Seeta Indrani ) marriage proposal to Heston Carter ( Owen Brenman ) turned down. On 26 March 2010, Doctors celebrated its 10th anniversary and 1800th episode. Under the title Decade of Doctors , the BBC aired five-minute episodes about the series after each day's episode during the anniversary week. In each episode, cast and crew members talked about topics including

12250-483: The Mill (2007), Nick West 's ( Michael McKell ) car crash and later death (2008) and receptionist Vivien March 's ( Anita Carey ) rape (2008), which saw an influx of awards . 2009 also saw the departure of longstanding family unit Ronnie ( Seán Gleeson ), George and Bracken, after which the Hollins family were introduced. In 2011, Karen falls pregnant and has an abortion, which leads to a breakdown in her relationship with Rob, and their later separation. 2011 also sees

12425-509: The Mill Health Centre, a fictional NHS doctor's surgery , as well as its sister surgery located at a nearby university campus. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in Doctors in 2012, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the programme's executive producer, Will Trotter. Akono Mezu ( Emmanuel Idowu ) made his debut in January, as well as Malcolm ( Jeremy Swift ) and Paula Malone ( Tracey Childs ),

12600-445: The Mill, and after a brief relationship with Al, she stalks him. 2021 saw Luca's introduction; his initial storylines involve grieving for his dead boyfriend and having his HIV positive status exposed to the public, which leads to a negative response. Other focuses of 2021 included the breakdown and eventual reconciliation of Karen and Rob's marriage, Sid feeling unsure about his medical career, Bear and his mother experiencing racism in

12775-405: The Mill, she becomes involved in a storyline that sees her assist her paralysed husband Sam ( Grant Masters ) to die. After Keen departed from her role as Julia, Howard becomes practice manager. Zara and Daniel decide to separate after she finds out about his affair with Cherry Malone ( Sophie Abelson ), the wife of Jimmi. In 2013, Mrs Tembe gains a new love interest – Gordon Clement (Steven Elder),

12950-486: The Mill, working as a security guard, alongside List of Doctors characters (2010)#Barry Biglow (David Perks). Franklyn sprays "scum" over Daniel's car with shaving foam . Barry suspects Franklyn did the graffiti , however Franklyn blames it on Valerie Pitman ( Sarah Moyle ). Barry sends a picture of Daniel's car to Jimmi. The following day, Barry questions Franklyn about the graffiti, but he once again blames it on Valerie, persuading Barry that he has an alibi for when

13125-408: The Mill. A journalist, Helen Callaway (Jade Williams) phones Alex, wanting an interview about Harrison and his wife Kate. Elaine finds out that Harrison did not kill Kate, and that she is still alive. Alex does not believe Elaine and threatens her to tell him the truth, and tells Elaine how he killed Helen, and plans to do the same to Elaine. However, Elaine persuades him not to kill her, before he

13300-436: The Mill. Becky is replaced by business manager Bear. Sid tracks down his long-lost brother, Laurence Richards (Rishard Beckett), who he learns was put up for adoption by his parents since he has Down syndrome . In late 2019, twin brothers Adam and Gareth Regan ( Edward MacLiam ) are introduced. Adam begins a relationship with Zara, while Gareth moves in with Emma. Weeks into their relationships, it transpires that Gareth

13475-470: The Mill. Mrs Tembe is offered his position, to which she accepts. 2016 also sees the beginning of a fostering storyline for Karen and Rob, with the pair getting the necessary training to become foster parents. The Doctors research team worked with British charity The Fostering Network for a year ahead of the storyline in order to represent fostering accurately, and they credited the programme with an insurgence of fostering representation on television. Whilst

13650-562: The Millar family's introduction and the emotional aftermath of Karen's shock death , as well as Daniel leaving Letherbridge after his relationship with Zara falls apart for a final time. In 2003, Doctors was nominated for Best British Soap at the British Soap Awards for the first time, where it has been nominated annually since. The next year, Doctors won their first award at the 2004 British Soap Awards , when they won Best Single Episode for "Say A Little Prayer". In 2005, Andrea Green won

13825-546: The NHS, so upon the programme's return, the characters would not be wearing PPE in scenes broadcast on television. In August 2020, it was announced that Doctors had resumed filming, with Hobson stating that it was a "long process of preparing the set, the crew and actors, to make sure we are working in the safest environment possible". Cast members had to do their own hair and makeup looks until 2022. Doctors returned to transmission on 2 November with four weekly episodes, rather than

14000-560: The Practice Manager of The Mill, Howard Bellamy ( Ian Kelsey ), arrives in the cafe, Jas hides from him, pleading Grace not to tell him that she is there, as Jas does not want Howard to find out that she is working in the cafe. Grace believes that Jas is in a relationship with Howard, though that she is cheating on him with Kevin, which Jas lets her believe. Grace suffers an allergic reaction, causing Jas to use her medical skills to save Grace. Jas later quits her job, not being able to be

14175-512: The Sofia, the child they are adopting, is missing. However, Driver and Jimmi learn that the adoption process wasn't legitimate. Show bosses stated that this discovery will "open up a shocking new investigation that threatens to shake some of Doctors ' most loved characters to the core". Digital Spy called this an "intense new storyline" for Doctors . Dr. Al Haskey , portrayed by Ian Midlane , made his first appearance on 13 November 2012. Al

14350-728: The University of Letherbridge's Campus Surgery (filmed in Archibald House), St. Phils Hospital (filmed outside of the Orchard Learning Resources Centre), HMP Letherbank Prison, various interior and exterior locations (filmed at 21 Yateley Road, Edgbaston ) and Sutton Vale surgery (filmed in Wallis House/St Andrew's Hall). In 2022, BBC Birmingham announced that its base and all of its productions would eventually be moving from Selly Oak to Digbeth . However, due to

14525-418: The affair. Elaine talks to Alex's doctor Jimmi Clay ( Adrian Lewis Morgan ) about Alex, who reveals that he has suffered from depression. Alex talks to Elaine as she is leaving The Mill, and she agrees to meet with him, and the two talk the next day. Alex is sure that Harrison murdered Kate, although there is no evidence to support this. Elaine wants nothing to do with Harrison nor Alex, so makes Alex leave

14700-482: The award for Scene of the Year; this marked the first time two soaps won a singular award. At the 2018 ceremony, Ian Midlane won the Best Comedy Performance accolade for his role as Al; Sarah Moyle received the award a year later for her portrayal of Valerie. Doctors won Best Single Episode once again in 2022 for " Three Consultations and a Funeral ", with the panel stating that if the episode had aired in

14875-616: The best offering of the British daytime schedule. he hoped that due to most of the UK public staying at home during the pandemic, the series would pick up more viewers and that it would continue long past its 20th anniversary. Roz Laws, writing for the Birmingham Mail , complimented Doctors for its ability to mix comedy with serious stories. Laws also felt that the soap's diversity was ahead of other soaps, noting particularly that its first gay wedding

15050-444: The broadcast to help Freya, which sets the theme of Mandy acting as her support network. Henry later told Kilkelly that she thought Doctors did a "really good job" of making their character's sexuality incidental. She branded the realism of their lesbian relationship a rare occurrence on television - adding that they made a departure from the stereotypes and dramatisation associated with gay characters, adding "I think Doctors have done

15225-419: The building in an attempt to save Kevin. Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy said that there would be a "shock ending" to the episode which would leave an "agonising" three-week wait to see if they survive. He later reported that Kevin survives the blaze, but Freya dies in hospital leaving Mandy "grief-stricken". However, despite the departure of Corfield, producer Peter Eryl Lloyd confirmed that Henry would stay in

15400-419: The car stunt she said that it was filmed "on a mad, stormy, windy, rainy day". She called the stunt "phenomenal" and "amazing" saying, "In the end the scenes looked incredible because of that. It was very exciting for everybody, as we don't often get to do stunts like that on Doctors ". " Doctor ", portrayed by John Dalziel , appeared on 15 May 2012. Dalziel made a cameo appearance , therefore his character

15575-502: The cast also increased to include continuing storylines. The original nine regular characters to be introduced in Doctors were Anoushka Flynn ( Carli Norris ), Joanna Helm ( Sarah Manners ), Kate ( Maggie Cronin ) and Mac McGuire ( Christopher Timothy ), Caroline Powers ( Jacqueline Leonard ), Helen Thompson ( Corrinne Wicks ), Rana Mistry ( Akbar Kurtha ), Ruth Harding ( Yvonne Brewster ) and Steve Rawlings ( Mark Frost ). In 2005, Holby City actor Adrian Lewis Morgan

15750-409: The circumstances to Barry, missing out the fact that Julia is on a date with Martin. Barry later finds out, running out the restaurant. Martin runs after him, and accidentally pushes him in the river. Barry then tells Martin that 'Alicia' is really Elaine, Julia's colleague, which leaves Martin angry. Martin later reveals that he has had five wives, and that he had a daughter with his third, Sarah. Julia

15925-405: The conception of the series, their favourite storylines and facts about Doctors . That year, the highest watched episode received 2.9 million viewers. The average for the year was 2 million viewers. On 16 February 2011, Doctors aired its 2000th episode titled "Quarantine", which was extended and ran for 60 minutes. From 17 September 2012, for five days, special red button episodes aired after

16100-533: The crime was committed. Joe Granger Carmichael , portrayed by Oliver Falconer from February 2017, is the son of Zara Carmichael ( Elisabeth Dermot Walsh ) and Daniel Granger ( Matthew Chambers ), who is born on 13 February 2012. When Zara goes into premature labour, Joe is delivered by Cherry Clay ( Sophie Abelson ). Zara and Daniel decide to call the baby Joe, after Daniel's uncle, Joe Fenton ( Stephen Boxer ). Speaking to Digital Spy , Walsh talked about how she prepared for Zara's labour scenes saying: "It

16275-400: The deaths of both Lauren and Freya would culminate in Tyler wondering "if he is worth it". After three years in the role, Rivers made the decision to leave Doctors . His exit storyline sees Kevin accidentally embark on a relationship with an underage girl, Poppy Conroy ( Claudia Jessie ), when she lies about her age. He is eventually fired by Zara Carmichael ( Elisabeth Dermot Walsh ) when

16450-474: The decision prior to them and was angry that they had been informed before them. The BBC's decision to cancel Doctors was met with universal criticism. The Writers' Guild of Great Britain called it "a terrible loss to the UK writing community, and to audiences". They were also concerned that it had become the second continuing drama to be cancelled by the BBC in the 2020s, after fellow medical drama Holby City had been axed in 2021. Equity commented: "This

16625-431: The departure of Julia, after Keen made the decision to leave the soap after nine years. Digital Spy said of Martin's first appearance; "Fans should also keep an eye out for a possible new love interest for Julia when she gets to know garage owner Martin Millar in a few weeks' time. It sounds like there's lots on the way for Julia in the next few weeks". Keen said of Martin's and Julia's relationship; "She's fighting it all

16800-570: The departure of Mrs Tembe, Ali Bastian was cast as practice manager Becky Clarke in 2019. Later in 2019, Bastian left Doctors after becoming pregnant, and in the programme, she is replaced by business manager Bear Sylvester ( Dex Lee ). Nurse Luca McIntyre ( Ross McLaren ) joined the series in 2021, while receptionist Scarlett Kiernan ( Kia Pegg ) debuted in 2022. 2023 then saw the castings of receptionist Kirsty Millar ( Kiruna Stamell ) and mother-son doctor duo Nina ( Wendi Peters ) and Suni Bulsara (Rahul Arya). and In 2024 Alongside

16975-432: The enduring support of our dedicated audience." Cast member Elisabeth Dermot Walsh appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss the cancellation, where she said that the whole team were "reeling" from the decision, which had come as a shock to them. Co-star Kia Pegg wrote a piece on social media about the "dystopian" experience of the team being informed of the cancellation. She revealed that external people knew of

17150-620: The episode "Three Consultations and a Funeral", which also won the award in the Scripted category. In 2017, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain awarded the soap for Best Long Running TV Series. Later that year, script editor Ahmed won the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards . Kathryn Hearn of The Guardian opined that Doctors is the best show on television. She appreciated

17325-423: The episode which reached the highest ratings in Doctors history was "Restraint" which was aired on 31 March. The episode saw Ruth Pearce ( Selina Chilton ) admitted to a psychiatric hospital after developing an obsession over colleague and friend Michelle Corrigan (Donnaleigh Bailey). Another episode in 2009 that reached 3.4 million viewers was "Cold Comfort", which was the last episode aired in 2009; it involved

17500-507: The fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff of both an NHS doctor's surgery and a university campus surgery, as well as the lives of their families and friends. Initially, only 41 episodes of the programme were ordered, but due to the positive reception, the BBC ordered it as a continuing soap opera. Doctors was filmed at the Pebble Mill Studios until 2004; production then relocated to

17675-405: The first time the series had developed a bisexual character. Corfield received a lot of letters from viewers telling her that Freya is a positive role model. Danielle Henry , who portrayed Freya's love interest Mandy Marquez , said that she often received "really positive feedback" via Twitter regarding Freya and Mandy's relationship. Corfield departed Doctors on 18 June 2012 with Freya dying in

17850-531: The fostering storyline was airing, the producers also decided to introduce a long-running post-traumatic stress disorder storyline for Rob. In 2018, Zara and Daniel are driven apart again, this time by Daniel's daughter Izzie, who pushes Zara to her limits. Zara slaps Izzie, causing Daniel to walk out on her. After Daniel returns home, he finds a drunken Zara has slept with Sid, which results in Daniel punching Sid and ending his relationship with Zara. 2018 also featured

18025-778: The funding will be reinvested in the region." Viewers launched a petition to save the soap, suggesting that another network could buy the rights to the series to continue making it. The show's final episode was filmed in March 2024, and was originally to be screened in December 2024, but this was later revised to November 2024, due to a scheduling break not going ahead as planned, with the final episode set to be screened on 14 November. Series regulars of Doctors are met by series producers and executive producers for several rounds of auditions prior to their casting. Series producer Lloyd stated that as well as looking for talent, they look for somebody who

18200-436: The job at The Mill is only temporary, so begins to look for other jobs. Jas finds a job as a waitress, and begins working there, making a friendship with colleague Grace Jacobs (Naomi Battrick). She later moves into a bedsit. Grace suffers an allergic reaction, causing Jas to use her medical skills to save Grace. Jas later quits her job, not being able to be a doctor and waitress at once. The character and casting of Rishi

18375-415: The large number of actors who have made one or more guest appearances, Doctors has gained a reputation for becoming "a British actor's rite of passage". Peter Sallis also had a guest appearance in the episode "A Game of Soldiers", in which he played Arthur Weatherill. The storylines originally dealt with the lives of staff and patients at the fictional Riverside Health Centre and its secondary location,

18550-412: The largest share in its time slot, and attracted consistent audience numbers, with an average of 2 million viewers per episode. In 2020, executive producer Mike Hobson was asked by Allison Jones of Inside Soap if he would consider a late-night time slot, to which he commented: "for our audience, we sit quite nicely". He felt that if the soap was shown at night-time, producers would "still tackle all

18725-504: The latter for being a brave depiction since it aired in the 2000s, a time he felt it was rare for mental health to be portrayed correctly. He noted that the series had always been progressive, particularly for a daytime series, and that as well as covering mental health issues, Doctors was also great at covering LGBTQ+ topics. He highlighted Simon Bond ( David Sturzaker ), a gay doctor, whose character he found not to be completely focused on his sexuality and "who just happened to be gay". He

18900-471: The medical industry and Valerie marrying herself after a cancer scare. The focus of 2022 was the Mill's takeover of Sutton Vale, which featured the introduction of numerous characters such as Princess, Scarlett and Maeve. This created individual storylines that saw Princess bully and manipulate Scarlett, Maeve beginning a relationship with Jimmi which ends in Maeve confessing to fraud, and Scarlett's struggle with

19075-448: The murder of temporary receptionist Lauren Porter ( Alexis Peterman ) by Harrison Kellor ( James Larkin ). Both of these storylines saw nods for Best Storyline at the British Soap Awards. In 2012, Heston embarks on a relationship with health visitor Marina Bonnaire ( Marian McLoughlin ), which sees Heston subjected to domestic abuse. 2012 also sees Zara and Daniel have a baby, Joe Granger Carmichael , and after Emma's introduction to

19250-451: The pair get into a car crash and Joe is hospitalised. Martin Millar portrayed by Miles Anderson , first appeared on 3 April 2012 and made his final appearance on 18 May 2012. Martin is introduced as a love interest for Julia Parsons ( Diane Keen ). Martin first appears when Julia parks her car in front of his garage, so he has to move the car. Martin asks Julia out on a date, though at first she declines, she later goes with Martin, and

19425-586: The parents of Cherry Clay ( Sophie Abelson ). Mandy Marquez (Danielle Henry) is introduced a month later as a love interest for Freya Wilson ( Lu Corfield ), as well as a friend of Jimmi Clay 's ( Adrian Lewis Morgan ), Franklyn Ward ( Steven Meo ). Joe Granger Carmichael is born in February to parents Daniel ( Matthew Chambers ) and Zara ( Elisabeth Dermot Walsh ). Martin Miller ( Miles Anderson ) debuts in April as

19600-428: The position of executive producer, with Mike Hobson assuming the position from the next day. Episodes in that year averaged at 1.7 million viewers, with the highest rating of the year being 1.94 million. In February 2015, Doctors sparked criticism after the word "pussy" was used in an episode. Due to the programme being transmitted in the daytime, the claims of "offensive language" led to an investigation by Ofcom ,

19775-400: The powerful subject matters [they do now], and that seeing more sexual or swearing scenes would not add to the quality of the programme". In February 2022, it was announced that alongside its transmission at 1:45 pm on BBC One, episodes would be repeated at 7:00 pm on BBC Two . Kate Oates , head of continuing drama at the BBC, said that her motivation to give Doctors a primetime evening slot

19950-602: The practice manager. Laidlaw was named Best Actress at the 2012 RTS Midlands Awards . In August 2017, Laidlaw was longlisted for Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards . She made the viewer-voted shortlist. On 6 November 2017, Laidlaw won the Best Daytime Star accolade, which was the first Inside Soap Award to be won by Doctors . On 8 January 2019, it was announced that Laidlaw was to leave Doctors after 8 years. Mrs Tembe's exit storyline saw her move away with Gordon Clement (Steven Elder) to Newcastle after accepting

20125-431: The previously unfilled daytime slot would be good for the series due to there being an increase of remote workers in 2000. Doctors was originally shown at 12:30 pm as a lead-in to BBC News at One . For a brief trial period in mid-2000, certain episodes from the first series were shown on Fridays at 7:00 pm, but due to rival soap Emmerdale being transmitted at the same time, Doctors suffered from low ratings, and

20300-439: The production team took to social media to debunk them. At the time of its cancellation, Doctors was receiving an average of 1.6 million live viewers and was consistently the most watched programme in its timeslot. Their social media team posted the statement: "we would like to clarify that the decision to cancel the show is not based on low figures, as we have consistently enjoyed a strong viewership, and we are deeply grateful for

20475-436: The programme's executive producer, Will Trotter. Mrs Tembe ( Lorna Laidlaw ) arrived in January as a receptionist. General practitioners Freya Wilson ( Lu Corfield ) and Kevin Tyler ( Simon Rivers ) made their debuts in May. Receptionist Lauren Porter ( Alexis Peterman ) debuted in August, as well as forensics specialist Harrison Kellor ( James Larkin ). Marina Bonnaire ( Marian McLoughlin ) began appearing in August as

20650-511: The recurring characters for their own respective stories. Doctors also features guest stars in each episode, with examples including Leah Bracknell , Emilia Clarke , Alison Hammond , Ruthie Henshall , Jamelia , Claire King , Joe Pasquale , Eddie Redmayne , Lisa Riley and Sheridan Smith . With each new block, a noticeboard on the set is updated with photographs of the guest actors for that block. Series producer Lloyd estimated that at least 800 guest stars are contracted per year. Owing to

20825-405: The region. We would like to thank all the Doctors cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 2000. We know the crucial role Doctors has played in nurturing talent, and we will work to develop new opportunities to support skills in scripted programming." On 18 October 2023, the BBC announced that Doctors had been cancelled. The decision was made due to the financial strain of moving

21000-489: The regular cast, Doctors features numerous recurring and guest characters. They typically have a connection to the regulars, such as Izzie Torres (Bethan Moore), the daughter of Daniel, Eve Haskey ( Rachel Bell ), the mother of Al, and Hazeem Durrani (Ashraf Ejjbair), the nephew of Ruhma. Following a storyline that sees the Mill take over Sutton Vale Surgery, several new recurring characters were introduced: receptionist Rosie Colton ( Janice Connolly ), who later became

21175-456: The regular episodes, focusing on the conclusion of the Harrison Kellor ( James Larkin ) storyline, exploring Elaine Cassidy ( Janet Dibley ) and how she dealt with Harrison's change of plea for Lauren Porter 's ( Alexis Peterman ) murder. In 2012, Doctors aired a " Shakespeare week", with episodes themed around "a number of his most popular plays". On 16 June 2015, Trotter departed from

21350-584: The relationship is exposed. For his portrayal of Kevin, Rivers was nominated for Sexiest Male at the 2012 British Soap Awards . A year later, he received a longlist nomination for the British Soap Award for Best Actor . He was again nominated for the Sexiest Male award in 2014. Lauren Porter , portrayed by Alexis Peterman , first appeared on 5 August 2011 and made her final appearance on 28 September 2011. After Mrs Tembe ( Lorna Laidlaw ) leaves on holiday, Julia Parsons ( Diane Keen ) contacts Lauren, since she

21525-411: The responsibility of caring for Tom (Max True) and Ella Robson (Lily-Mae Evans), after it is claimed they witnessed their father murder their mother. It later transpires that Ella killed her, due to their mother abusing their father. 2020 also saw the departure of Ayesha, when she is given the opportunity to front a worldwide malaria campaign. Lily Walker ( Verity Rushworth ) is temporarily hired at

21700-471: The rights for them. They began airing two Classic Doctors episodes every weekday at 8:00 am from 14 August 2023. Since the programme's inception, Doctors has filmed episodes three months in advance of broadcast. The episodes are filmed from January to November, and due to the effect weather has on the output, producers implement "seasonal episodes" to give the impression that the soap is set in real time. Episodes are filmed in groups of three, described as

21875-509: The rise of homelessness in the Birmingham area that year, the soap would be featuring a week that focuses on homelessness. The "emotional and powerful" homelessness week aired in May 2016. Script editor Nasreen Ahmed stated that lots of research went into the week, with researchers constantly finding new statistics and information. She added that it was tricky to cover the "darker stuff" with their daytime transmission slot, but opined that Doctors

22050-478: The series offered something new and that viewers would not realise they would want a series like Doctors until they had seen it. Lush noted that despite its serial element, the premise of the programme meant that people could "dip in and out" since the core cast would stay the same and the episodes would be self-contained. Young echoed Lush's comments and said that he had wanted to create a daytime drama series long before his involvement with Doctors . Young felt that

22225-451: The series. She felt that unlike other soaps, the characters "look ordinary" and are realistic to life. She hoped that more people would begin watching the soap as she felt it was "treated as the bridesmaid, never the bride". Ammar Kalia, another Guardian writer, praised Doctors on its 20th anniversary. He described it as "the perfect medicine" during the COVID-19 pandemic and found it to be

22400-434: The set from Selly Oak to Digbeth as part of BBC Birmingham's ventures to create a new base for their productions. The BBC confirmed that it would be giving the soap a grand finale and was "working closely with BBC Studios to give it the finale it deserves". Filming was to be wrapped in March 2024, with the final episode scheduled to air in December 2024. Amidst false news reports of Doctors being cancelled for low ratings,

22575-461: The set tour was postponed, and it was later announced that filming of Doctors had too been postponed due to the virus. On 26 March 2020, a 60-minute episode titled "A Day in the Life..." was broadcast, which saw the conclusion of a long-running prison storyline involving Jimmi Clay ( Adrian Lewis Morgan ), and a documentary being made about The Mill. Also in March 2020, an episode starring Joe Pasquale

22750-486: The share of viewers in its daytime time slot, and as of 2023, it averages at 1.6 million live viewers. The programme has been nominated for and won numerous awards , with critics praising it for tackling issues that are considered to be controversial and taboo . The longest-serving cast member was Adrian Lewis Morgan , who had portrayed Jimmi Clay since 2005. Alongside its regular cast, Doctors features numerous guest characters who typically appear in an episode as part of

22925-490: The show adding that she is "a great addition to the cast", and that she has "made an impression in her own right". He also teased that Mandy has got "some great storylines coming up". Franklyn Ward , portrayed by Steven Meo , first appeared on 10 February 2012 and made his final appearance on 1 November 2012. Franklyn is Jimmi Clay 's ( Adrian Lewis Morgan ) friend. On 23 October, Franklyn returned for six episodes, and departed on 1 November 2012. Franklyn appears for

23100-414: The show's most chilling villains, building across the week to a dramatic conclusion". The storyline also saw the departure of Elaine from the soap. Dr. Emma Reid , portrayed by Dido Miles , made her first appearance on 2 October 2012. Emma is a general practitioner at the Mill, as well as a former police surgeon at Letherbridge police station. She is the first pansexual character to be featured in

23275-406: The show's most chilling villains, building across the week to a dramatic conclusion". The first episode aired on 17 September. His return also served as the exit storyline for Elaine. Marina Bonnaire , portrayed by Marian McLoughlin , first appeared on 25 October 2011 and made her final appearance on 7 March 2012. It was announced in 2011 that a new health visitor was to join the cast later on in

23450-511: The staff at the Mill trying to prove his innocence and get him freed in time for Christmas, they fail. The beginning of 2020 saw Jimmi's colleagues discover that Jimmi has been framed by his solicitor, John Butler (Richard Huw). Daniel and Zara rekindle their relationship, while Ruhma is temporarily suspended from her midwifery role. Another focus of 2020 was Karen and Rob's fostering experiences, including Abz Baker 's (Amy Bowden) rape and Jayden Hunt 's (Ciaran Stow) epilepsy. They are then given

23625-524: The toilets at the Mill. Freya has words with Lauren after she makes a stereotypical judgement of Dennis. Lauren later agrees to see if Dennis has checked into a homeless shelter Freya recommended. However, she goes home and later tells Freya that Dennis had not followed her advice. Lauren bullies Imogen Hollins ( Charlie Clemmow ), annoys Kevin, schemes against Mrs Tembe and clashes with Imogen's mother Karen ( Jan Pearson ) when Karen confronts her over her antics. Her lover, Harrison Kellor ( James Larkin ),

23800-743: The topic of their relationship with murderer Harrison Kellor ( James Larkin ) as the main subject. Rob, Karen and Imogen's brother Jack ( Nicolas Woodman ) then tell Kingsley to leave their house, but Imogen follows, going to live in a squat with him. Imogen becomes unsure whether to stay with Kingsley or to take a place at art college. She talks to one of Kingsley's ex lovers Bex Houghton (Elizabeth Lowe) who gives her advice on what to choose. Bex states that Kingsley taught her more than what any art college would, before revealing that she and Kingsley are still together. Imogen subsequently chooses to stay with Kingsley, wanting to be his only girlfriend. However, her plan backfires, as she finds Kingsley in bed with

23975-439: The topic, it felt "counter-productive and unrealistic" to "drop" regular characters into numerous mental health-related storylines for that one week, so he planned to have several storylines come to a head in the week. These included Rob Hollins ' ( Chris Walker ) PTSD and Al Haskey 's ( Ian Midlane ) struggle with the diagnosis of his mother's dementia. In November 2019, it was confirmed via Twitter that Doctors were filming for

24150-642: The transition between locations on screen, the soap featured a storyline in which the Riverside Health Centre is destroyed by an explosion, prompting the move to the Mill Health Centre, named after the series' original production home. Alongside the Mill, which is filmed in Melville House, other regular locations include Letherbridge Police Station and the Icon Bar (filmed in Barrow-Cadbury House),

24325-500: The two begin a relationship. Julia worries that Martin is hiding things from her, so her and Elaine Cassidy ( Janet Dibley ) set a trap for him, so that if he is hiding things, they'll find out. Elaine begins talking to Martin, saying that her name is Alicia. She comes on to him, but he rejects her, so Elaine phones up Julia to confirm that Martin does love her. The next day, Imogen Hollins ( Charlie Clemmow ) asks Julia if she has googled Martin. She does so, and finds out that Martin

24500-465: The two embrace. Julia's son Patrick ( Alan McKenna ) arrives, wanting to take her to his house, so she can recover. However, after thinking about whether or not she wants a future with Martin, she decides she does, and goes to live with him in Wales. Its about the biggest stunt we’ve done on Doctors . It’s really quite horrendous and it’s the ultimate cliffhanger. So it was great to be involved in that. It

24675-560: The typical five. Series producer Lloyd stated that upon its return, the characters are in a "post Covid world, where social distancing and mask wearing are things of the past, but the ongoing effects of the virus are very much part of everyday life". Episodes in 2020 had an average of 1.6 million live viewers. In December 2020, it was announced that Doctors would be taking another extended transmission break until February, with no episodes set to be broadcast throughout January 2021. The series returned on 8 February 2021. On 12 October 2021, it

24850-491: The very difficult decision to bring daytime drama Doctors to an end after 23 years. With super inflation in drama production, the cost of the programme has increased significantly, and further investment is also now required to refurbish the site where the show is made, or to relocate it to another home. We remain fully committed to the West Midlands and all of the funding for Doctors will be reinvested into new programming in

25025-400: The vicar of her church. Later that year, Jas is harassed by an obsessive stalker, Al. In 2014, Karen is involved in a car accident, and suffers severe head trauma and as a result, loses all of her memories from the age of 18 onwards. She spends months trying to readjust, knowing that she has two adult children and a husband. After Jas leaves Letherbridge, doctor Niamh Donoghue ( Jessica Regan )

25200-407: The way, because she's had so many disastrous relationships in her life, so now she tends to take the negative point of view towards how something will turn out. Martin's really great because he won't take any nonsense and he's not taking no for an answer. He's forcing Julia to really give it a shot, and she needs that. She's obviously very attracted to him, too, so they could be very good together". Of

25375-405: The wedding of Jimmi Clay to Cherry Clay ( Sophie Abelson ). Once the wedding is over, Franklyn leaves. Months later, Franklyn returns after the news that Jimmi has split from Cherry, as she cheated on Jimmi with Daniel Granger ( Matthew Chambers ). Franklyn does drinking games with Jimmi to cheer him up, and the two end up laughing about Cherry. Two days later, Franklyn applies for a job at

25550-690: The wedding was over. Although the two first appear when they are invited to the wedding by Cherry, Paula phones Cherry three months earlier to tell her that Cherry's and Jimmi's wedding venue is burning down. Whilst Cherry and Paula go dress shopping, Malcolm and Jimmi stay at the house, drinking beers. Malcolm gets drunk, telling Jimmi all about Paula, and how because of her Malcolm had to give up his punk rock career. Malcolm then makes Jimmi promise that Cherry does not turn into another Paula, before he falls asleep. Paula and Cherry return home, to find Malcolm asleep and punk rock music playing, much to Paula's disgust. Cherry starts to have second thoughts about

25725-426: The wedding, before leaving. Mandy Marquez , portrayed by Danielle Henry , first appeared on 10 February 2012 and made her final appearance on 7 October 2014. Mandy was introduced as a love interest for Freya Wilson ( Lu Corfield ). Mandy is introduced as a bridesmaid to Cherry Malone ( Sophie Abelson ). Freya later begins to develop feelings for Mandy, and the two meet up. The following week, Freya takes part in

25900-461: The wedding, but is persuaded by Paula that they are just nerves. Jimmi begins to realize the similarities between Cherry and Paula, and panics whilst at a dinner with the two and Malcolm, telling them that he has been married before to Eva Moore ( Angela Lonsdale ) and about how she was presumed dead. Paula and Malcolm are shocked by this, telling Cherry that they cannot let her marry Jimmi. However, after much persuasion from Cherry, they both attend

26075-466: The year. Akono Mezu , portrayed by Emmanuel Idowu , first appeared on 13 January 2012 and made his final appearance on 3 February 2012. Jane Rackham from the Radio Times stated that Akono "certainly had an eyebrow-raising introduction to the staff at the Mill yesterday", saying it was a "brave decision to let Jack give him a taste of student life", but it was unfortunate that "the first person they met

26250-580: The year. In August, it was confirmed that McLoughlin was to play the role. She was introduced to be the love interest of long-standing regular, Dr. Heston Carter ( Owen Brenman ). Marina is well-liked by most staff, especially Heston whom she is in a relationship with. Due to her relationship with Heston, receptionist Mrs. Tembe ( Lorna Laidlaw ) becomes jealous of her as she too has feelings for Heston. Marina eventually moved into Heston's house, to her son Ian's disapproval. During their relationship, Marina becomes violent and dispassionate towards Heston and has

26425-569: Was Jack’s uni friend Sarah". Akono appears when the church asks Mrs Tembe ( Lorna Laidlaw ) if she would give Akono a home whilst he studies at Letherbridge University. She welcomes Akono staying, as they are both Christians. He is given a tour of the university by Jack Hollins ( Nicolas Woodman ), though begins to question whether he wants to stay in England when he sees Jack's friend Sarah Trevllin (Kate Malyon) drunk. He begins to question his beliefs as he learns of Sarah's history of rape and that she

26600-509: Was a joke and the pressure more intense than anything I'd ever experienced. But it was six years of great fun". Each of the regular cast members are allocated a private dressing room, while guests and recurring cast are given a shared dressing room behind the wardrobe department. From 2000 to 2004, Doctors was filmed at the BBC's then Pebble Mill studios in Edgbaston . The series used space originally occupied by Pebble Mill at One . A set

26775-422: Was added to schedules from September 2022, following the show's summer break. In February 2023, episodes of Doctors that featured an explosion at a medical conference were pulled from television schedules hours before their set transmission; the BBC announced that this was due to being set to air at the same time as the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake , which they opined would have been insensitive. "We have taken

26950-419: Was also appreciative of Doctors for covering Marina Bonnaire (McLoughlin) abusing Heston Carter (Brenman), the first time he had seen a woman abusing a man on television. Laura Tyler Doctors is a British medical soap opera which began broadcasting on BBC One on 26 March 2000. Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff and patients of

27125-434: Was announced on 11 August 2012. Jas was described as "honest" and "refreshing". Jas has a connection to already established character Kevin Tyler. Producer Peter Eryl Lloyd had previously said in an interview that a "young female doctor" would be arriving, saying that Jas would be involved in a "big, dark storyline" where Jas "will take us into that rather dark world, from a female perspective". Rivers said that they would form

27300-429: Was announced that Doctors would partake in a special crossover event involving multiple British soaps to promote the topic of climate change ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference . It was confirmed that a character from Doctors would appear on Coronation Street . In June 2022, it was announced that after two years, Doctors would return to transmitting five weekly episodes. The added episode

27475-480: Was broadcast. The episode, titled "The Joe Pasquale Problem", depicts patient Lizzie Milton (Adele James) as suffering from the Fregoli delusion , seeing everyone as Pasquale . The episode went viral on Twitter and Beth Maloney of Entertainment Daily described the episode as "bizarre but amazing". On 22 May 2020, despite having the government's permission to recommence production on set, Doctors announced that

27650-522: Was built especially for the series, with the BBC hoping that the series would become a "fixture of daytime schedules" like fellow BBC soap Neighbours . After the closure of Pebble Mill, BBC Birmingham moved to a smaller production base in Birmingham City Centre which had no studio space for the show. In 2004, production moved again to the BBC Drama Village development in Selly Oak . To explain

27825-548: Was cast in the role of Jimmi Clay . Appearing continuously since, he has become the longest-serving actor on Doctors . Also during the 2000s, numerous other longstanding characters were introduced, including: Daniel Granger ( Matthew Chambers ), Heston Carter (Brenman), Ruth Pearce (Chilton), and Zara Carmichael ( Elisabeth Dermot Walsh ). 2009 saw the introduction of the Hollins family; Karen ( Jan Pearson ), Rob ( Chris Walker ), Imogen ( Charlie Clemmow ) and Jack Hollins ( Nicolas Woodman ). Mrs Tembe ( Lorna Laidlaw )

28000-624: Was extended and ran for 60 minutes. The average viewing figure for 2015 was 2 million. Later that year, to commemorate the 400th year of Shakespeare's death, the soap revisited his work, with a week of episodes focusing specifically on his sonnets. The cast filmed scenes at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon for the episodes, one of which includes Heston reciting Sonnet 73 to girlfriend Ruhma Hanif ( Bharti Patel ). Series producer Lloyd also stated that due to

28175-408: Was filmed on one of the worst stormy days. So that made things a bit difficult. But it also made it look better, so much more dramatic. So it’s not looking good for Julia and Martin. Julia has been fighting him off because she doesn’t want to get hurt again. But Martin has a secret weapon – he makes her laugh. Anyone who can make Julia laugh is quids in. Martin was brought into the soap to coincide with

28350-455: Was instead trialled in a 2:10 pm time slot. The series later moved into its current timeslot of 1:45 pm in 2008. Cast member Diane Keen opined that Doctors should be broadcast in a primetime slot, but Liam Keelan, controller of BBC Daytime schedules, commented: "its true home will always be as a hugely appreciated early afternoon drama". In a 2010 review of BBC continuing dramas, it was reported by Digital Spy that Doctors regularly won

28525-443: Was introduced as a forensics specialist at Letherbridge Police station. He begins a relationship with Elaine Cassidy ( Janet Dibley ), but after admitting that he is married, his marriage and relationship with Elaine both end. Having given Jack Hollins ( Nicolas Woodman ) work experience in his forensics laboratory, he starts up a new relationship with receptionist Lauren Porter ( Alexis Peterman ). When he finds out that Lauren had

28700-702: Was introduced as a receptionist at the Mill in 2011, who eventually became the practice manager. In 2012, several regular characters were introduced into the series, including general practitioner Mandy Marquez ( Danielle Henry ), practice manager Howard Bellamy ( Ian Kelsey ), police surgeon Jas Khella ( Vineeta Rishi ), general practitioner and police surgeon Emma Reid ( Dido Miles ), receptionist Valerie Pitman ( Sarah Moyle ) and general practitioner Al Haskey ( Ian Midlane ). Practice nurse Ayesha Lee ( Laura Rollins ) made her debut appearance in 2014. Midwife Ruhma Hanif (Patel) and general practitioner Sid Vere ( Ashley Rice ) were introduced in 2015. After

28875-407: Was later seen when producers introduced his half-siblings, Nadia Ahmed (Hema Mangoo) and Zarif Khan (Asif Khan). One of Kevin's storylines in the series sees his girlfriend, Lauren Porter ( Alexis Peterman ), murdered. He becomes the chief suspect for the investigation, but is eventually cleared. When he meets Freya Wilson ( Lu Corfield ), the pair instantly dislike each other, but later begin

29050-555: Was nominated for Best Female Dramatic Performance and Best Comedy Performance at the 2016 British Soap Awards , but lost out to Lacey Turner and Patti Clare who play Stacey Fowler and Mary Taylor respectively. Then in 2019, Moyle won the award for Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards. Moyle has received numerous other award nominations at the RTS Awards and the Inside Soap Awards . Chris Reid , portrayed by Nathan Wright , first appeared on 23 October 2012 and made his final appearance on 11 April 2014. Chris

29225-417: Was not named, nor was he credited for his role. Dalziel, often known as "JD", is a DJ for Free Radio Coventry & Warwickshire . He appears when he rushes to the aid of Bazza Rogers (Nason Crone). Of his role, Dalziel commenter, "It was exciting to be on the set of one of the country's biggest soap operas. I'd say that my interpretation of the character was very convincing but I certainly wouldn't fancy being

29400-457: Was one of Doctors most popular storylines, and this Red Button event picks up on one of the show's most chilling villains, building across the week to a dramatic conclusion". The storyline also saw the departure of Elaine from the soap. Alex Redmond , portrayed by Stuart Laing , made his first appearance in Fallout: Part 1 , which aired on 17 September 2012. He departed in Fallout: Part 5 , which aired on 21 September 2012. Alex appeared in

29575-630: Was put at "ease very quickly". He called it a "special place to work", calling the team "supportive" and "incredible", adding "I can remember the very first scene I filmed. I loved it to bits!". He also talked about Dido Miles, who plays his on-screen mother, saying that she is "wonderful". "She's a fine actress and a joy to work with. We have a strong friendship off screen which naturally makes our job easier and more enjoyable. We live together in Birmingham and love naff TV shows". Colin Mowbray and Laura Mowbray , portrayed by Steve Money and Lisa Riley , are

29750-473: Was shortlisted for Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards later that year. Then at the 2016 British Soap Awards , he was nominated for Best On-Screen Partnership alongside Reid. Dr. Jas Khella , portrayed by Vineeta Rishi , first appeared on 21 August 2012 and made her final appearance on 23 November 2013. Jas appears at the Mill when the surgery are holding interviews for a new employee. Jas

29925-473: Was to give the programme a push for a new audience. The change took place from 7 March 2022. Despite being billed as a permanent change, the BBC Two repeats were dropped from the schedule after two months. Classic episodes of Doctors were screened on Gold in 2005, but the screenings were eventually ceased. Demand garnered for the classic episodes to return, and in 2023, Gold's sister channel, Drama , attained

30100-420: Was transmitted on 26 March 2000. In 2002, episodes received an average of 2.5 million viewers. Young departed from the position of executive producer on 6 April 2005, with Will Trotter assuming the position from the next day. In April 2006, Doctors aired the first same-sex wedding on British television when characters Greg Robinson ( Ben Jones ) and Rico Da Silva ( Felix D'Alviella ) got married. In 2009,

30275-420: Was very daunting, really - especially as we know that so many people watching Doctors are people who are staying at home with their children. It will be fresh in their memories, so I didn't want to do it wrong! But of course, when you start researching, you discover that it's different for every woman - and if you ask people about giving birth, everybody will say something different. I've been preparing for it for

30450-500: Was years before any of the others. The storylines have also received praise from health professionals. Paul Daverson, a mental health nurse, was impressed with how accurately Doctors covered mental health. He found that the soap covered the issues sensitively and accurately and it gave Daverson hope for the depiction of mental health issues on television. He noted Jimmi Clay's (Morgan) counselling sessions and Ruth Pearce's (Chilton) psychotic breakdown were especially accurate. He praised

30625-431: Was younger, he caused a car accident, but his childhood friend, took the blame as Rob was about to enter the police force. That same year, Howard dies of a brain aneurism . In 2016, Anthony Harker ( Adam Astill ) joins as a new practice manager, and he bullies Mrs Tembe, who leaves to work for a rival surgery. Anthony's autocratic management style then targets Jimmi, who forms a plan with Mrs Tembe and Daniel to take over

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