Casualty (television)

Casualty is a long-running BBC television drama serial, first broadcast in 1986. It is based in and around the fictional Holby City Hospital, situated in Holby, a fictional city bearing a close resemblance to Bristol, where the show is filmed. Bristol landmarks, including the docks and the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, are regularly glimpsed in the outdoor scenes. The exterior shots of the hospital itself are filmed at the city's technical college.

The drama is mainly concerned with a group of doctors, nurses and administrators who work in the Accident & Emergency department. At the centre of the action is Nurse Manager Charlie Fairhead (played by Derek Thompson), a dedicated and caring man frequently at odds with the demands of hospital management. This has been a recurring theme over the years, but especially in the early series, which were frequently criticised for their perceived left-wing politics.

A spin-off show, Holby City, shows life elsewhere in the same hospital. Both shows are now broadcast all year round.