Series 26 was the twenty-sixth series of Casualty and commenced airing on 13 August 2011. The series marked the end to filming the show in Bristol, with episodes airing in 2012 being filmed at BBC Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff.
Cast Changes
Unexpectedly for viewers, Series 25 saw the final appearance of Hasina Haque as nurse Madiha Durrani. Mads' departure from the department went unexplained for several weeks, with only a casual reference by the characters. An explanation was finally given in A Pound Of Flesh, in which former love Lenny Lyons and the rest of the ED receive a letter from Mads announcing her marriage in Pakistan.
Production
Series 26 marked the start of high-definition filming of the show. From Next Of Kin - Part 1, the show was filmed in high-definition[1]. However, it was not until the start of 2012 that the show was broadcast in such a format.
Move to Cardiff
In March 2009, it was announced that Casualty was to move production to Cardiff in mid-2011. Although not finalised at the time, the BBC also announced plans to develop a "sustainable centre of excellence for drama" in Wales[2].
The move to Cardiff was met by great opposition by both fans of the show and the people of Bristol. Derek Thompson, who portrayed Charlie Fairhead, was also opposed to the move [citation needed].
Work started on the new drama village in June 2010[3]. At the it's topping-out ceremony, it was announced that the site would be called Roath Lock[4]. Construction of the first phase, including the Casualty lot, was completed a few months later [citation needed].
Production of the show moved to Cardiff in August 2011[5]. As filming was about four months ahead of airing, the first episodes filmed at Roath Lock commenced airing at the start of 2012. The episodes Next Of Kin - Part 1 and Next Of Kin - Part 2 served as transition episodes, with a fire destroying the ED. This allowed the change of set to be explained in-universe.
The new set featured a larger, more open department interior, and, for the first time on the show, an exterior entrance which opened straight into the interior. Previously, interior scenes of the hospital were filmed in a warehouse, while exterior scenes of the ED entrance was filmed at a separate location. The new set allows for more dynamic shots, with the camera able to follow characters in an out of the hospital without cutting.
Airing
Unlike previous series, Series 26 aired straight after Series 25, with no break between the two. Instead, a mid-season break took place, between the final Bristol-filmed episode Next Of Kin - Part 2 on 10 December 2011, the yet to be named two-parter on 7 and 8 January 2012.
Due to the London Olympic Games being aired on the BBC, Series 26 only featured 41 episodes - the least number of episodes since Series 17.
Episodes
| Episode # | Series # | Episode | Original Airdate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 778 | 1 | "Partners" | 13 August 2011 | ||
| Dixie and Jeff come up against stiff competition when they are introduced to two new gorgeous paramedics, and Jordan's brain tumour rears its ugly head - is this the beginning of the end? | |||||
| 779 | 2 | "Starting Out" | 20 August 2011 | ||
| Lloyd and Scarlett are Holby's newest nurses - with so much to prove on their first shift, will Lloyd's confidence and Scarlett's nervousness be a help or a hindrance? | |||||
| 780 | 3 | "Common Vector" | 27 August 2011 | ||
| When several seemingly-unrelated patients are admitted, all displaying similar symptoms, Dylan is faced with a race against time to find the common link. Is the ED up to the challenge? | |||||
| 781 | 4 | "Memory Games" | 3 September 2011 | ||
| Lloyd puts his life in serious peril after he refuses to break his moral code to lie to a patient. A terrified woman believes she's being pursued. | |||||
| 782 | 5 | "To Have And Have Not" | 17 September 2011 | ||
| Lloyd has to make a choice between his morals and the life of his patient. Can he give an old man his wish and allow him to die? | |||||
| 783 | 6 | "Fixed" | 24 September 2011 | ||
| After a punch-up at a wake, a huge family secret comes to light. Will the truth come out? And can Charlie justify the existence of the drugs clinic? | |||||
| 784 | 7 | "Wild Horses" | 1 October 2011 | ||
| Jeff and Omar butt heads over what makes a good paramedic, while Linda is forced to choose between breaking the law and saving Annie. | |||||
| 785 | 8 | "Charlie's Angels" | 8 October 2011 | ||
| Scarlett doubts her nursing abilities, and her resolve is tested during her shift. When faced with a stab victim, does she have what it takes to save their life? | |||||
| 786 | 9 | "Mea Culpa" | 15 October 2011 | ||
| New ED doctor Sam Nicholls arrives at Holby, on loan from the army and dead set on bringing her battlefield attitude to the hospital. Meanwhile, Noel feels the angry public are getting too close for comfort. | |||||
| 787 | 10 | "Sanctuary" | 22 October 2011 | ||
| Linda is faced with a moral dilemma: will she help a drug-addicted prostitute in a war against her abusive pimp, or should she simply walk away? | |||||
| 788 | 11 | "A Pound Of Flesh" | 29 October 2011 | ||
| A young boy is seriously hurt after being caught in the cross-fire between two warring families, and Lloyd's perseverance pays off when he discovers that an elderly timewaster has real health problems. | |||||
| 789 | 12 | "Natural Selection" | 5 November 2011 | ||
| Dixie is forced to take a call during her break, only to become frustrated by what appears to be a hoax. Unhappy with her working conditions, she complains to ambulance controller Louise, but their feud has fatal consequences. | |||||
| 790 | 13 | "No Goodbyes" | 19 November 2011 | ||
| Sam helps a teenager realise she is not a terrible mum and Ruth enables a woman to come to terms with her husband's terminal illness. | |||||
| 791 | 14 | "The Ties That Bind" | 26 November 2011 | ||
| Dixie gets her mojo back by rescuing a man from a garage fire, and a drunken gambler with cancer reunites with his sister after seven years apart. | |||||
| 792 | 15 | "Next Of Kin - Part 1" | 3 December 2011 | ||
| Ruth finishes with Jay just as they are looking forward to having a baby, Linda comes face to face with an old adversary who threatens her job and the ED catches fire. | |||||
| 793 | 16 | "Next Of Kin - Part 2" | 10 December 2011 | ||
| As fire ravages the ED, the team pulls together and surprising truths are revealed. | |||||
| Previous series: | Next series: |
| Series 25 | Series 27 |
- ↑ "Oliver Kent - 'Casualty' series producer" - Digital Spy - 6 July 2011 [1]
- ↑ "BBC confirms Casualty will move from Bristol to Cardiff" - The Guardian - 26 March 2009 [2]
- ↑ "Work starts on BBC Wales drama village in Cardiff Bay" - BBC News - 24 June 2010 [3]
- ↑ "BBC Wales drama village name unveiled as Roath Lock" - BBC News - 20 January 2011 [4]
- ↑ "TV's Casualty in Cardiff move after 25 years in Bristol" - BBC News - 19 August 2011 [5]