Casualty launches search for fans' favourite episode

Casualty bosses are marking the show's 25th anniversary by inviting viewers to vote for their favourite episode of the BBC medical drama.

From today, fans can log on to the official Casualty website and pick out the best ever instalment of the programme from a shortlist of ten classics.

The ten episodes on the shortlist, which were chosen by Casualty's producers, are as follows:

Series 1, episode 15, 1986
CLOSURE by Paul Unwin and Jeremy Brock.
The night shift goes on strike to protest about closure.

Series 7, episode 24, 1993
BOILING POINT by Peter Bowker.
Riot and arson in the ED.

Series 12, episode 17, 1998
THE GOLDEN HOUR by Barbara Machin.
Motorway pile-up.

Series 12, episode 22, 1998
LOVE ME TENDER by Tony Lindsay.
Tina admits to Eve that she was raped.

Series 18, episode 1, 2004
END OF THE LINE by Ann Marie di Mambro.
Train crash.

Series 21, episode 15, 2007
KILLING ME SOFTLY by Barbara Machin.
Josh gets stabbed.

Series 22, episode 24, 2008
BEFORE A FALL by Dana Fainaru.
Ruth's attempted suicide.

Series 23, episode 1, 2009
FARMEAD MENACE by Mark Catley.
Holby race riots and Tess impaled on a building site.

Series 24, episode 47, 2010
NICE & EASY DOES IT by Sasha Hails.
Megan's assisted suicide.

Series 25, episode 23, 2011
PLACE OF SAFETY by Dana Fainaru.
Ruth sectioned.

Voting closes on Friday, September 2 and the winning episode will be revealed on Tuesday, September 6, which is Casualty's 25th birthday.

John Yorke, BBC Controller of Continuing Drama, commented: "Very few television shows last two or three series and only a tiny handful last 25 years. During that time, hundreds of medical dramas have come and gone, but Casualty has outlasted all of them."

Casualty fans have voted for the long-running medical drama's best ever episode to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

'The End of the Line', the opening episode of series 18 focusing on a devastating train crash, was named the winning episode with 18.5% of the vote.

The 2003 episode was written by Ann Marie di Mambro and was the first of a two-parter, which saw Holby's medical staff dealing with the tragic accident. The likes of Martina Laird, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Derek Thompson, Suzanne Packer, Ian Bleasdale and the late Simon MacCorkindale starred in the episode.

In second place with 14.5% was 'Before a Fall', which dealt with Ruth Winters's (Georgia Taylor) suicide attempt. Brenda Fricker's comeback episode 'Nice and Easy Done It' finished in third place with 12.4%.

Series producer Nikki Wilson said: "We're delighted that so many Casualty fans visited the website to revisit their favourite moments of the last 25 years.

"With the series still in great health on its 25th birthday we hope we can keep producing memorable medical moments for many more years to come."