Casualty producer Erika Hossington on 30th anniversary

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By the age of 30, most things have either gone mouldy or turned to dust. Some, however, are only just reaching their peak. Like a fine single malt whisky - or, as it turns out, Casualty. The show's latest series launched with a bang in the autumn with the dramatic aftermath of the explosion at Zoe and Max's wedding. But the best is yet to come as we move towards the 30th anniversary celebrations in 2016.

For some juicy gossip on what to expect from future storylines, we recently caught up with series producer Erika Hossington in a two-part interview. Here in part one, find out what she had to say about the 30-year milestone, possible returnees and a whole lot more...

What can you tell us about your plans for the 30th anniversary?

"We started planning the 30th anniversary two years ago, pretty soon after I'd joined the show. We really wanted to build to it, so that when people watch the actual episodes, they can look back and see that they're a pay-off to lots of things that have been happening over the course of the last series.

"We also wanted to do something that only Casualty could do. We can guarantee an absolutely massive stunt, which will supersede the boat stunt which ended the last series. Viewers can expect to see some of our major characters in serious jeopardy, but the hospital itself will be in jeopardy too and that's the difference!"

Series 30 launched in dramatic style in the autumn, but was it always the plan to go big for the actual 30-year milestone in 2016 too?

"Yes, it was a long-term plan. Casualty's co-creator Paul Unwin came back to write and direct two episodes at the start of Series 30, and we felt that was a brilliant way to start the celebrations. But we're also building towards episodes one and two of Series 31, which will go out around the time of the 30-year milestone next year.

"It's similar to how EastEnders started with the murder of Lucy Beale, but their 30th anniversary was the culmination of that story. In our show, what we established with those first two episodes of Series 30 - which had Charlie in very serious jeopardy and Connie rescuing him - sets up the whole of this series. That will be paid off in those first two episodes of Series 31 next year."

"We will! It'll be a special episode because it will only be set in the hospital, and an old face will reappear."

Would you ever consider a live episode of Casualty?

"We'd never say never. It is often discussed, but the way in which we shoot Casualty and treat the show in post-production is so different from the half-hour programmes. If we were to do a live episode, I'm not sure we'd be meeting the audience's expectations in terms of what Casualty looks and sounds like. We'd have to do it in a different way.

"When ER did a live episode, they did it from the point of view of a documentary crew coming in to film them, for the very same reasons. So every time we talk about it, we think that we don't really want to rehash what they did!

"We've often talked about live elements, so maybe we'd do a live insert at some point, but I can tell you that we're not doing that for the 30th."

We've heard that Holby City will be getting involved in the celebrations too. Can you tell us much about that?

"Discussions are ongoing between us and Holby and there'll be a lot of interface between the two programmes, but the anniversary will still be very much grounded in Casualty. There'll also be a lot more crossovers between the two shows on screen, certainly in the next six to twelve months, because we know how much the fans enjoy them."

"The cast is going to stay pretty much the same for the rest of this year and into spring next year, but from around April to June there will be some new faces on screen. There'll be some more later on in the year as well."

Aside from the returnee in Episode 1,000, will there be other characters coming back too?

"Yes, there will be more. All I can say is that discussions are ongoing with a number of different people, so watch this space!"

We've had lots of reader questions about Zoe and Max. Knowing how popular they are, were you nervous about playing the cheating story?

"We did know that there would be a very big reaction to it, but we always ground our stories in the characters. One of Zoe's character flaws is that she's a master of self-sabotage. She almost can't believe it when things are going right for her. We also felt that the path of true love never runs smooth.

"All the way through their relationship, it was Zoe who was always doubtful and it was Max who reassured her. We really wanted to turn the tables on that, so that's why we played that beat in the story."

What does the future hold for Zoe and Max now?

"They are still married and there's a lot of story left to play with the two of them. We will pick that up meaningfully post Christmas. I can't tell you whether it'll be happy or bittersweet, but there's no way we would have left them in the No Man's Land that they're currently in. We know the fans are so invested in that story."

"We love Alicia too. Let's just say that this is an 'au revoir' and not a goodbye, because surely she has to come back at some point to face Lily?"

A lot of fans seem keen for Lily to get her comeuppance after the way she's behaved towards Alicia. What are your thoughts?

"Because Lily's father has died, her grief has made her behaviour a lot more extreme. She fears that her father was never proud of her, so in that time that she felt most vulnerable, she struggled with being faced with someone like Alicia who was so great at what she did.

"Lily will get a comeuppance because people will turn against her over the next few episodes. But that gives us the opportunity to peel back some of Lily's layers and see her vulnerability about letting her father down. There'll be a realisation of what that's meant for her behaviour towards Alicia."

What are the show's plans for Christmas?

"The Christmas episode this year is going out on the 19th December between the Strictly final and the results, which is amazing for us because we haven't had an episode air on that Saturday for a very long time. The episode is going to be really big for Cal and really big for Connie and Jacob too. I'm really excited that we've got Sean Hughes as one of the guest artists in that, and the audience will see him in a very different guise to what they're used to.

"The theme of the episode is Scrooge - and there's the most fantastic ending with Dylan and Lofty that people will be talking about for a very long time!"

[Perdita]

Can't get enough of Connie, Cal and the rest of the Casualty gang? If so, we've got another treat for you with some exclusive juicy teasers on what's coming up over the next few months.

Here in part two of our interview with Casualty's producer Erika Hossington, we delve deeper into future storylines for some of the most popular characters.

Does Connie have some big stories coming up?

"There's always a big story for Connie. Because she is such a well-known and iconic character, what we're always aiming for is to give Connie new territory to go into. One of the things we wanted to do this year was to explore what would happen if Connie met a man who matched her on every level, because that's never happened to her before.

"We also asked ourselves the question: 'Could Connie Beauchamp actually find love?' That's why the audience have seen her flirtation with Jacob. Amanda Mealing has loved playing it. We're going to have a lot of fun with that, but be in no doubt that Connie will always be Connie..."

Iain and Rita are another popular pairing. What's ahead for those two?

"Their relationship is going to be full of surprises and it's going to be very different from the other romances that people have seen on the show. We felt Rita had been through a tough time, so they will have a lot of fun together, but next year things will start to turn quite dark."

What's coming up for Cal and Ethan?

"We've got a really big story coming up for those two. The baby is just the start. We've been planning this for a year - it's a very in-depth story and it will strike at the heart of their sibling relationship. Casualty's co-creator Paul Unwin pitched it to us and we loved it.

"The lead-up to Christmas will be massive for one of the brothers, and then post-Christmas will be huge for both of them."

Ethan Hardy and Caleb Knight in Casualty
© BBC Pictures Alistair Heap
Fans seemed surprised by the low-key exits of Ash and Tess. Was it a conscious decision not to announce them to viewers beforehand? Could you have done something bigger perhaps?

"We don't announce our cast exits and we never have done. If one person leaves in a continuing drama, it's classic showbusiness and the show must go on.

"Every exit is different and it does depend on a lot of factors, mostly what the other stories are in the mix at the time. If we already have a big story in place that's been building for six to nine months, which we often do on Casualty, it doesn't always feel right to play a huge exit alongside that.

"What we do with many of our exits is slightly more subtle, as we explore what the implications are for the people who are left behind. For example, Ash bullied Lily as her mentor and the repercussions of that are just playing out now, because Lily has started doing exactly the same thing herself. If Ash was still there, Lily wouldn't have done that.

"Another example is that Zoe's hen night was meant to be a very quiet meal that Tess had organised, but once Tess went, that changed and disaster followed for both Zoe and Charlie - the two people Tess was closest to in the department. So although Ash and Tess's exits may have felt underpowered in the moment on screen, they've actually had much longer repercussions."

It was great to see Duffy back in the autumn. Would you bring her back again?

"We loved having her back, so watch this space!"

Lee Mead's fans feel that Lofty deserves a bit more screen time. What are your thoughts on that?

"We've got a really big story coming up for Lofty which will start just after Christmas, so his fans won't be disappointed. I would say in our defence that Lee does a lot of other things. He's sometimes not as available to us as we'd like, but we love him and the character so much that we're really happy for him to do other projects.

"At the moment we're also really enjoying playing with the Dylan and Lofty relationship. We wanted a fun 'bromance' between them and they really are the odd couple. So although the story coming up for Lofty is an individual one, you'll see that Dylan is very much involved too."

Which other characters have high drama ahead?

"Dixie's got a big storyline coming up revolving around domestic violence, which stems from last Saturday's episode. It's one of those Casualty stories where it starts and you don't quite know if anything is going to come of it, but it turns into a massive storyline. We've also got a big story for Big Mac which will start mid-January."

How far have you planned ahead storyline-wise?

"We've planned for the whole of this series in terms of our big headline stories. We have also looked at the spine of the next series too. We usually have a theme - you might remember that when Connie first came in, our big story over that series was her four 'seasons' in the ED. So we've got our theme for the next series already planned, but I can't tell you what it is!"

With the NHS in the news so often, how important is it to keep the show topical?

"We tend to focus more on the medical stories and those issues that drive people into the ED. Over the course of the last year, we've had the Alfred story which brought up the ethical dilemma for a doctor of assisted suicide. We also told the story of people coming in with starvation-related illnesses. That again is a very real issue, with people living on the poverty line.

"Our next big story will be the domestic abuse with Dixie. We do also talk about overcrowding and staff working long hours - that is in the fabric of the show anyway. I think it's really important to the integrity of Casualty that we do reflect what's going on in the NHS."

With fans so vocal now, how closely do you monitor social media? Does it influence your storytelling decisions?

"Social media is great because we're always really keen to know what the viewers think. We really do make the show for the audience. We were so delighted to win Best Drama at the Inside Soap Awards recently, because that's voted for by people who watch the telly. All of us have been staggered and delighted by the reaction to the show in the past year.

"As for whether it influences our storytelling decisions, most of the time the reaction of the audience is expected anyway - but if we ever do get an unexpected reaction, we do take note of it. You can't please all of the people all of the time, but for a show that's 30 years old to be getting 6 million consolidated viewers each week is a tremendous result and we never take it for granted."

Digital Spy

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Casualty fans might want to brace themselves, as the show's 30th anniversary celebrations later this year will apparently be like a movie.

The BBC medical drama is lining up a 110-minute, action-packed episode at the end of the current series to coincide with its 30th anniversary.

Speaking about the episode, Charles Venn - who plays nurse Jacob Masters - confirmed to What's on TV that his character would be at the forefront of the action.


Connie Beauchamp and Jacob Masters in Casualty
© BBC
"I don't want to give anything away, but my character Jacob is an integral part of it," he said. "It's action-packed and I get to do a few stunts, which is a dream come true for me.

"I wanted to be a stuntman when I was younger. The 110-minute 30th anniversary episode is like a film and we call it Casualty: The Movie."

Executive producer Erika Hossington has previously promised "an absolutely massive stunt" to top last year's boat set-piece.


Digital Spy

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Turmoil ahead for star Derek Thompson in Casualty special

The Belfast-born actor who has played Casualty's Charlie Fairhead since 1986 is in for a tough time as the BBC hospital drama celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Casualty will mark the occasion on August 27 with a feature-length episode that will include "a shocking stunt".


Fairhead, played by Derek Thompson (68), will also be celebrated as he reaches 30 years of service to the NHS.

But the beating heart of Holby's A&E department will not have a smooth ride. The team will have to support him and the staff in this moment of turmoil.

He said: "From day one of filming Casualty I've been so proud of its true-to-life storytelling."

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Turmoil ahead for star Derek Thompson in Casualty special

The Belfast-born actor who has played Casualty's Charlie Fairhead since 1986 is in for a tough time as the BBC hospital drama celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Casualty will mark the occasion on August 27 with a feature-length episode that will include "a shocking stunt".


Fairhead, played by Derek Thompson (68), will also be celebrated as he reaches 30 years of service to the NHS.

But the beating heart of Holby's A&E department will not have a smooth ride. The team will have to support him and the staff in this moment of turmoil.

He said: "From day one of filming Casualty I've been so proud of its true-to-life storytelling."

[Perdita]

We've seen loads of EastEnders stars taking trips down memory lane in Gogglebox-style series Back to Ours - but now it's Casualty's turn to get in on the action.

Original cast members Derek Thompson and Cathy Shipton, who play Charlie and Duffy, have filmed their very own episode of the iPlayer show as part of Casualty's 30th anniversary celebrations.

If you haven't seen Back to Ours before (ie, you're not an EastEnders viewer), the series sees fan favourites sitting down to watch some of the most memorable scenes featuring their characters.

This special sees Derek and Cathy relive 30 years of Casualty stunts, explosions, emotional storylines - and even the occasional Hollywood guest star popping up.

Casualty star Derek Thompson as Charlie Fairhead in 1986
© BBC
Cathy shares some memories of the very first series in 1986, which caused a stir with its political storylines.

"It did feel like it was going to be a thorn in someone's side at the start. It caused ructions in the House of Commons," she says.

"Edwina Currie stood up, there were questions in the House, and it was on the front of The Observer. Our show was pro NHS and public service, and you were the union leader."

Derek also remembers when Kate Winslet joined Casualty for a guest role in 1993 - before Hollywood came calling.

Kate Winslet appears in Casualty in 1993
© BBC

He says: "She was very young, she was exceptional. She worked like hell, and when she was in front of the camera she was so relaxed, so to the point that actually you'd find that those who had a great deal more experience, she'd brought their game up. I'm so pleased she's so successful."

Casualty's Back to Ours special will be released on the iPlayer this Saturday (August 20) from 6pm and will be available for 30 days.

Digital Spy

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It's official - Casualty's 30th anniversary episode will be total carnage as a helicopter crashes into the hospital grounds.

The spectacular stunt will leave lives in jeopardy this weekend as a special day for Casualty legend Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) goes horribly wrong.

Original character Charlie is naturally the centre of attention in the feature-length special, with his friends and co-workers determined to celebrate his 30 years of service to the NHS with a surprise party.

Everyone is in high spirits as the festivities get under way, but the party atmosphere turns to one of sadness as news spreads that Connie Beauchamp and her daughter Grace have been involved in a horrific road accident.


© BBC
Just as this news is sinking in, there's a second tragic twist as a drone collides with a helicopter that's flying over Holby City - causing a devastating crash as the aircraft falls from the sky and into the hospital below.

Rumours of a Casualty helicopter crash have been rife over the past few days as the most recent BBC trailer dropped some major hints, but the stunt has been officially confirmed for the first time today (August 22).


© BBC Des Willie



Casualty's series producer Erika Hossington commented: "What you see in this episode is such a complex and unfortunate series of events, but it takes a lot of people to pull that off.

"One thing we're very proud of on Casualty is that we do things for real. We use as little CGI as possible, so the stunts have a lot of integrity.

"It's exactly the same with the helicopter crash. We had the helicopter suspended off cranes to be able to land it like we did. It took a lot of manpower, trying to get the helicopter in the angle we needed it for the cameras. It was incredibly complex."

Director Steve Hughes had previously revealed: "When series producer Erika Hossington told me about the ambition for the episode, I couldn't believe we'd attempt to do something that big! Even before my preparation started, I had numerous conversations with my stunt coordinator Julian Spencer.

"Between us we decided to attempt to shoot the sequence practically, for real rather than using CGI. It would make things incredibly complicated, but the end result, as I hope people will agree when they see the episode, would be worth it.

"There would be CGI involved to add to the practical effects, but we wanted the sequence to feel terrifyingly real. We wanted the whole episode to have a feature film quality to it, without having a feature film schedule and price tag.

"The main stunt was shot over two days using various stunts, VFX and rigging teams. We shot about 16 stunts in those two days and everyone had an amazing time, some of the most fun days I've ever had on a set - it was a blast!"

© BBC Des Willie/Matthew Burlem
Casualty bosses are currently keeping very tight-lipped about the fallout from the helicopter crash, so the speculation over who'll be injured - or worse, killed - starts here.

Whether Connie and Grace survive their clifftop fall is also a closely-guarded secret.

What has been confirmed is that Ian Bleasdale will be among a number of familiar faces popping up in the episode, as he reprises his role as former paramedic Josh Griffiths.

Former EastEnders star Pam St Clement will also make a guest appearance, taking on the role of grumpy patient Sally.

Casualty airs its feature-length 30th anniversary episode this Saturday (August 27) at 8pm on BBC One.

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Casualty will be marking the end of its 30th anniversary series with a pioneering 'One Shot' episode, which will be filmed in one take and on a single camera.

The show's bosses have been dropping a host of hints that it will be deviating from its usual house style with their version of a live episode – and the plans have finally been confirmed for later this summer.

Written by Casualty's creator Paul Unwin, the extraordinary episode will cover an hour in the famous Emergency Department and incorporate all our well-loved series regulars.

The episode will centre on Duffy mentoring two teenage girls, Chloe and Diamond, who are being shown around the department for work experience and will take viewers on a journey to observe the daily highs and the lows of the hospital.

Charlie Fairhead and Lisa 'Duffy' Duffin in Casualty
© BBC
To create this ambitious episode, the mobile camera covering A&E will need to be cable free and will also have to cover action from inside a moving ambulance.

With 360 degree shots, a number of rooms in the Casualty Ambulance Station have been converted into control rooms for the crew. The sound will be achieved with 40 hidden radio microphones and 5 boom operators, which will be disguised as part of the set.

Cathy Shipton – who plays nurse Duffy – said: "It is so exciting and nerve-wracking to be working on this episode and unlike anything any of us cast or crew have ever attempted before. It is a brilliant fly on the wall episode in real time, placing nurses central in the storyline. It will become a classic Casualty."

Robyn Miller, Lisa 'Duffy' Duffin and Charlie Fairhead in Casualty
© BBC ALISTAIR HEAP
Casualty's series producer, Erika Hossington said: "This very special episode will give the audience a unique insight into an hour in A&E.

"It will be an intense, emotional hour where staff and patients are faced with life changing events. We want to reflect the front line in its unedited, rawest form, and this one shot episode with a brilliant script from Casualty creator Paul Unwin, has given us the opportunity to do that."

Acting Executive Producer for Casualty and Holby City, Simon Harper said: "It's thrilling to have Paul, as the co-creator of CASUALTY, conclude our 30th Anniversary series with this unique episode whose exciting concept is a first for the show."


Digital Spy