Casualty resumes filming with special coronavirus episode
The show was halted in March as the UK went into lockdown.
BBC One medical drama Casualty has resumed filming with an episode exploring how the coronavirus pandemic has affected hospitals and NHS staff.
Casualty suspended production in March, along with EastEnders and Holby City, as COVID-19 began spreading rapidly and lockdown measures were enforced.
In the months which have followed, NHS staff have bravely worked long hours to fight the virus and save lives, being hailed as national heroes in an outpouring of support from the public.
Casualty continues its goal to reflect the "difficult realities" of the NHS, which is the motivation behind this "powerful" new episode, where the pandemic will have personal consequences for several characters.
Clinical Lead Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing) finds her personal leadership qualities are pushed to their very limit when several of her team fall ill with the virus in the line of duty, as well as her lover Jacob (Charles Venn).
Charlie (Derek Thompson) will offer his support, himself devastated by the impact of the coronavirus on local care homes, as together they face their most gut-wrenching decision ever.
In addition, Paramedic Lev (Uriel Emil) has decided to move out of the family home during the lockdown to protect his vulnerable young son recovering from cancer.
His wife of 16 years, Faith (Kirsty Mitchell), then has to come to terms with Dylan's accusation that Lev had an illicit affair without being able to discuss it with him in person.
Kate Oates, Head of Continuing Drama at BBC Studios, said: "We are thrilled to be back in production with BBC’s longest running medical show. The writers, Casualty teams, cast and crew are back on set with stories that reflect the extraordinary times we are living through.
"We can’t wait for the audience to see them and to be back in the Saturday night schedule."
The production team behind Casualty will be following strict protocols to ensure that work on the series is as safe as it possibly can be, with high quality standards achieved through "inventive techniques and careful planning".
The series will return at a shorter-than-usual runtime of 40 minutes per episode.
Casualty returns to BBC One later this year. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
