Doctors

[Perdita]

Wednesday 16 February
1.45-2.45pm BBC ONE
www.bbc.co.uk/doctors
Feature

Julia (Diane Keen) is first to hear about the code blue situation
As Doctors celebrates its 2,000th episode, Ian Lavender and Simon Shepherd guest star in a special hour-long episode of the award-winning continuing drama, which sees the Mill surgery under lockdown as a deadly virus is unleashed.

A woman, Charlotte, collapses in a hotel conference room with a mysterious rash. She later wakes in an isolation tent. When asked by Elliot Taylorman, the scientist investigating the virus, if she's been in contact with anyone else and if so where they are, Charlotte says only "the Mill" before she passes out.

At the Mill, as practice manager Julia takes a call to say they have a "code blue" situation, nurse Cherry is trying to take blood from an obstreperous young woman called Vic and Dr Jimmi Clay is trying to pacify a paranoid ex-prisoner, Michael. Julia is sure it is a drill but can't take any risks, so asks receptionist Karen to call everyone to make sure staff and patients stay where they are. Dr Heston Carter is with Rowland Beckley, an ex-brigadier who is quite happy to sit and wait, while Dr Zara Carmichael's patient, Mrs Potter, gets worked up about the offers she's missing at the supermarket.

George Liston, a virologist based at the University, is called to see the woman who has collapsed; but although he clearly recognises Charlotte's condition, he claims not to.

While tensions mount as the staff and patients locked inside the Mill deal with the pressure of the situation, it becomes a race against time to try to track down the source of the virus.

When Cherry develops a rash that indicates she has the virus, Dr Simon Bond goes to see George Liston for help. George is adamant there is no cure, but Simon manages to get him to reveal the medication that might save her. But will Simon be able to persuade Jimmi to break the lockdown and get the medication to Cherry in time?

Quarantine features guest stars Ian Lavender as Rowland Beckley, Simon Shepherd as George Liston, Verity Hewlett as Charlotte, Simon Chandler as Elliot Taylorman, Daisy Head as Victoria Liston, Fraser James as Michael Buchan and Carol MacReady as Mrs Potter. Julia is played by Diane Keen, Cherry by Sophie Abelson, Jimmi by Adrian Lewis Morgan, Karen by Jan Pearson, Heston by Owen Brenman, Zara by Elisabeth Dermot Walsh and Simon by David Sturzaker.

[alan45]

The Hollins family continue to take centre stage in next week's Doctors episodes as Karen's emotional baby storyline continues.

Having made a final decision to go through with a termination in yesterday's edition of the BBC medical drama, Karen informs Jack and Imogen of her news on Monday.

While the pair both want to support their mum, neither seems keen to accompany her to the appointment, and in the end it's Rob who's at Karen's side at the clinic as she takes the pills that will end her pregnancy.

Later, back at home, Karen is distraught as Rob, Jack and Imogen all try to act normal. Making it clear how she really feels with an emotional outburst, Karen declares that she will now always have to mourn on the day that the baby should have been born - August 23.

When the pills finally take their effect and it's all over, emotional scenes follow as Karen breaks down and Rob tries to comfort her. However, the next day, it becomes apparent that the strain has become too much - Karen takes off her wedding ring and it seems that her marriage could be over.

Karen leaves the family home for a few days, and it's left to Jack to talk to his father - but is it too late for discussions and have the Hollins clan been torn apart for good?

[Perdita]

BBC One's popular daytime drama Doctors reaches another milestone on Wednesday afternoon as the show broadcasts its 2,000th episode. To mark the occasion, a dramatic hour-long special of the programme will see a deadly virus unleashed at The Mill, causing chaos at the health centre and putting lives in jeopardy. DS recently gave the programme's longest-serving cast member Diane Keen (Julia Parsons) a call to hear more about what is in store.

What can Doctors fans expect from the 2,000th episode?
"Oh, wow - everything they wouldn't be expecting, really! It's way out there and it's really good. A regular Doctors fan will be riveted because it's got so much in it that they're not used to and they haven't come to expect from Doctors. It's extraordinary. I watched the episode recently at a cast screening and I thought it was amazing."

What can you tell us about the storyline?
"A potentially fatal virus is unleashed at The Mill, but it's all about what happens because of that and how each person is individually affected by that on all levels. It's all about how the staff at The Mill deal with it because they're locked in with the virus and they can't get out! I can't give too much away, but it's all about how they deal with what's going on and what happens to each of them as a result."

How does Julia react to the situation?
"Well, obviously Julia is the practice manager, so she takes control as Julia always does. However, something happens and then things go wrong… Again, I can't give too much away! (laughs)"

Was there an air of excitement around the set when you were filming this milestone for the show?
"There was! But with it being shot the way it was, and because there was so much packed into the episode, we tended to film in isolation - very much like the storyline in the episode. So I didn't tend to see the others doing their stuff - but then I wouldn't, because they weren't interacting with Julia. Many of the characters end up isolated in their various offices and in various other places in the building. So it was really strange - this extraordinary thing was being made, but you only really saw your immediate part."

It must have been nice to watch the finished product at the cast screening, then!
"Yeah, exactly - it was fantastic to see it all together. Obviously I knew the story because I'd read the script, but to see it all put together was fantastic and amazing. When you think what we do on a very small, limited budget on this show, to watch something like that come out is quite mind-blowing, really. It's great that we can turn out drama of this quality."

Were you glad to get the hour-long slot for the 2,000th episode?
"Yeah, definitely - it needed an hour to do the story justice. But when I watched it, it got to the end and I thought, 'Ah, no!' - because I wanted more. I wanted it to go on. You know when you go to a movie and it ends and you go, 'Oh, I wish it was about 20 minutes longer'? It was like that. It didn't feel like an hour at all, it just rips along."

What do you think is the secret of Doctors' success?
"Oh gosh, if I knew that, I'd be a multi-millionaire, making programmes all over the world and coining it in! (laughs) I do think that one of the main ingredients for it is that it always has excellent actors in it - all of the guest stars who come up to do Doctors are wonderful. It's very difficult for them because they hit the ground running, and at the beginning they look like startled rabbits in the headlights as we work very, very fast. But they come in and they turn out these wonderful performances and they're a joy to work with. I think that's true of the regular cast members as well - I think every single person in this show is the most consummate actor. You have to have that about you, because there's no time for rehearsal, so it has to be instinctive and you have to be terribly disciplined. But at the same time, we have such a laugh on set."

Do you think there's anything else that has made it so popular?
"From the public's point of view, it's the fact that we do have a serial element to it because of the regulars, but also that every single day is a complete story featuring the guest artists with a beginning, a middle and an end. So even if you haven't always caught up with the regulars, you do get a little mini-drama every day. I don't think anyone else does that, so we're crossing two boundaries by having a serial show and a complete drama within it every day."

Who have been your favourite guest artists to work with?
"Oh gosh, I've been here so long that it's hard to answer. We've had some wonderful, wonderful people - we've had Brian Blessed and many other extraordinary people who I'd watched for many years and admired. I also had a wonderful, wonderful episode with Eric Sykes - he was brilliant, and that was mainly him, myself and Christopher Timothy. I also enjoyed working with Richard Briers. It's just a joy to work with these people. It's also quite odd, because you work away here on the set, and eventually everyone seems to turn up to work with you, which is nice!"

As Julia is the longest-serving character, why do you think she's become so popular?
"I don't know - is she popular? If she is, I'm glad she is! I think with Julia, there's an element where you don't always know what you're going to get. People probably don't remember it, but I often think about a wonderful episode that I did with Barbara Dickson. She was lovely to work with and it was a brilliant storyline for me. Her and Julia were old friends, and as young girls in their early 20s, they were rock chicks following the rock bands around and were groupies, for want of a better word. So that tells you a lot about Julia's background - she was absolutely a wild child. I think she still has that wild streak in her, so whenever there's an opportunity in an episode - a party or if we go to a club - I let that come out in her. Also, although Julia is a stickler for work - and quite rightly so - she's got a heart of gold if anybody needs anything. So there's all those different levels to Julia that you get to see, and maybe that's why people like her. Maybe there's a bit of that in all of us!"

Doctors is known for its serious drama storylines but also for being slightly surreal sometimes, with dream and fantasy sequences. How do the cast feel about the more experimental episodes?
"Bewildered, sometimes! Sometimes they work and we generally feel that they often don't. But Doctors is also not afraid to touch on very controversial subjects - I don't think there's anything that Doctors wouldn't tackle, because I think we've had just about everything. We'll pick up on anything - but that's life and that's drama, and drama is life!"

The recent storyline featuring Julia and Charlie had a really strong reaction on our forum…
"Did it? I've also had a lot of reaction from the public about it. As I go about my life, people come up and they've spoken to me about it. I think they were angry with Charlie. It was a terrible thing for him to do in the situation that Julia was in - a very, very bad thing. But the viewers were also desperately concerned and worried about Julia herself, who had by that point descended into another place and really had lost it. So I think they really felt the injustice of it all - Julia was completely unable to defend herself as she didn't know how to, and I think that's one thing that did come across when people spoke to me."

Many Doctors fans think that the show doesn't always get the recognition that it deserves. Do you feel the same way?
"Very strongly, yes - I think the whole cast do. I don't know why that is, because we've delivered episodes that are every bit as good as the evening shows have delivered. I do feel that Doctors is good enough to be in an evening slot. I don't know why we're ignored, to be honest. We're not always ignored and we have had more attention than we did when I first joined the show. But as a cast, we do feel somewhat slighted and insulted by that when we think about the work that we put in and the quality of the work that's delivered. But hey, I suppose that's just showbusiness!"

Doctors also has a strong international following…
"Yes, the extraordinary thing is that we're huge all over the world! I travel a lot, and everywhere you go, people say, 'Oh, Doctors! You're in Doctors!' I mean, Dubai, Zambia - you name it, they watch Doctors! They're avid watchers. Admittedly, some of them are three years behind the British broadcasts - but it's extraordinary when you move around the world and see that this show is going out in so many different countries, and has huge fanbases in them. Here in the UK, we get shown once at 1.45pm and I understand we also get shown later on HD, which doesn't do us an awful lot of good at the moment because so few people have HD.

"But in Dubai it's shown twice a day - including in the evening at 8.30pm - and there's also a two-hour omnibus at the weekend - and yet here it's not, in its home country. I don't know why that is, but it's people who sit in offices who make these decisions."

We asked for questions on our forum, and one thing people were wondering was why Julia always seems to treat Daniel more harshly than the other doctors…
"I think she's coming round to him now - but let's face it, he did ask for it. He behaved very, very badly in the beginning and was always lying and cheating. Julia gave him more than one chance against her better judgement - firstly because she was so fond of Joe and did it for him, and secondly because she saw that Daniel was capable of being an extremely good doctor. I think the reason that she is - or was - harsh with him is because he could have absolutely wiped out her business and closed her surgery down if what he was doing got out. So of course she's harsh - she didn't trust him. But I think now she feels like she can trust him much more because he has settled down and having his little girl has made him much calmer and more reliable. And she's actually made him a partner, so that shows how much she does trust him."

Would you like to see Julia find love again?
"I would in a way, yes - of course I would. I think she was absolutely crazy to let the character played by Ray Fearon go - he said that he loved her and wanted to marry her, but Julia said, 'I don't think so' and I just thought, 'Stupid woman! How many times is someone going to say that to you?' But the writers decided that it wasn't to be! She doesn't have much luck in one way or another, does she really? She even went out with a chief of police who tried to strangle her - that's not very good! (laughs) She married the wrong man twice! I think it would be lovely for her to meet someone, find love again and have a life outside the surgery."

Is there anything else that you'd like to see from Julia?
"With the Lyme disease storyline, we saw her granddaughter and her son - I'd like to see her get closer to her son Patrick. And I'd like to see more of her with her little granddaughter, which we are doing more of. Their last encounter was horrific because Julia left her at the zoo because she was ill, but it would be nice to see more of that part of her life. All we ever really see of Julia is that she goes to PCT meetings, or she's filing, or she's telling off someone, or sticking her nose into somebody else's business! She sorts out people's lives really well, but there's got to be more to Julia's life than that, I think."

Finally, are you happy at Doctors and likely to stay for the foreseeable future?
"Oh gosh, yes! I'm very happy at Doctors. I think there's a lot more to Julia that we haven't explored yet - you always want to take a character further if you can. Every job has its ups and downs and you have your good days and your bad days - we do work fast and sometimes it can get frustrating when you can't do your job to the best of your ability because there just isn't time. But that goes for anyone on the show - the other actors and anybody on the unit - and it's probably true for any production these days, the way our industry is now. It's just a little bit faster than most on this show. But it's a very happy place to be - we're a big family and we have a lot of laughs!"

[Perdita]

Former Hollyoaks star Sonny Flood makes a guest appearance in Doctors next week, appearing as the grandson of an elderly patient.

The actor, who played Josh Ashworth on Channel 4's teen soap, takes on the role of suspicious character Jez Field in next Monday's episode of the BBC medical drama.

Jez's storyline begins when his grandfather Fred pays a visit to his doctor Daniel Granger (Matthew Chambers) and asks for a repeat prescription of painkillers.

Later, Fred makes a return visit and claims to have lost his prescription, meaning that a reluctant Daniel is forced to print out another one. However, events take a twist when a pharmacist calls Daniel to report that two identical prescriptions have been brought in for 'F Field'.

Following the discovery, Daniel heads out to quiz Fred but his suspicions are soon directed at Jez when he spots him hanging around outside The Mill.

When Daniel decides that Jez must be stealing prescriptions for his own purposes, he confronts him and a group of his dodgy-looking friends - leading to a showdown. However, whether Jez really has done anything wrong remains to be seen.

Flood starred on Hollyoaks for nearly five years, but his character was written out of the soap in mid-2010 as part of a shake-up instigated by then-producer Paul Marquess.

Doctors airs weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One.

DS

[Perdita]

After more than two years playing Doctors' Heston Carter, actor Owen Brenman recently went behind the camera to direct for the first time, taking the helm of a trio of episodes which will air over the next three days. Prior to his work going on screen this week, Owen recently chatted to DS about making the transition from actor to director and what it's like to play Heston.

What made you decide to do some directing for Doctors?
"It's the first time that I've done any directing for television, but I've always been interested in it and it's very rare that an actor would get an opportunity like this. But Doctors had a precedent for it because Christopher Timothy did it years ago when he was a regular, and I remember that when I did a guest role on the show in 2003, I chatted to him about the directing and he'd loved it. After that chat, I made a mental note and I thought, 'Gosh, if I'm ever a regular in Doctors, I would love to do that'. It took quite a long time, though - I was in the show for a year before I even asked them, and then it took another year and a half before they let me. But I've always been interested in that side of it, as well as the acting itself."

Did it take a while to learn the ropes before you started work on the episodes?
"Well, I've always been the sort of actor who sits and watches what other people are doing because I'm interested in it. Also, I spent a year asking questions, being in edit suites and looking at the decisions that different directors were making on things. So I think I was quite well-prepared. As well as that, on other TV jobs I'd done like One Foot In The Grave and stuff like that, I've always been interested in the whole process rather than just my role as the actor. So it kind of came naturally, although it was the hardest work that I've ever done in my life - I've never worked so hard. But I loved it!"

How did the experience of directing compare to what you'd expected it to be?
"As actors on the show, we see the directors working very long hours and not having enough time, because we shoot about 12 minutes of finished product a day, so we're a very fast show and you realise that there's never enough time to do things as well as you'd like to do them. You end up having to think on your feet and I quite like that - it's hard work, but I felt quite prepared for it."

Did it feel slightly strange to be directing colleagues who you'd worked with for a long time?
"I had to be a bit careful, but they were really very nice to me. I thought that it was one thing directing guest artists who you bring in for one episode, but if you're directing your fellow regulars, you'll be back working alongside them in a couple of weeks - so I didn't want to upset anybody, and I'm glad to say that I didn't! They were very nice to me and they were also very much on the money - I didn't have to do much directing with them."

In total, how long did it take to film your three episodes?
"Well, you're allocated about five weeks. Seven days of that is the actual shooting, but most of the work is before that stage, where you're casting, looking at locations, maybe making adjustments to scripts - as well as a short period of editing afterwards. It was great - I had a lovely producer and a lovely camera crew who were very nice to me. This sounds corny, but the thing about Doctors is that it's a very happy ship and it's a very nice collaborative atmosphere. The regular directors were very generous with their time when I would discuss things with them before we started filming. I'm an actor coming along saying, 'I want to have a go at directing', and they could easily have said, 'Well, who does he think he is, thinking he can do this?' But they were very generous and I appreciate that."

Storyline-wise, what can we expect from your three episodes?
"One of them is about two sisters who are jealous for their father's attention, but he's got a fatal disease and one of the daughters is his actual child, while the other is adopted - although she doesn't know that and there's a reveal about it. So that's the one on Monday, called 'Jealous Girl'. Tuesday's episode, 'Relax and Rejuvenate', is Julia going to a spa and meeting an old friend - she's convinced that she's a bitch and wants to avoid her, but then she changes her mind during the course of the day at the spa - although later there's a sting in the tail! And then the third one, 'Dare to Bare', has '80s elements to it with '80s music threaded throughout it. We see the Hollins family getting ready for an '80s party, so they're all dressed up in '80s gear, but it all goes horribly wrong! So the episodes are quite varied, really."

Working alongside the writers, was there much room to put your own stamp on the episodes?
"Well, you get given the scripts and I'm not there at the commissioning stage - you just get presented with the scripts. But if there's a scene that I think was maybe a bit too long or a little bit wordy or something, I might suggest to the producer that it could be trimmed a bit. So my job was more fine-tuning rather than altering the substance of it. At Doctors, they're quite good with letting you put your own mark on it in that way."

What did you think of the episodes when you watched them back?
"With some of them, I think, 'Oh, that's not bad!' and I'm pleased with them, but there were also bits that I thought I'd do differently if I had the chance to do it again. But that's inevitable given that I'm a first-time director. The feedback I got was that I'd done a good job, and I think they're not bad. I really enjoyed it and I'd love to do it again. They're going to let me do some more directing later this year, which is great!"

Would you like to see Heston find love again?
"Yeah, or at least try to! I do feel that Heston has been a bit of a loose cannon without anybody around, and everybody else having relationships. So I would, yes! I like it when he has a strong woman, so I liked it when he had Lily to play opposite, and there was also another doctor called Diana. I like it when he has a feisty woman to interact with. I also liked it when Anita Carey was playing Vivien, the receptionist - we didn't have a romantic relationship but there was an interesting tension there between two bossy characters. Although I think he was more bossy then than he is now!"

Do you miss working with Seeta, who played Lily?
"Yeah, I think there was a nice dynamic there. I do miss Heston being in a relationship and I think it would be nice to have that strand. I'm looking at it from an acting point of view, because I think it makes the character more interesting."

Who are your favourite people to work with at Doctors?
"How do I answer that question without upsetting somebody I don't mention? (Laughs) I like working with them all. For me, I just like it when there's an interesting story or something nice to get your teeth into, so it doesn't really depend so much on who the actors are, but rather the story and the dialogue. For example, we've just got two new characters who've only just started and who won't be on air for several months. I've been doing some scenes with them, and Heston's laying down the law a bit, in a friendly but firm way!

"I quite like it when Heston is decisive and authoritative - probably slightly more than when he's the buffoon, although sometimes I quite like the buffoon! I like it when he has strong things to do, even if he makes mistakes, and I think it's more interesting when he's being single-minded about something."

Last December, the Doctors fans on our forum voted Heston as their favourite male character - why do you think he's so popular?
"That's very nice to hear - what good taste they have! (Laughs) I think the way they conceived the character, before they even cast me, was that there's a lot going on with him - he's this rather pompous surgeon who's had to become a doctor, which is perceived as going down in the world in medical terms. I think that they write nicely for him, he's not like any of the other characters, he's like a fish out of water in some ways, and I think they can do a lot with him. They can do the day-to-day medical stuff, but they can also go off, explore his past and explore some slightly more upper middle-class storylines, which suit him.

"I think Heston is an interesting character and I think they've made him more interesting as time has gone on, because when I first arrived, I was more like a sitcom character because I suppose my background was more sitcom. But I think what happened is that they humanised the character and they put some tragedy into his life, because there's a story with his ex-wife Christina and losing his son. Also, the writers respond to what they see - they throw a lot of stuff at you, and when they watch it back, they see what works and then they develop that. It's a two-way process."

Is Heston a person who you'd be friends with in real life?
"Oh, it's an interesting question - I don't know! I think initially I'd look at him and think that he's a pompous prat! But if I got to know him, I might realise that there's a bit more to him than what you may think."

What have been your favourite storylines from your time at Doctors?
"One of them is a storyline that I did recently which hasn't been out yet, so I can't talk about it! I also liked the stuff with Lily and I liked the stuff with Heston's ex-wife Christine. Often, I'm more into individual episodes than a long storyline, and I just like working with interesting directors and interesting scripts. Sometimes a 'story of the day', rather than a long serial, can be really fun to do - I really enjoy that."

What do you think of the experimental elements that Doctors episodes sometimes have?
"I quite like that about Doctors. Some work better than others and some will appeal to some viewers more than others. But I like the fact that Doctors takes the work seriously, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. So you can have a jokey episode and then you can have a very serious episode. I don't think the other soaps do that as much - they tend to stick to the party line, while Doctors has a long-running serial but can also have a bit of fun at the same time."

Finally, are you happy at Doctors and likely to stay for the foreseeable future?
"Yes, I've been in the business long enough to know that this is a very good job and I'm not always thinking that the grass must be greener somewhere else. I really enjoy this job and for the foreseeable future, I am definitely staying. It's a nice place to work, and I know everyone will say that, but it really is. I have to pinch myself every now and then!"

[alan45]

Doctors has had another big year with hard-hitting storylines including Julia's experience with Lyme disease, Izzie's abduction and Karen's emotional abortion plot. The show also celebrated its 2,000th episode with a dramatic hour-long special in February, while viewers have been introduced to new characters Kevin, Freya and Mrs Tembe. Peter Lloyd recently had a chat with us about recent storylines and future plans for the popular BBC daytime drama.

It's been another big year for Doctors with some very well-received storylines! What do you think the highlights have been?
"There's so much to choose from, which is always a good sign. The Simon suicide story worked really well - although there was something of a mixed reception to 'The Living Gaylights'! - and David gave an extraordinary performance, I felt. Finding a great actor in Chris Reilly to play Ed was a highlight, as well as our new characters. Mrs Tembe established herself immediately and it's now difficult to imagine the place without her, 'marmite' character though she may be.

"The Karen abortion storyline was a heavy hitter and struck a lot of chords with our audience, going on the response we had, as did the Lyme disease story for Julia. This last took us by surprise, but people appreciated that we'd highlighted the condition and from the correspondence, Julia got off pretty lightly compared to many others. As an aside, this story also gave me an opportunity to write an episode myself, something I rarely have time for - that was a personal highlight for me!

"And then we have the Cherry/Jimmi courtship, Imogen's shoplifting, the 2000th episode, the phenomenon that is 'Zaniel' and the introduction of Freya and Kevin. Looking back, it's pretty amazing how much we've done with these wonderful characters and I'm very proud of the team for making it work so well."

In the past few years, Doctors has usually picked up one or two prizes at the Soap Awards but this year, the show went away empty-handed. Was that a disappointment?
"It's always disappointing of course, because we'd like some recognition. We accept that we're never going to win an audience prize since the differences in audience size and profile means it's very difficult to compete. So naturally we target the jury prizes, but it all depends who's on the jury in any given year. Many are soap magazine journalists who spend all their time running stories on the big three shows and don't necessarily watch Doctors regularly, so we're at a disadvantage from the start.

"And there is something to be said for the fact that, strictly speaking we're not a soap - we're a continuing drama with a soap element, so that can prove troublesome for us. We were very hopeful that David Sturzaker would be a strong candidate for 'Best Newcomer', but sadly he'd been in the show too long to qualify - it did feel like we couldn't catch a break this year! Ultimately it was a case of being stoical and enjoying the party…"

We ask this question every year, but in light of The Weakest Link finishing next year, is there any chance that Doctors could take a spot in the teatime schedule? Or get another evening repeat slot or omnibus?
"And as every year, my answer is the same - I don't know of any plans at all. Seriously, there could be conversations going on in the corridors of power in TV Centre right now, but we're unaware of them. But who knows, if we survive the BBC cuts, maybe they'll give us a repeat on BBC Two at 6.30pm (Hint Hint)! The people in charge do listen to viewers, so if you have strong feelings, feel free to get in touch with them."


Doctors is now regularly featured on This Morning's soap slot and we've had interviews appearing on Digital Spy more frequently. Do you feel like the show is getting a bit more attention and recognition lately?
"Not without a lot of hard work. We don't have a team of publicists like the other shows do, our publicist works on a hundred other shows, so sometimes it's a bit like wading through treacle. But we're trying our level best to get the show some recognition - improving the website, setting up a Twitter feed etc. We've got the Freya/Kevin documentary now and we're hoping to do more later in the year. And it's down to Elisabeth Dermot Walsh that we're on This Morning - she had a little chat with Phil Schofield!"

The 'Carousel' week and the hour-long 'Quarantine' episode had a great reaction from viewers. Are there any plans for more 'special' episodes like this in the coming weeks and months?
"Very much so, though I don't want to give too much away. The neat answer is that there will be a birth, a marriage and a death, though who's involved is a secret for now. We do have a very dramatic story coming out in the autumn which I hope is going to blow people's socks off."

Are there any other arrivals, departures or returns that you can tell us about, or is the cast looking pretty stable at the moment?
"It's pretty stable, I would say, but you never know what's going to happen. We do have a new receptionist starting in August who's going to rattle some cages. And a face from the past does come back at a crucial time - observant viewers will have already guessed who that is, I'm sure."

Out of the characters who have left in the past year, who do you think the show misses the most?
"See my blog on this! Of course we miss them - Simon, Ruth and Michelle were all popular characters, though to be honest, we invest so much time and effort into our characters that it's unusual if we don't miss them. But I'm pleased with the current make-up of the cast, I think we've got a pretty good cross-section - Kevin and Freya have really helped to even things out."

Since Michelle left, Cherry has been the only nurse in the cast. Are there any plans to bring in a new nurse character?
"We retain some flexibility here - Karen's HCA work involves some nursing, she has a story with Roy Hudd coming up but things can always change. There will be a new nurse after Christmas, but she's coming for a specific story. We don't feel we need someone permanent at the moment - remember that Michelle was the only speaking nurse for a couple of years before Cherry came along."

Often the 'story of the day' plots will focus on a character and an 'old friend' of theirs, and there's a long-running joke on our forum that we must have been introduced to hundreds of Julia's 'old friends' over the years! Is there a danger of the 'story of the day' strands becoming a bit too formulaic in that sense?
"It's a very good point, one that we're very much aware of. We're always trying to find new ways into stories. But the reason is simply necessity. We have a very small cast of characters and because of the workload, each of them must be able to carry stories of the day, or they have less value than those that can. With doctors, nurses and cops, this is easy, but for admin staff and the Hollins kids, this proves tricky as the fans have identified. Karen working part time as an HCA has helped, but improvements can always be made and the work on that continues.

"Perhaps there is a danger that things become formulaic, but that's the challenge to our writers. And Doctors is a formula. One where we cut corners all the time for dramatic purposes - doctors don't do housecalls, you can't get an immediate appointment, test results aren't that fast, etc etc. We know, and trust the audience know too, that 'reality' can sometimes get in the way of a good story…"

Can you tell us a bit about what's in store for the new characters Freya and Kevin? Are they all they appear, or could they have secrets?
"Can I just point out here that the title of their first episode, 'The Asian and the Lesbian' was deliberately misleading. This may give you some indication as to where we're going with them. Of course they both have interesting pasts, and interesting futures - we design characters pre-loaded with areas to explore. They're both proving to be interesting and viable candidates for the permanent post, we'll just have to see who makes it…"

Daniel and Zara remain a very popular pairing! Can you tell us anything about what's in store for them in the coming months?
"Well, you can see the signs already. Are they ready for parenthood? Is Zara trying to conceive because it's her last chance or because she really wants a child? And if she has one, will she regret it? If she gets pregnant, how will she behave? Daniel makes a great play of being experienced in all this, but that's a bit of a con… the possibilities are endless with these two and you can bet we're going to be having a lot of fun with them."


What does the future hold for the Hollins family?
"A disgraced daughter doing community service for shoplifting is Rob Hollins's worst nightmare. He's so appalled that the daughter he thought he had brought up to be a decent, honest citizen has lied so often. He's taking it very personally, something that needs some examination. Meanwhile, Jack is going to be spreading his wings and taking some opportunities to explore the world of crime - he's going to prove to be another pain in the neck for poor Rob. For Karen, it's about trying to keep the family united and enemies at bay, but later on in the series, she's going to have some extremely good news that could change everything for her…"

Heston is another popular character, so is there any interesting stuff on the horizon for him?
"I will admit, we've neglected Heston a little this year and we were concerned that he was becoming too sad. He'd lost his mojo a little. So things are going to be looking up for him as he joins Letherbridge Light Opera and meets a new lady friend. This will take us into a very big story around Christmas that I hope is going to keep everyone gripped."

Can you give us any other teasers on what's ahead in the coming months?
"You'll notice Daniel disappears for a while in October - this is because Matt Chambers will be directing a block of episodes. They transmit the same month so look out for his debut. He's currently in pre-production, hunting for locations and auditioning actors as well as slipping into Daniel's slick suits for a couple of scenes with Elisabeth. And there's a camera crew following him round for a behind the scenes documentary. Busy man!

"Heston as KoKo in the Mikado is a treat, as is Freya as an octopus. Look out for paintballing, nude modelling, zorbing, Mrs T sings, Elaine gets another disastrous boyfriend (what is her problem?!), Julia's family begins to fracture, Kevin ends up in jail, Imogen becomes a Misfit, Jack dices with death, Zara and Daniel face the police, and as for Cherry and Jimmi - things are going to get very dark indeed. All this and Brian Blessed returns!"

[alan45]

Former Coronation Street actress Susie Blake has landed a guest role in Doctors, Digital Spy can confirm.

The actress played Bev Unwin from 2003 until her departure from the Street in December 2006. Blake will play Sheila Barlett in an episode of the BBC drama due to air later this year.

Dr Kevin's (Simon Rivers) suspicions are raised when he sees that Sheila has bruises on his body. His assumption that she is a domestic violence victim leads to the discovery that her husband is responsible for the injuries, however, it is not in the way Kevin believes.

Blake's guest appearance at Mill Health Centre will be broadcast in the autumn.

The 61-year-old actress, who went on to appear in West End musical Wicked after leaving Coronation Street, featured on the BBC's Let's Dance For Sport Relief earlier this year.

[alan45]

Doctors' warring Hollins family finally reach a turning point later this month as Rob realises that it's time to forgive Immie for her recent behaviour.

Next week's episodes begin with Karen (Jan Pearson) arguing with her daughter over job options, before Immie's luck changes when she lands a position helping out at The Mill under Lauren's guidance.

Later in the week, Karen forces Rob (Chris Walker) into attending a solo therapy session with Elaine and it's not long before he opens up over his history with abusive father Billy Hollins (guest star Ralph Ineson).

When speaking about his troubled past helps him to better understand why he's been treating Immie (Charlie Clemmow) so harshly, Rob finds himself softening towards his daughter. Later, Immie accompanies Rob to get some fish and chips for the family and he doesn't reject her when she slips his hand into his.

Also next week, an insecure Cherry accuses Jimmi of checking Lauren out before suggesting that he'd still be with Eva if she was still alive. Feeling he can do nothing right, Jimmi warns that he can't spend the rest of his life reassuring Cherry.


















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[alan45]

Doctors' Cherry Malone makes shocking decisions in next week's episodes as she tells Jimmi Clay that they're over for good - before threatening to quit her job at The Mill.

In the aftermath of discovering that she's been lied to over Eva, Cherry (Sophie Abelson) realises that she cannot forgive and forget - vowing that she and Jimmi have no future together following the deception.

After Cherry hands in her resignation to Julia, everyone tries to convince her to stay, while Jimmi (Adrian Lewis Morgan) begs her to give their relationship another chance.

Ultimately, Cherry decides to delay resigning and take some time off instead, bidding a tearful farewell to her friends and colleagues. When will she be back? And have she and Jimmi really reached the point of no return?

Meanwhile, Elaine (Janet Dibley) is left humiliated as Harrison's pregnant wife Fiona barges in on her final family therapy session with the Hollins clan. As she receives an earful over her affair, Elaine is shocked by how much Harrison has been hiding from her.

Also next week, Julia gets fed up of the partners giving her the run-around, Lauren's bullying ways continue as she makes fun of Immie's appearance in front of Kevin, while Zara gets caught up with two sisters who get their bag mixed up with a Government aide's.

[Perdita]

Doctors star Charlie Clemmow has revealed that her character's current bullying storyline is close to her heart.

Clemmow plays Imogen Hollins in the BBC One show, a character who is currently facing taunts from colleague Lauren Porter while working at The Mill Health Centre.

Clemmow told the Daily Star Sunday: "The storyline is close to my heart because I was on the end of some nasty bulling at secondary school.

"But thankfully it didn't become too serious because I spoke out and my parents got involved to stop it before it escalated.

"I hope this storyline will show bullying victims they don't need to suffer in silence."

Clemmow has been nominated for 'Best Daytime Star' at this year's Inside Soap Awards.