Casualty 2024 Christmas special first look unveiled as festive guest stars confirmed
The "format-breaking" episode will serve as "a tribute to the miracle of blood", the BBC says.
Casualty has released some first look images of its upcoming "format-breaking" Christmas special – in addition to revealing some guest stars for the episode.
Billed as an "emotionally epic" special, the episode will be titled All I Want for Christmas and will serve as "a tribute to the miracle of blood, brought to life with all the tension and emotional depth that Casualty delivers so well", according to the BBC.
The episode will unfold on Christmas Day and see the ED team faced with an emergency blood shortage, with Stevie (Elinor Lawless) fighting to save lives, while Iain (Michael Stevenson) risks his own to ensure the hospital doesn't go without.
In one of the new images, Stevie can be seen holding a blood bag and standing in front of a Christmas tree, while another shows Iain looking shocked as he sits the driver's seat of a vehicle, with Christmas lights visible in the background.
There is also a new image of paramedics Jacob (Charles Venn) and Teddy (Milo Carke) standing in what looks like exceedingly frosty conditions, and another showing an ambulance driving through the wintry weather.
Stars confirmed to be joining the guest cast for the special include Lucy-Jo Hudson (Wild At Heart), Tristan Sturrock (Poldark), Joseph Charles (Breathtaking), Zoe Brough (Outrageous), Katy Carmichael (Malpractice) and Valerie Antwi (DI Ray) – although details on their roles have not been disclosed at this stage.
In addition to the fictional plot line, the episode will also feature real-life testimonies from contributors who have been directly impacted by UK blood donation, as well as interviews with key workers who form the country’s blood service.
"We’re so excited for viewers to see this incredible Christmas special, which genuinely made me gasp," said BBC Drama's Commissioning Editor Rebecca Ferguson, who described the episode as "tense, thrilling and super-charged with emotion".
Meanwhile, Roxanne Harvey, Executive Producer for BBC Studios Drama Production, added: "We’re so proud of this life-affirming episode. Beautifully told, with ambitious production values and outstanding performances, this is entertaining, thought-provoking drama at its very best."
The special was first teased when the most recent run of the drama ended in September, with a cryptic teaser trailer made available to view in full on the BBC website after airing at the end of the season finale.
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Casualty is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
