Doctor Who Vs. Casualty @ 40: Series 1

Derek Thompson

(the longest-

serving cast 

member on

Casualty)

retired from the

drama in 2024,

after 37 years

service.

He portrayed

Charlie Fairhead

from the debut

episode, Gas. The

role was based on

real-life nurse,

Peter Salt.

BBC One's Saturday night flagship drama has now

endured for more than thirteen-hundred instal-

ments over forty years. The forty-first season

begins this weekend with an anniversary double

bill. Now stylised as CASUAL+Y, the programme

was created by socialist screenwriters Jeremy

Brock and Paul Unwin as a direct response to

Thatcherism, and launched on September 6 1986.

Set in Bristol's fictional suburb of Holby, Casualty

is both the world's longest-running show of its

genre, and the most enduring medical drama on

prime time television. The acclaimed franchise has

earned many accolades (including seven BAFTA and

six RTS awards), and spawned four spin-off series

- Holby City (1999 to 2022), Casualty@Holby City

(2004/05), Casualty 1900s (2006-09), and Holby

Blues (2007/08).

According to a Radio Times survey, the programme

has seen more guest roles for future stars than any

other UK soap or drama - Christopher Eccleston,

Alfred Molina, Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom, Martin

Freeman, Minnie Driver, Tom Hiddleston, Johnny

Lee Miller, Ray Winstone, David Walliams, Robson

Green, Pam Ferris, Caroline Quentin, Marc Warren,

Pete Postlethwaite, Honor Blackman, David Hare-

wood, and Norman Wisdom have all appeared on

Casualty.

The original leading characters were Ewart Plimmer

 (played by Bernard Gallagher), Dr. Baz Samuels

(Julia Wason), Clive King (George Harris), Megan

Roach (Brenda Fricker), Lisa Duffin (Cathy Shipton),

and Sandra Mute (Lisa Bowerman). This first,

fifteen part season featured Roberta Tovey, and a

total of forty-five Doctor Who cast and crew links:

• Watson was Hilda Flockhart in Joy to the World
• Robert Pugh (Andrew Ponting, 1986/87; Gethin, 2023) was Tony Mack in The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood, then voiced Emmett Burrows for Big Finish's Five Twenty-Nine (2017)
• Trevor G Cooper (Ralph here; Eddie, 1995; Jerry, 2017; Hill, 2022) was [Lancelot] Takis in Revelation of the Daleks, and Friar Tuck in Robot of Sherwood, then voiced Rull for Magic Bullet's Kaldor City, Sir Ralph for The Doomwood Curse, Shanks for The Haunting of Thomas Brewster (both 2008), Judah for The Beast of Orlok, Smithy for Castle of Fear (both 2009), Captain Maddox/Stennan for Army of Death (2011), Colonel Burroughs/Kimball for The Emerald Tiger (2012), Preddle/Jonathan Jaggers for Judoon in Chains (2016), Jonathan Mayfly/Sir Joseph Eagleton for The Ghosts of Greenwich (2019), Smallpiece for Merry Christmas Mr. Jago (2020), Silas Keynes for The Ravencliff Witches (2022), and Captain Thaddeus Grey for Archipelago (2024)
• Roy Evans (Relative) was Trantis in The Daleks' Master Plan, Bert in The Green Death, and Miner in The Monster of Peladon
• Graham Cole[man Smith] (Junior Doctor) was a Krarg in Shada, Player in (part 1 of) The Leisure Hive, Marshman in Full Circle, the Melkur in The Keeper of Traken and Time Flight (2), a titular Kinda, Cyberman in Earthshock and The Five Doctors, Crewman in Resurrection of the Daleks (1), and Jacondan in The Twin Dilemma (1), then voiced Ebbko for The Guardians of Prophecy (2012)
• David [John] Simeon [born Townsend] (Bates here; Officer, 2004) and James Snell (Thalton) both appeared in The Daemons, as Alastair Fergus and Harry - Simeon was also Private Latimer in Inferno
• John Flanagan (DS Fox here; Keach, 1999) and Andrew McCulloch (Northover here; Ewart, 1995; Dean, 2002) wrote Meglos
• Vincent Pickering (Gary here; Strudwick, 1999) made his TV debut in Warriors' Gate as Sagan
• [James Arnold] Rio Fanning (David) was Harker in Horror of Fang Rock
• James Marcus [born Brian T James] (Bill) and Christine Pollon (Mrs. Ferguson here; Dr. Jacobs, 1995) both starred in Underworld, as Rask and the voice of the Oracle - Marcus was also Peasant in Invasion of the Dinosaurs (2)
• Nigel Anthony [born Gossling] (Roach) voiced Claudius/Wizard for The Relics of Time, the Host for Sepulchre (both 2010). and Drayl/ Rakkezar for Someone I Once Knew (2018)
• Adrian Fletcher (Nurse here; Fan, 1990) was Coven Member in K9 & Company
• Pamela Merrick (Rose here; Mrs. Garwood, 2002) was Wendy in The Sarah Jane Adventures
• Timothy Block (Blair) was Tanner in Black Orchid
• Mona Hammond [Mavis Chin] (Millie) was Rita Anne in Rise of the Cybermen
• Derek Benfield (Davies here; Hogarth, 1990) voiced Dr. John Hallam for Catch 1782 (2005)
• Mark Jones (Tom) was Arnold Keeler in The Seeds of Doom
• Jonathan Evans (Dougie) was a Kinda (1), and Marshall in Earthshock
• John Bloomfield (Mike) was the costume designer on The Face of Evil and The Talons of Weng-Chiang
• [Robert] Michael Bilton (Arthur) was Charles de Teligny in The Massacre, Collins in Pyramids of Mars, and Time Lord in The Deadly Assassin
• Eric Francis (Mal) was the First Elder in The Sensorites
• [William Reginald] Bruce Purchase (Spiderman) was the Captain in The Pirate Planet
• Harry [James] Fowler (Terry) was Harry in Remembrance of the Daleks
• Keith Jayne (Luke) was Will Chandler in The Awakening
• Tom Lucy (Beck) was the stunt co-ordinator on sixteen stories (from Smith and Jones to The Next Doctor) and Torchwood
• Jon Glover (Commentator/Jeremy) voiced Shellingborne Grant for Slipback, then voiced the Shansheeth for The Sarah Jane Adventures: Death of the Doctor, Creodot for False Gods, Dr. Verryman for Order of Simplicity (both 2008), Father Christmas for Death in Blackpool (2009), Jafrid for The Well-Mannered War (2015), Sir James for Infidel Places, and Dr. Gommen for The Stuntman (both 2022)
• Patsy [Doris] Smart (Winnie) was the Ghoul in The Talons of Weng Chiang
• Peter [George Haywood] Halliday (Piet) was Packer (and provided the Cyber Director Voice) in The Invasion, voiced the titular Silurians in their debut story and the Aliens in The Ambassadors of Death, then was Pletrac in Carnival of Monsters, Soldier in City of Death, and the Vicar in Remembrance of the Daleks (2)
• Zienia Merton (Receptionist here; Dr. Billington, 1991/92; Manson, 2002) was Ping-Cho in Marco Polo, and the Registrar in The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith
• Susan Jameson (Harriet) was originally cast as Morgan for Colony in Space but was replaced by Tony Caunter - she voiced Mrs. Moynihan for The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (2000), and Fennella Wibbsey for AudioGo's Hornets' Nest (2009), Demon Quest (2010), Serpent Crest (2011), The Thing from the Sea (2018), The Winged Coven (2019) and The Penumbra Affair (2022)
• Andrew [James] Hall (Richard here; Wilkinson, 2015) voiced Alonso/ Gonzalo for Maker of Demons (2016)
• Keith Marsh (Arthur) was Conway in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD
• Tony Van Silva (stunts here; Attendant, 1997) was a stuntman on Tooth and Claw
• writer Wally Kevin Daly submitted the unused script The Ultimate Evil
• Martin Ridout was also sound supervisor on Time Flight, Snakedance, Mawdryn Undead, Enlightenment, The King's Demons, The Five Doctors, Warriors of the Deep, The Awakening and Frontios
• John Mooney was also sound assistant on Remembrance of the Daleks, Silver Nemesis (3), The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Battlefield and Ghost Light
• production manager Marcus DF White was an AFM on The Awakening
• Patricia Greenland was also production assistant on Full Circle
• technical co-ordinator Ray Hider began his career as lighting tech- nician on The Power of the Daleks (6), and was technical manager on Terror of the Autons (1)
• Julie Mann was vision mixer on The Greatest Show in the Galaxy too
• camera supervisor Rodney Taylor was the senior cameraman on The Creature from the Pit
• props buyer Pauline Seager was an AFM on The Five Doctors

Doctor Who On This Day #206

1964 - The Sensorites, Episode 5:

Kidnap first screened on BBC1

1968 - The Faceless Ones, Episode

4 repeated on ABC

1971 - The War Games, Episodes 6, 9 and

10 repeated and Spearhead from Space,

Episode 2 repeated, and Episode 3 first

screened, all on ABC

1978 - Death to the Daleks, Part 3 and The

Ark in Space, Parts 1 and 4 all repeated on ABC

1979 - The Monster of Peladon, Parts

3, 4 and 6 all repeated on ABC
1980 - Genesis of the Daleks, Part

3 repeated on WTTW 11
1981 - The Invisible Enemy, Part

3 repeated on KQED Plus
1982 - The Face of Evil Omnibus

repeated on KQED Plus
1983 - The Time Monster, Episodes 3 and

4 both repeated on ABC; and Earthshock,

Part 2 first screened on TV1

1984 - The Androids of Tara, Part

4 repeated on KQED Plus 
1985 - Frontier in Space, Episode 1 repeated

on KQED Plus; and Slipback, Episodes 1 and

2 both first broadcast on Radio 4
1986 - Enlightenment, Part 4 repeated on KQED Plus
1987 - The Time Monster, Episode 5 repeated on KQED
Plus; and The Deadly Assassin Omnibus repeated on ABC
1988 - The Brain of Morbius, Part 1 repeated

on Super Channel
1989 - The Seeds of Doom, Part 5 repeated

on KQED Plus; and The Talons of Weng-

Chiang, Part 1 repeated on ABC

1990 - The Armageddon Factor, Part 1 repeated on ABC;
and The Happiness Patrol, Part 3 repeated on KQED Plus
1991 - Four to Doomsday, Part 1 repeated on KQED Plus
1992 - The Monster of Peladon, Part 4, Invasion

of the Dinosaurs, Part 6 and The Invasion of

 Time Omnibus all repeated on KQED Plus
1993 - The Green Death, Episodes 5 and 6 and The
Monster of Peladon, Episodes 1 and 2 all repeated on
UK Gold; and The Ark in Space, Part 1 repeated on ABC

1994 - Arc of Infinity, Part 2 repeated on UK Gold;

and Silver Nemesis Omnibus repeated on KQED Plus

1995 - The Green Death, Episode 5 repeated on UK Gold
1997 - The Brain of Morbius, Part 4 repeated on UK Gold;
and The Masque of Mandragora, Part 2 repeated on UKTV
 (Aus)

1998 - The Sensorites Omnibus repeated on UK Gold;
The Gunfighters, Episode 2: Don't Shoot the Pianist
repeated on Space; The Dominators, Episodes 3 and

4 both repeated on NHPTV; The Seeds of Death,

Episodes 4 and 5 both repeated on Iowa PTV; The

Sea Devils, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on

Colorado PTV; The Face of Evil, Parts 2 and 3 both

repeated on BBC Prime; The Keeper of Traken

Omnibus repeated on WUFT; and The Greatest

Show in the Galaxy Omnibus repeated on

UKTV (Aus)

1999 - An Unearthly Child Pilot, Remembrance

of the Daleks, Part 4, Doctor Who TV Movie,

30 Years in the TARDIS and Bigger Inside Than
Out all repeated on BBC Choice; Planet of

Giants, Episode 2: Dangerous Journey repeated

on Space; The Silurians, Episode 6 repeated

 on WQED; Colony in Space, Episodes 3 and 4

both  repeated on KBTC; The Sea Devils,

Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on WCET;

The Time Monster, Episodes 4 and 5 both

repeated on NHPTV; Genesis of the Daleks,

Part 1 repeated on BBC Choice, Part 2

repeated on Twin Cities PTV and Parts 3

and 4 both repeated on Colorado PTV;

Revenge of the Cybermen, Part 3 repeated

on Lakeshore PTV; Pyramids of Mars Omnibus

repeated on KRWG; The Seeds of Doom, Part

2 repeated on WQED and Parts 3 and 4 both

repeated on MiND; The Hand of Fear Omnibus

repeated on KNME; The Face of Evil, Part 2

repeated on MPBN; The Androids of Tara 

Omnibus repeated on UK  Gold; Arc of Infinity

 Omnibus repeated on KSPS; and The Five

Doctors, Part 4 (of 4) repeated on WUSF

2000 - The Chase, Episode 6: The Planet of Decision first
screened on Prime; Terror of the Autons, Episode 4 repeated
on UKTV (Aus); and The Seeds of Doom, Parts 3 and 4 both
repeated on BBC America

2001 - State of Decay, Part 1 repeated on UKTV (Aus)
2002 - The Power of Kroll, Part 3 repeated on BBC Kids
(Can); and The Curse of Fenric, Part 1 repeated on BBC
Prime

2003 - Genesis of the Daleks, Part 5 repeated

on Tele 5; and The Ribos Operation, Parts 3

 and 4 both repeated on BBC Kids (Can)

2004 - The Seeds of Death, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on WCET; 

Inferno, Episodes 1 and 2 both repeated on KBTC; Carnival of Monsters 

Omnibus repeated on MPT; The Seeds of Doom, Part 3 repeated on 

NHPTV; The Horns of Nimon, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on Iowa PTV; 

Castrovalva Omnibus repeated on UK Gold; Black Orchid, Part 1 repeated

 on WILL; Enlightenment, Part 3 repeated on KUED; and Mindwarp, Parts 

5 and 6 both repeated on MiND

2005 - Warriors' Gate, Part 3 repeated on ABC
2006 - World War Three first screened on DR1
2007 - Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways both
 repeated on KOCE; and Utopia and Doctor Who
Confidential: 'Ello 'Ello 'Ello both repeated on BBC3

2008 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Parts 4 and 5 both
first screened on MTV3 SciFi and TV4; Father's Day
repeated on UK Gold; Army of Ghosts and Doctor Who
Confidential: Welcome to Torchwood both first screened
on WGVU; Doomsday and Doctor Who Confidential:
Finale both first screened on KQED Plus; and Gridlock
repeated on Syfy (US)
2009 - Father's Day and Doctor Who Confidential:

The Dark Side both repeated on BBC3; Army of

Ghosts and Doctor Who Confidential: Welcome

to Torchwood both repeated on WTTW 11 and

 UNC-MX; The Lazarus Experiment repeated on

UKTV (Aus) and OETA; 42 and Doctor Who

Confidential: Space Craft both repeated on WGVU;

and Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown: Monsters

Inc. repeated on UKTV (Aus)

2010 - Dalek, The Shakespeare Code

and Doctor Who Confidential Cutdown:

Stage Fright all repeated on UKTV (Aus);

Gridlock and Doctor Who Confidential:

Are We There Yet? both repeated on

MPTV; Voyage of the Damned first screened

on Space; Partners in Crime and Doctor Who 

Confidential: A Noble Return both repeated on WTTW 11; The Poison Sky 
and Doctor Who Confidential: Sontar-Ha! both repeated on Houston PB; 
Silence in the Library first screened on WVPB; Turn Left and Doctor Who 
Confidential: Here Come the Girls both first screened on WXXI; Journey's 
End first screened on KERA; The Waters of Mars first screened on Idaho 
PTV; and The Big Bang first screened on Space and Prime

2011 - The Two Doctors, Parts 3 and 4 (of 6) both
repeated on MTV3 SciFi, TV and TV4; and The Lodger
and Doctor Who Confidential: Extra Time both repeated
on BBC3

2012 - Timelash, Parts 3 and 4 (of 4) both repeated on
Syfy (Aus); Rose repeated on UKTV (Aus); The Unquiet
Dead repeated on Watch; The Sound of Drums first
screened on YLE TV2 and repeated on BBC America;
The End of Time, Part 2 repeated on ABC2; and Amy's
 Choice and The Hungry Earth both repeated on BBC
America

2013 - Tooth and Claw repeated on ABC2; The Age of Steel

repeated on RAI4; Gridlock repeated on Watch; Evolution

of the Daleks repeated on BBC Entertainment LA;

The End of Time, Part 1 repeated on Syfy (Port); The

Hungry Earth repeated on Syfy (Ben); The Lodger 
repeated on Syfy (Spain); The Curse of the Black

Spot, The Doctor's Wife and Doctor Who Confidential:

Ship Ahoy! all repeated on WTTW Prime; and Doctor

Who Confidential Cutdown: Space Craft and Sontar-Ha!

both repeated on UKTV (Aus)

2014 - The Caves of Androzani, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on Horror;
Dalek and The Long Game both repeated on UKTV (NZ); Tooth and Claw 
repeated on YLE TV2; School Reunion, The Girl in the Fireplace, Last of 
the Time Lords, Partners in Crime, The Fires of Pompeii, Planet of the 
Ood and The Doctor's Wife all repeated on Syfy (Aus); 42 repeated on
Watch; The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky both repeated on RAI4; Midnight, Turn Left and The Stolen Earth all repeated on BBC
America; The Time of Angels repeated on KCPT2; Flesh and Stone, The Vampires of Venice and Amy's Choice all repeated on Syfy (Port); The 
Hungry Earth repeated on KLRU; The Wedding of River Song repeated
on BBC Entertainment LA HD; The Snowmen and The Bells of
Saint John both repeated on Syfy (Spa); Journey to the Centre
of the TARDIS repeated on Jeem TV (ME); Best of Doctor Who

 repeated on BBC Nordic HD and BBC Polska HD; and 12 Again:

Doctor Who Special repeated on CBBC

2015 - The Keys of Marinus, Episode 3 to 5 and Genesis 
of the Daleks, Parts 3 to 6 all repeated on Retro TV;
Inferno, Episodes 5 to 7, The Shakespeare Code and

Doctor Who Confidential: Stage Fright all repeated 
on UNC-MX; Attack of the Cybermen Omnibus repeated on Horror; The 
Parting of the Ways, The Christmas Invasion and New Earth repeated on
UKTV (Aus); Army of Ghosts repeated on Disney XD (US); The Poison Sky, 
The Doctor's Daughter, The Unicorn and the Wasp, Silence in the Library 
and Forest of the Dead all repeated on FX (Ind); Amy's Choice, The

Hungry Earth, Cold Blood and Vincent and the Doctor all repeated

on Syfy (Aus); The Impossible Astronaut repeated on

UKTV (NZ); Day of the Moon and The Curse of the

Black Spot both repeated on BBC Entertainment EU,
Romania and ME; A Good Man Goes to War, The Wedding

of River Song and Dinosaurs on a Spaceship all repeated on

BBC Nordic HD and BBC Polska HD; Asylum of the Daleks

repeated on BBC Nordic HD, BBC Polska HD and Jeem

TV (ME); The Angels Take Manhattan repeated on OETA;

Nightmare in Silver repeated on WGVU; Deep Breath

and Into the Dalek both repeated on TLC TV; and Doctor

Who Confidential: When Time Froze repeated on BBC

Entertainment AP

2016 - Inferno, Episodes 1 and 2 both repeated on
WETA-UK; Rose repeated on The Zone; Fear Her and
The Snowmen both repeated on Syfy (Aus); The
Eleventh Hour repeated on BBC Entertainment AP;
A Christmas Carol and Asylum of the Daleks both
repeated on DR3; The Almost People and The Rebel
Flesh both repeated on BBC Polska HD; The Name of
the Doctor repeated on TV Cultura; Death in Heaven 
repeated on Space; and The Witch's Familiar repeated
on ABC2
2017 - The Mind Robber, Episode 5 repeated on Jones!

too; The Ambassadors of Death, Episodes 2 and 3 both

repeated on Retro TV; Daleks in Manhattan repeated on Syfy (Aus); Blink and Utopia both repeated on One

ARD; The Sound of Drums repeated on BBC America
and One ARD; Last of the Time Lords, Partners in

Crime, The Fires of Pompeii and Planet of the Ood all

repeated on BBC America; Closing Time and The

Wedding of River Song both repeated on Syfy (Bra);

The Angels Take Manhattan and The Snowmen both

repeated on RAI4; Sleep No More and Behind the Lens:

The Time of the Doctor both repeated on BBC Polska HD; and Oxygen and Extremis all repeated on Syfy (LA)
2018 - The Three Doctors, Episodes 2 and

3 both repeated on Retro TV; Turn Left

repeated on BBC Polska HD; Closing Time

and The Wedding of River Song both

repeated on Sky 5; and The Lie of the

Land repeated on Star World Premiere

2019 - The Masque of Mandragora, Parts

1 and 2 both repeated on Retro TV; Turn

Left repeated on Syfy (Fra); and Listen

repeated on BBC Polska HD

2020 - The Androids of Tara, Part 4, The Power of

Kroll, Part 1, The Leisure Hive, Parts 3 and 4 and

Meglos, Parts 1 and 2 all repeated on Retro TV; The

Girl in the Fireplace, Rise of the Cybermen and The

Age of Steel all repeated on Drama; The Doctor's

Daughter, The Unicorn and the Wasp and Silence in

the Library all repeated on BBC Polska HD; The Lie of

the Land, Empress of Mars, The Eaters of Light and

World Enough and Time all repeated on Star World

Premiere; and The Tsuranga Conundrum repeated

and Demons of the Punjab first screened, both on

BBC Entertainment EU

2021 - The Androids of Tara Omnibus

repeated on Iowa PTV; The Happiness

Patrol, Part 3 and Silver Nemesis, Part

1 both repeated on KBTC; The Almost

 People, A Good Man Goes to War, Let's

Kill Hitler, Night Terrors, The Girl Who

Waited and The God Complex all repeated

on W; and Into the Dalek and Robot of

Sherwood both repeated on BBC Polska

HD

2022 - Listen repeated on Fox SciFi

2023 - Mummy on the Orient Express

and Flatline both repeated on Fox SciFi

2024 - Utopia repeated on ABC Family

and ABC Entertains

2025 - The Power of the Doctor

repeated on ABC Entertains

2026 - Sleep No More and Face the

Raven both repeated on BBC3