1. Art and Diseño

1
CONTENTS
5Introduction
7Overview
8
Character guide
12
Episode synopses
Interviews:
15Jed Mercurio, Creator
and Executive Producer
17
Lennie James
19
Claire Skinner
20
Catherine Walker
22
Kimberley Nixon
23
Prasanna Puwanarajah
24
Neve Mcintosh
25
Ellen Thomas
26
Danny Kirrane
27
Mark Redhead, Executive Producer
28
Christopher Hall, Producer
29Contacts
2
3
INTRODUCTION
ADAM
MACDONALD,
DIRECTOR OF
SKY 1
CAMERON
ROACH
COMMISSIONING
EDITOR, DRAMA
One patient, one hour, one life. That’s the deceptively simple
premise of Critical, our full-throttle, real-time medical drama
from Jed Mercurio, the man behind Cardiac Arrest - I am a
huge fan - Bodies and, most recently, Line of Duty. Jed is
slicing back into the genre in which he made his name and the
result is a pulse-racing piece of television that should have
customers on the edge of their seats.
Critical is as real as medical dramas come. Offering an
authentic view of emergency medicine, it’s all about the
incredibly pressurised hour in which a team of doctors and
nurses battle to save a life. Jed Mercurio is one of the most
sought-after writers in the UK and to have our first medical
drama come from the master of the genre is such a coup.
The series delivers an unflinching mix of blood, sweat and
tears, following a team of medics as they fight against a
ticking clock to pull patients from the brink of death. There is
a rollercoaster-ride quality to the show and, instead of
spoonfeeding the story, it throws audiences into the thick of
the action. By the end, you’ll know the difference between
polytrauma and an intrathoracic haemorrhage.
We’ve assembled a knockout cast around the operating
table, too, from familiar faces Lennie James and Claire Skinner
to up-and-coming talents like Kimberley Nixon. Creating
full-bodied characters you really root for, they’ve brought out
the richness of the scripts, managing to say so much with a
single glance or inflection, while also convincingly nailing the
medical jargon, which is no mean feat.
2015 is going to be a big year for Sky 1, especially in terms of
drama. All the ingredients we look for in our commissions,
authenticity, exuberance, heart and heroism, are embedded
in the DNA of Critical, which is just the start of a new wave of
ambitious homegrown programmes, namely the final chapter
of Strike Back, comedy drama Apocalypse Slough, starring
Rob Lowe (The West Wing) and Yonderland’s Mathew
Baynton and, by the year’s end, animated treat Fungus the
Bogeyman.
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Jed has created a series in which authenticity comes before
anything else and Critical is going to give customers the
experience of working on the front line of critical care. If you
go into any A&E department up and down the country, you’ll
see that it’s a very diverse environment and, as such, we have
a wide ranging and varied group of characters. We’ll see how
amazing and dedicated they are as a medical team, as well as
seeing the challenging pressures, personal and professional
that they face.
Within this environment we go on a journey with our
characters that is utterly gripping: they each have personal
challenges to overcome while trying to stay at the top of their
game. As we experience what the team goes through, we’re
given a view of the medical procedures that is very real - a lot
of time has gone into ensuring the detail is as accurate as
possible. And this authentic feel goes right across the board,
from set design to prosthetics. Critical is a unique and
compelling series that throws you into the thick of life-saving
medicine. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.
5
OVERVIEW
60 MINUTES TO
SAVE A LIFE
Sky 1 enters into the medical genre with a raw, real-time
drama created by Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty). Boasting a
top-drawer cast that includes Lennie James (The Walking
Dead), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered), Catherine Walker
(Strike Back) and Kimberley Nixon (Fresh Meat), this gripping
13-parter follows a team of highly-skilled doctors and nurses
as they fight to save patients during the most lifethreatening hour of their treatment.
Set in a state-of-the-art Major Trauma Centre, a unit which
treats only the most gravely ill or seriously injured, each
episode features a new and distinctive case told with thrilling
intensity. Whether that patient lives or dies is determined by
knife-edge decisions and procedures, but can the diverse
team of medical professionals knit together and rise to the
challenge? Critical is a series about medicine where our team
hold a life in their hands but in every case they face the
agonisingly real fear that it could slip through their fingers.
The series is produced for Sky by Hat Trick Productions. The
Executive Producers are Jed Mercurio, Mark Redhead for Hat
Trick Productions and Cameron Roach for Sky. The lead
director for the series is BAFTA® award winning Jon East and
the producer is Christopher Hall.
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7
CHARACTER GUIDE
MRS LORRAINE RAPPAPORT
(Claire Skinner)
Job Title: Consultant /
Trauma Team Leader
Department:
Vascular Surgery
As a trauma team leader,
Lorraine is liked and
respected by all her
colleagues, but clashes with
seniors who don’t feel as
strongly as she does about
patient welfare.
DR CLIVE ARCHERFIELD
(Peter Sullivan)
Job Title: Consultant /
Clinical Lead
Department:
Emergency Medicine
Dr Archerfield is the senior
doctor in the Emergency
Department. He’s driven
solely by a desire to meet
and exceed hospital targets,
even if that means
jeopardising the welfare of
its patients and staff.
MR GLEN BOYLE (Lennie James)
Job Title: Locum Consultant / Trauma Team Leader
Department: Acute Care Surgery
Glen is a specialist in critical injuries, having spent a large
portion of his career as a soldier, working as a trauma
surgeon in conflict zones.
MISS FIONA LOMAS (Catherine Walker)
Job Title: Trauma Fellow (ST4)
Department: Vascular Surgery
Fiona is a highly competent surgeon courageous enough to
take on cases beyond her experience level.
DR RAMAKRISHNA
CHANDRAMOHAN
(Prasanna Puwanarajah)
Job Title: Anaesthetic
Registrar (ST5)
Department: Anaesthesia
Ramakrishna takes his work
very seriously, but has a bit
of an eye for the ladies and
enjoys laddish banter. He’s
the epitome of “work hard,
play hard”.
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MRS NICOLA HICKLIN
(Neve McIntosh)
Job Title: Nurse Consultant /
Deputy Clinical Lead (Band 8)
Department:
Emergency Medicine
Nicola is the head nurse,
equivalent to matron of the
department. Despite a frosty
exterior, she endeavours to
be fair and ethical.
9
CHARACTER GUIDE
BILLY FINLAY (Danny Kirrane)
Job Title: ODP (Operating
Department Practitioner)
(Band 5)
Department: Anaesthesia
Billy is Ramakrishna’s righthand man. He’s larky and
funny, and has a loveable
brashness about him.
SISTER CONSTANCE
CAMPBELL (Ellen Thomas)
Job Title: Sister (Band 7)
Department:
Emergency Medicine
Constance is very much an
old school nurse and prefers
to address her seniors
formally. She’s a valued and
loyal member of the team.
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10
DR ANGHARAD ‘HARRY’
BENNETT-EDWARDES
(Kimberley Nixon)
Job Title: ST2
Department:
Emergency Medicine
Harry is the newest recruit
to the team as a junior
doctor, or “SHO”. She’s
exceptionally clever and has
a great head for numbers.
JUSTIN COSTELLO
(John MacMillan)
Job Title: Staff Nurse
(Band 5)
Department:
Emergency Medicine
Justin is young and keen, a
“trauma bunny” who gets
excited by the goriest
injuries and procedures.
SISTER NERYS MERRICK
(Mali Harries)
Job Title: Trauma Nurse
Practitioner (Band 7)
Department: Orthopaedics
GILES DHILLON (Paul Bazely)
Job Title: Trauma Manager
Department:
Emergency Medicine
Giles has a wry sense of
humour and is sometimes an
annoyance to the trauma
team with his endless
questionnaires and
paperwork.
Nerys is warm and
compassionate, with a soft
spot for Justin. She isn’t
afraid to take a stand
against management
when necessary.
MRS REBECCA OSGOOD
(Emma Fryer)
Job Title: Registrar (ST4)
Department: Orthopaedics
A hard-working mother,
Rebecca is the antithesis of
a clichéd rugby-playing
male orthopod.
BRIAN ZHAO (Orion Lee)
Job Title: CT Radiographer
(Band 6)
Department: Radiology
Brian is the obsessive
compulsive CT Radiographer.
He likes order and routine,
and doesn’t improvise well.
SHELLEY IMMS
(Juliet Oldfield)
Job Title: Radiographer
(Band 6)
Department: Radiology
Shelley is willing and efficient,
but perhaps a tad deluded
when it comes to matters of
the heart.
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EPISODE SYNOPSES
Episode 2
Episode 3
Logline
Logline
Synopsis
Synopsis
Episode 4
Episode 5
Logline
Logline
Synopsis
Synopsis
A fall from height leaves a woman horrifically impaled, and a
new consultant takes charge of a daring life-saving operation.
It’s a horrific sight when a patient with a fence post impaled
through her face is brought in. Fiona’s world is further turned
upside down when Glen Boyle, locum trauma consultant and
her ex-lover, takes control of the situation. When the patient
starts haemorrhaging uncontrollably, Glen insists on opening
her up to locate the bleeds, discovering a heart-rending
explanation for the injuries. Later, Glen tells Fiona he came to
CGH because she needed him, but she tries to convince him,
and herself, that it’s the unit that needs him.
A cyclist has suffered devastating crush injuries that force
the team into an agonising struggle to save his life.
The team’s resolve is tested when a cyclist, involved in a
collision with an HGV, is brought in with severe injuries. It’s
already 30 minutes into the trauma call and a frustrated Glen
decides to take drastic measures. More worrying information
comes to light in theatre forcing Glen to make a tricky decision,
but it could be too late for this patient. Elsewhere, Fiona is
shocked when she learns that Glen has been socialising with
Clive. As the next trauma patient arrives, Fiona and Glen
agree to keep their relationship strictly professional.
Episode 1
Logline
In a real-time hour, a diverse team of doctors and nurses fight
for the life of a patient following a road traffic accident.
Synopsis
A critically injured patient is helicoptered from a road
accident to a new hospital emergency unit. As the major
trauma team battles to keep him alive and determine the
nature of his injuries, team leader Lorraine Rappaport is
suddenly suspended and young doctor Fiona Lomas is forced
to take charge. To her horror, a CT scan reveals the broken tip
of a knife has penetrated the patient’s heart. When he
begins to crash, Fiona can’t wait for the specialist cardiac
team and has to clamshell his chest, remove the knife-blade
and sew up the wound to the heart before he bleeds out. In
the desperate aftermath, she gets in touch with the one
person she thinks can save the trauma unit and the one
person she shouldn’t call: army trauma surgeon, Glen Boyle.
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The trauma team battle to save the life of a badly beaten
man, only to discover they’re all in jeopardy.
A man has been found badly beaten and is suffering from
life-threatening injuries. Despite being haunted by his army
past, Glen leads the trauma call. A curious serial number
branded on to the patient’s skin indicates he’s a slave labourer
who has been illegally trafficked, and when his temperature
suddenly rises, there is a dawning realisation he is carrying a
highly infectious disease. As the unit goes into emergency
lockdown, Glen performs a life-saving operation, making an
enemy of Clive Archerfield, the head of the Emergency
Department, and forcing Fiona’s true feelings for him to
become clear when she fears he’s put his own life at risk.
A young woman dying from a gunshot wound hides a secret
that may cost not one but two lives.
A gunshot victim is brought in with the bullet still inside her
body. Everyone is confused, meanwhile, when Lorraine makes
a surprise reappearance and takes up the mantle of trauma
team leader, only to be publicly humiliated when Clive places
her under Glen’s supervision. In CT, the team make the
shocking discovery that the patient is pregnant, with the
situation becoming more intense when the on-duty
obstetrics consultant turns out to be someone close to
Fiona: her boyfriend, Tom. As Glen and Tom lock horns, the
case stirs up painful memories for Fiona and she reaches a
decision about Glen.
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JED MERCURIO CREATOR
makes it so exciting. You have to follow the case in minute
detail – you can’t duck out of it. What we’ve embraced is the
minute-by-minute reality of patient care when someone’s life
is in the balance. To follow that in detail makes for incredibly
engrossing drama.
Can you elaborate on that?
As you see the level of professionalism and technical prowess
that goes into saving someone’s life, you become completely
invested in the outcome. The viewers’ experience in every
episode should be close to that of the doctors and nurses.
We grasp the nettle of the story in a way that has never been
tried before. It was scary – if we had played it safe, we might
have made life easier for ourselves – but I think it really works.
The field of medical dramas is very crowded, and it is really
hard to stand out, but I think we have made a show that is
instantly distinctive from the others. I’m very proud of
Critical, and I hope viewers will be gripped during the entire
golden hour.
You have a long and very honourable history of writing
brilliant medical dramas. Can you talk us through that?
I wrote my first medical series, Cardiac Arrest, when I was still
a hospital doctor. That was very much about the experience I
was having then. At that time, junior doctors’ working
conditions were a very controversial subject. Not all
contributions on the matter were coming from an informed
position, so there was a certain catharsis in writing that.
What did you do next?
I wrote Bodies. With that series, I wanted to look at something
dark and more mature. Then about three years ago, I went to
see Sky’s head of drama, Anne Mensah, who had been my
script editor on Bodies. I told her I wanted to make another
medical drama because I felt there was something new to be
said. I wanted to develop something distinct from what ITV or
BBC One would do. I’d begun to realise no medical drama is
ever realistic. How could it be when time is compressed for
dramatic effect? So I explained to Anne how we could make
the most accurate medical drama ever. She was hugely
excited by the ambition of the idea.
Tell us more.
The concept was to do it in real time. Medical drama usually
distorts how long things take. Anyone who’s been in hospital
knows that things actually take forever. But one situation
where they don’t is when there is a true emergency, when a
patient’s condition is critical and they could die in the next
few minutes. The key notion I had was to build a series in real
time. So each episode would focus on a single critically unwell
patient during the so-called golden hour. We would follow a
single patient and look at the team responsible for their care
during that first hour. That was the central idea.
Were you daunted by having to stick to the real-time format?
Yes. If you look at what you have to do to make it work in
real-time, you’d be mad to try it! But that is exactly what
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Why do you think medical dramas are so popular?
Audiences love them. In drama, you’re always looking for
situations where the stakes are high. Because life and death
are automatically part of a medical drama, the stakes are
incredibly high.
What role have medical advisers played in the show?
They have played a vital part. We have had an enormous
number of advisers. Each draft of every script has been read
by at least four advisers – three doctors and one nurse. They
all come from different specialities. On set we also have a
group of medical experts giving advice. They’re all working for
the NHS, so they only get limited time off. We have effectively
created an on-call rota of medical advisers who cover our
working week. Once it has been shot, we then have another
team of experts check the first cut. It’s an exceedingly
thorough process.
What does the stunning, purpose-built trauma-centre set
offer you?
The advantage of this studio is that it gives us an enormous
level of control. On location, the weather can often change
and then the footage won’t cut together. So we have
constructed this purpose-built unit with state-of-the-art
equipment and design. It looks incredibly up-to-date.
You’ve worked with Lennie James before on Line of Duty.
What makes him such an extraordinary actor?
He’s extremely hard-working. I knew he’d do whatever
preparation was necessary to deliver a performance where
you wouldn’t question that this guy is a top surgeon. Lennie
is so immersed in the role that he is very comfortable carrying
out the procedures. I also knew that Lennie would bring this
great authority to the role. You believe he is a working
surgeon. He doesn’t feel like he’s floating above the real world
and has never done a proper job. He also has this incredible
charisma. He’s one of our top leading men, and we’re really
lucky to have him!
15
LENNIE JAMES
What attracted you to Critical?
Two words: Jed Mercurio. He is a superb writer, and we
discovered when we worked together on Line of Duty that we
speak each other’s language. Also it’s a fantastic leading part,
and the concept of a real-time medical show is brilliant. So
when I was offered the part of Glen, it was a complete
no-brainer to accept it.
What did you like about the character of Glen?
His back story was enough to convince me to do the part. For
the past two years he has been jumping from war zone to
disaster area and has come to this hospital straight from
Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. He was a lieutenant colonel,
and when he told people what to do, they went and did it.
There was no arguing. But now he is returning to a brand-new
team in an NHS hospital, and he doesn’t outrank anyone as
he did in the Army. He has to learn to deal with that.
Can you elaborate on his character?
He’s got to the position of consultant in the hospital and
lieutenant colonel in the Army, and I’ve used that to figure
out the struggles he’s been through and who he is. For
instance, he is excessively polite, which is his attempt to
make the transition from soldier to civilian. He still barks, but
now he puts in “please” and “thank you”. But ultimately I play
the man, not the position he holds.
Glen also has to deal with working with his ex, Fiona,
doesn’t he?
Yes. He has to work alongside the woman he has loved and
lost. Their affair was fuelled by how well they worked
together. They were a really well-oiled machine. But
something traumatic happened between them. She thinks he
didn’t handle it well, while he thinks he was only doing what
she told him to do. But now she’s called him and brought him
back to this hospital – and many complications ensue!
Is there still something between them?
Yes. In the two years they have been apart, they have realised
a lot about each other. When Fiona phones and tells him, “I
need you,” it’s a lifeline for Glen. He comes running – she didn’t
need to ask him twice because there is still such a bond there.
Over the course of the 13 episodes, you discover what they
really mean to each other. It’s a bumpy, but compelling ride.
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Can you explain the show’s unique format to us?
What is brilliant about Critical is its “real time-ness”. We’re
trying to be as close to reality as possible, and I think we’ve
achieved it better than anything outside documentary. So we
don’t go home with the characters. The patient comes in to
the trauma unit and the clock starts ticking. And everything
plays out in that magic hour, we stay with the patient whose
life they’re trying to save.
How have you found it having to act out surgical procedures?
I was so nervous when I had to do my first laparotomy, but
Gary, a real-life surgeon, was at the monitor watching me.
He taught me how to cut. Afterwards he said that I had
surgeon’s hands, and he felt that I could save lives with them.
I probably couldn’t, but I’m so pleased he said my hands
looked like they knew what they were doing. I have won
awards, but that is among the highest compliments I’ve
ever received.
Have you enjoyed working with this ensemble cast?
Definitely. It’s been relentless for the last 10 months, but it’s
been fantastic. We’ve been very lucky because we’ve had an
amazing bunch of people here, and we all get on so well.
Would you like to have been a doctor?
If I was 18 again, I’d try medicine. That was never a possibility
when I was growing up – it never came across my radar. But if I
had my time again and I knew then what I know now, it could
be a possibility. Having said that, I feel incredibly lucky. I’m
doing a job I love, and it brings me immense satisfaction. The
fact that I’m paid to do it is just a plus. It’s the best job in the
world – outside of being a professional footballer, which sadly
was never a possibility!
Did you learn a lot from shadowing real medical
professionals?
Absolutely. The time I spent with the medical advisers
and with the staff at St George’s Hospital in Tooting –
Heather, Gary and Anthony – has completely turned my
head. Their commitment to saving lives is unbelievable.
Their skill, knowledge, selflessness, and sense of humour
are amazing. They’re staggering human beings. I grew up with
Marvel Comics, but people like that are now my definition
of superheroes!
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CLAIRE SKINNER
What attracted you to Critical?
It was absolutely the script, which was brilliant and so
unique given how well-worn the medical drama path is. Not
only because of the real-time format, but just the way Jed
writes. He’s so good with character and dialogue, on the
details and subtleties.
How would you describe your character Lorraine, and why did
you want to play her?
What I found appealing about Lorraine is that you always see
her through the prism of her work. Although there are
leakages with regards to what’s going on in her ‘other’ life, you
see her as a strong woman who has an amazingly powerful
job, which she also happens to be very good at. It’s not about
her being a mother, or someone’s wife. Lorraine isn’t an
appendage. You don’t see her in relation to a man.
Did you find the medical jargon difficult to get your
head around?
Yes, because when you normally learn lines, you’ve got frames
of reference that you’re used to, whereas with this, I had to
approach it like I was learning a foreign language. There were
a couple of days where I’d get to the end of a long take and
the script advisor would tell me I’d said certain things back to
front. It wasn’t hard from an emotional point of view, though,
because Jed writes so well.
Did you get to spend much time with Jed?
She doesn’t dislike Glen and, under ordinary circumstances,
she’d probably get on well with him. The problem is he’s been
brought in to undermine Lorraine and fill her position, which
makes things more than tricky.
He was there a lot, which was great. There was no higher
authority than him on set, so you could ask him what things
meant or why Lorraine would be doing certain things. He was
very helpful with explaining the medical terms because of his
medical background, as well as advising on the emotional
stuff. He’s very economical with his writing, which is lovely for
an actor to play.
Did you watch loads of medical shows in preparation for
the role?
What was the atmosphere like on set? Did you get along with
the rest of the cast?
Talking of men, what is her relationship with Glen like?
I did. I watched a lot of 24 Hours in A&E. Then I shadowed
Gary Mason, who was a vascular surgeon and an advisor
on the show. Lennie and I spent some time in the hospital
with him.
How challenging was that?
It was so interesting. Because we were walking with Gary,
nobody asked who Lennie and I were, and we got to go all
around the hospital and even watch operations.
That must have been an eye-opener?
We were near the operating table - wearing gowns and stuff
- and at one point a surgeon did go, come here, come and
look at this. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be squeamish or
not, so I put myself by the wall near the door just in case. I
was OK, though.
How do you think viewers will deal with the more graphic
side of the show?
These are things that happen in real life - the doctors, the
team are working to get lots of people better and that’s
what, sort of, elevates it. The prosthetics are amazing. I never
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thought I’d have someone’s large intestine in my hand,
rooting around to try to find a perforation because they’d
swallowed glass
It was quite intense because we were doing such long takes,
which meant we really did have to concentrate. In between
takes, though, it was lively, there was a lot of humour and
hysteria You’re with everyone all the time and I built some
lovely relationships.
If you weren’t making a living as an actress, what would you
be doing now?
I can’t imagine doing anything else. In periods of
unemployment, you do think, come on, there must be
something else I can do? I suppose it would be writing or
possibly directing, maybe theatre.
Can you remember a particularly good piece of career advice
someone has given you?
This is quite an off-piste one. When I was at the Royal
Shakespeare Company when I was younger, I was annoyed
with my performance and I did a really arsey bow at the end.
The director came up to me, a certain Trevor Nunn, and
although he didn’t tell me off, he said ‘I’ve got one word to say
to you: grace.’ I’ll never forget that. It was a crystallised piece
of advice.
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CATHERINE WALKER
Why were you so keen to play a role in Critical?
How will it develop?
How is this different?
How have you found working with Lennie?
Do Glen and Fiona make a good team?
Has working on Critical increased your admiration for the
medical profession?
Because I’d never read anything like it before. I found it utterly
fascinating. I also instantly loved the character. Leading
female characters in these kinds of roles are usually either
bitchy or tough. Their way of asserting their authority is to be
hard. They’re never soft or loving.
What I really like is that this script shows my character Fiona
is strong without being hard. Her strength comes from the
fact that she’s amazingly brave, and that courage stems from
her empathy. She doesn’t have to prove herself, and she
doesn’t have to have that edge. She’s got great heart, and
she’s a lot braver than I am!
Absolutely. They both have a great empathy for their patients
and a maverick quality. There is so much politics in that world
– people just want to look after their own corner – but neither
of them is like that. They will take anyone on and run
enormous risks because they feel so strongly about looking
after their patients. They recognise that in each other.
There’s a symbiosis that stems from the dance of work. They
come from the same place. They both want to do the job and
not be tied up by bureaucracy and pen pushing. They make
an extraordinary team.
There is also history between them, isn’t there?
Yes. They were together as a couple two years previously. The
relationship didn't last long, but it was intense. People
working in trauma are adrenaline junkies – in that they’re very
similar to actors. It’s a heightened world, so relationships and
feelings get heightened in the process. It’s a highly
pressurised universe.
How did their relationship begin?
When Fiona started out as a doctor, Glen was her mentor.
As a young graduate, she would have vowed that she
wouldn’t have a big relationship with her consultant, that
would have been too much of a cliche. But he empowered
her and allowed her to do her work rather than pontificating
or using his power. He facilitated her work, so she really
grew under him. Working together, they developed a
mutual understanding and began to finish each other’s
sentences. From that, their relationship moved quickly on
to the next level…
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They continue to dance around each other. There’s still
something between them. They keep slightly missing each
other – it’s almost as if they’re terrified of each other. It’s the
kind of love where you get frightened that you’ll get lost
because it’s so intense and all encompassing.
It’s been extraordinary. He is an incredible actor. It’s been so
rewarding collaborating with him. I’ve had the most brilliant
time. He has also become fantastically skilled at the medical
procedures. He’s so good, he could probably operate on
someone now!
It’s absolutely enhanced my respect for doctors. Whenever
an ambulance passes me now, I think, “I wonder what’s
happening there.” The decisions they have to make every day
are literally life or death. The doctors working in trauma are
total heroes!
”W HAT I REALLY LIKE IS
THAT THIS SCRIPT
SHOWS MY CHARACTER
FIONA IS STRONG
WITHOUT BEING
HARD. HER STRENGTH
COMES FROM THE
FACT THAT SHE’S
AMAZINGLY BRAVE.”
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PRASANNA PUWANARAJAH
KIMBERLEY NIXON
has a pace and a level of drama that are innately exciting.
involved with a colleague, and they bring their personal life
into the trauma unit, which you just can’t do. When you’re
literally holding someone’s heart in your hand, you can’t be
giving your boyfriend daggers for something he did earlier. So
they don’t handle it very well, but she learns from it.
Please describe your character for us.
Ramakrishna is in exactly the same place in his medical career
that I would have been if I continued as a doctor. He’s two
years away from being a consultant. He has a specific interest
in the anaesthetics of trauma. In the operating theatre, he is
the keeper of the airway. For want of a better phrase, he likes
the cut and thrust of this area. In Critical, you don’t get
scenes where characters tell each other what they feel. Those
moments are stolen around the care of the patients. But
that’s what makes this such an exciting and different drama
to be in.
Is Harry our way in to this world?
Yes. The audience follow Harry a lot of the time because she’s
new and, like the viewers, has been thrust into this
environment without knowing very much about it. She’s a
good doctor, but the pace of the work doesn’t allow her time
to think. Everybody’s running around, but she’s scared to
make decisions because you could kill someone if you get it
wrong. But the viewers are with her all the way because she
doesn’t know what’s going on, and they don’t, either!
Do you think that the idea of setting it within the so-called
golden hour is effective?
Some of the scenes in the operating theatre are pretty full-on.
Did they ever make you feel queasy?
Definitely. It offers the viewers a really unusual experience of
spending an hour with someone whose life is in the balance.
That’s very Greek. More than other real-time shows, this
drama adheres to that limitation because you never leave
the hospital. You’re confined in one room with a patient
whose life is on a knife edge. The golden hour is when these
life or death outcomes are determined, and that’s what
makes it so thrilling. So despite the fact that the medical
drama is a very popular genre, this one felt really special.
No, I’m not at all squeamish. My character ends up with her
hands inside people’s bodies. I’m a tomboy, and I love blood
and guts! Also the prosthetics are amazing, they really help
you get into a scene. The hardest thing is that you have to
learn how to do several things at the same time, like talk to a
patient while opening a packet of syringes without looking. It
makes me really admire what real doctors do.
Why do you think that using the real-time format makes such
an impact?
How would you characterise your time on Critical?
It’s been amazing. This job has been like no other. It’s been
intense, but so enjoyable. You feel like you have to perform
at the top of your game all the time and live up to this
incredible set. The other day we shot a scene that was
23 minutes long. Ten people were all running round the
operating theatre being ridiculously busy. By the end of it,
you felt like you’d run a marathon. It’s been a huge challenge,
but a wonderful experience.
How would you describe your character?
Harry is very book-smart. She really knows her stuff and is top
of the class. But when she starts working in the hospital, she
suddenly finds that things in real life aren’t as clear they were
in books. Glen and Fiona are her mentors. They are great
teachers, and she doesn’t want to let them down. From them
she learns that things aren’t always clear-cut or black-andwhite. She realises she has to stick by her decisions and
stand up for herself. She makes mistakes, but they turn her
into a better doctor. We joked that by season 15, Harry will be
a completely hardened trauma surgeon!
What sort of mistakes does Harry make?
All the surgeons hit on her, and she’s very wide-eyed. But she
has to learn not to get involved with anyone at work. She gets
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Because it’s so intense. Nothing gets left out. You see the
patient come in, and you find out all their problems at the
same time as the medical staff do. Then you watch the
doctors make decisions about how to try to save their lives.
You see every single part of the procedure right to the very
end of the golden hour.
So all in all, has it been a positive experience?
Definitely. I’ve had the most brilliant time with this wonderful
group of actors, and I’ve learned so much about what it takes
to be a doctor. If the acting all goes wrong, I think I’ll go to
medical school!
“I ’VE LEARNED SO
MUCH ABOUT WHAT
IT TAKES TO BE A
DOCTOR. IF THE ACTING
ALL GOES WRONG,
I THINK I’LL GO TO
MEDICAL SCHOOL!”
Do you miss being a doctor?
You are a fully qualified doctor in real life. So how does it feel
playing an anaesthetist on this astonishingly accurate
hospital set?
No. Initially I took time away from the NHS to direct and write
plays and short films, but I could always go back to medicine.
I’m exceptionally lucky to be in a position where I’m able to
choose between acting and being a doctor. But for the time
being, I don’t regret leaving medicine. It is still absolutely part
of me, and it defines how I think. I think like a scientist. When
I’m looking at a script, I’m on the hunt for evidence or testing
hypotheses. My approach is exactly the same as my approach
to medicine. But I’m very happy with what I’m doing now.
It triggers a lot of flashbacks. Even though I’ve never done
anaesthesia, this environment feels very familiar, although I’ve
certainly never worked in a hospital as nice as this! When the
medical advisers had a snoop around the set, they said,
“You’ve got some good kit here.”
What aspects of your own medical career have you been able
to bring in to this drama?
The thing that has been most useful is the experience of
actually working in a hospital. Medical people don’t always
get things right. In a lot of medical dramas, everyone is
brilliant and infallible, but we should remember that they’re
actually human. They’re not perfect. I have been keen to
bring in those moments where doctors and nurses don’t
seem effective or able to cope with their personal lives
impinging on their work. I want to show that medical people,
just like the rest of the population, can fray at the edges.
What prompted you to want to be in Critical?
Because I’d never read a medical drama as fascinating as this.
It’s relentless and forensic about what people will do to save
lives in a specific period of time. The detail is so crisp, and it
“T HE GOLDEN HOUR
IS WHEN THESE LIFE
OR DEATH OUTCOMES
ARE DETERMINED, AND
THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT
SO THRILLING.”
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NEVE MCINTOSH
ELLEN THOMAS
“C ONFLICT IS ALWAYS
MORE INTERESTING TO
PLAY. NOT EVERYONE
GETS ALONG IN THE
TRAUMA UNIT. IN A
HARD-PRESSED JOB
LIKE THIS, THERE WILL
ALWAYS BE FRICTION.”
“T HE IDEA OF THE
GOLDEN HOUR GIVES
IT A GREAT DRAMATIC
INTENSITY. WITHIN
THAT KEY FIRST 60
MINUTES AFTER AN
ACCIDENT, IF THE
MEDICAL TEAM CAN
STABILISE THE PATIENT,
HE OR SHE STANDS A
VERY GOOD CHANCE
OF SURVIVING.”
of him. He’s heading up the trauma team, and they all have to
put ultimate trust in him, but she doesn’t really know him. So
to begin with, they have some fiery exchanges.
Do you enjoy those scenes?
What made you want to be involved with Critical?
The prospect of working with Jed Mercurio again. I did Bodies
with him, so this is all his fault! We have had some very good
chats about the character. At first, Jed thought that she
could actually be the same character I played in Bodies, but I
said, “No, no.” I didn’t want to go back. It’s great because now I
get the chance to do something completely different.
Could you please outline your character for us?
At the beginning, people won’t like Nicola because she’s
very strict. There is a whole issue about whether she’s a
goodie or a baddie. She doesn’t stand any nonsense, but
she is in charge so she has to be strict. She’s everybody’s
boss, but she’s not above getting her hands dirty. If there is
muck on the floor that needs cleaning, she’ll be down there
doing it herself.
What drives her?
Nicola is all about the team. At first, she clashes with Glen
and Fiona because she feels they have a secret alliance, and
in Nicola’s mind everyone should be part of the team. She
doesn’t like anything that is done out of sight, and she can
get quite nippy. In the end, we see that she’s a goodie, but
she still doesn’t kiss anyone’s behind.
How is her relationship with Glen?
At the start, she has no idea who Glen is, so she’s suspicious
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Yes, they are good face-off moments, which are always fun to
play! Conflict is always more interesting to play. Not everyone
gets along in the trauma unit. In a hard-pressed job like this,
there will always be friction. I really admire medical people.
They have a great sense of humour, and they just have to get
on with it. You can’t spare the feelings of anyone in the team.
Their attitude is, “This person is dying, so just shut up and get
on with the job.”
Have you enjoyed working on the same set for so long?
Definitely. Working here together for 10 months has helped
us bond. We even rigged up a basketball net made out of a
waste-paper basket and manufactured balls out of rubber
gloves and bits of paper. But sadly the props department
needed the basket back so they took it away. We’ve had a
real laugh here.
What do you like about working with Jed?
He makes it so easy for actors. We don’t have to think about
our lines. We accept everything he gives us for our characters
because we know it’ll be so good. With some writers, the
script looks beautiful on the page, but actually nobody
speaks like that. That never happens with Jed. His dialogue is
effortless and natural.
What do you hope audiences will take away from this drama?
I’d like to think they’ll gain an even greater respect for the
NHS than they already have. We show the most severe things
that can happen to people and then demonstrate that
during the first hour afterwards, the doctors and nurses do
their very best to save them. That’s incredible. People should
really appreciate what they do.
Talk us through your character.
Constance has been working in the NHS for 20-odd years.
During that time she has seen a lot of changes. She’s risen
through the ranks. She’s a traditional, hand-holding sister
who offers that personal touch. Back in the day, there were
no trolleys in the corridor. Her children have left home, so now
she’s mothering the fresh-faced doctors.
Does Constance get on well with Glen?
Yes. They’re both interested in saving lives. For them, it’s all
about the patient. Glen says, “If things turn out badly, I want
to be able to look the patient’s family in the eye and tell them
we did everything we could and really mean it.” Throughout
the series, we see him try absolutely everything to save his
patients. At first you think he’s a wide boy, then you see him
take control and get things done and you think, “Hello, I like
you. You can stay!” It helps that Lennie is so brilliant as Glen.
He is fabulous to work with.
Why do think the real-time format works so well
in Critical?
The idea of the golden hour gives it a great dramatic
intensity. Within that key first 60 minutes after an accident,
if the medical team can stabilise the patient, he or she
stands a very good chance of surviving.
Was it helpful to go and shadow a real-life sister at St George’s
Hospital in South London?
Absolutely. It was awesome. We witnessed the staff there
saving lives every day. We saw them treat victims of heart
attacks and strokes. You get to understand how everyone
in the team is doing their bit without having to be told what
to do. It increased my respect for the NHS big time. We’re so
lucky to have it. I had great respect for the NHS before,
but after going to St George’s, it went through the roof.
Any petition in support of the NHS now, I’m there.
Where’s the march?
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DANNY KIRRANE
“T HERE IS A LOT OF
BLOOD AND GUTS,
SO MEDICS EMPLOY
BLACK HUMOUR
TO GET THROUGH
IT. OTHERWISE,
EVERYTHING WOULD
HURT TOO MUCH.”
MARK REDHEAD
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Why do you think Critical will be so appealing
to viewers?
What made you so keen to appear in Critical?
It’s so different from anything I’d ever read. I’m an actor, but I
did a physics degree, and the geek in me came out when I
read this script. This is so on it. I immediately thought, “I’d love
to have a go at that!”
What makes this drama stand out for you?
The beauty of it is its authenticity. In order to use the
equipment properly, you have to be really on top of it. That
makes the relationships between the characters stronger
because viewers really believe that they’re in that world.
Often medical dramas are set in a hospital, but the medical
stuff is going on in the background. Here that is the focus of
the scene, and the character stuff is going on around it. That
makes it so believable.
Tell us about your character.
Billy is an anaesthetic ODP. They used to be called “theatre
boys”. They assist the anaesthetist with tubing and
ventilation. They’re not doctors or nurses, but they still have
three years’ training. They know where everything is. They
have all the drugs ready, especially in a trauma situation
because then every second counts. My character has quite a
dry sense of humour. You need a sense of humour to deal
with the sights you see in trauma. There is a lot of blood and
guts, so medics employ black humour to get through it.
Otherwise, everything would hurt too much. Billy uses
humour to take the edge off it.
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Can you expand on that?
There is a great episode where someone they know suffers
serious burns. At that moment, Billy goes into overdrive,
talking about anything but the patient. It’s quite a natural
thing to do. British people are like that – “let’s not talk about
the horror we’re witnessing, let’s make a joke about it instead.”
Billy also has crushes on various female members of staff that
never work out. In a group he is fun, but on his own he
becomes nervy and awkward. The wrong thing always comes
out of his mouth before he has had a chance to filter it. It’s
foot in mouth with him every time. Everyone goes, “Oh, Billy!”
A lot of sci-fi shows are really exciting – for instance, we make
great shows about going to the moon. But actually the most
amazing place to go is our own body. It’s like inner space –
it’s miraculous and awesome. What medical teams can do
nowadays is amazing and so exciting. This show is intensely
visceral and bloody – the doctors have to crack open chests
and cut through skin and bone. But what they do is so
awe-inspiring, that it doesn’t push the viewer away. It’s
actually really thrilling and rather beautiful.
Tell us about the show’s unique format.
Is Lennie convincing as a surgeon?
Definitely. He’s very dexterous, and we now take his physical
skill for granted. But he also has an incredibly good brain.
He’s absorbed an amazing amount of technology and
anatomy. He also has a very good relationship with the
medical adviser. They’ve really hit it off. They’re from different
backgrounds, but they are both a breed apart. They’re both
drawn to action and adrenaline. Being an actor is about
being in the moment, and being a trauma surgeon is also
about being in the moment.
What are Jed Mercurio’s strengths?
I’m more emotional than he is. People in his situation have
to put up barriers because of the things they see every
day. You couldn’t do your job properly if you felt sorry for
every patient.
The real-time approach takes you into a dramatic area
that has so far been unexplored. A lot of drama depends
on back story. In traditional medical dramas, we are
shown a lot of stuff about family and relationships.
But this is set in the here and now, and it’s much more
urgent. The first hour after an accident is critical to a
patient’s survival, and that’s why we’ve called it Critical.
It’s inherently dramatic.
He’s an incredible man. He’s very intelligent, brings a great
technical expertise and treats the job of writing in a really
professional way. His ability to turn scripts around is
unbelievable. He also has a very original view of what is
dramatic and how to tell a story. He doesn’t believe in
hypothetical situations. Everything is rooted in the actual.
Jed’s writing is very purposeful and isn’t woolly. He’s very
practical, and that’s why his genius idea of doing it in real
time works so well.
Why do you think Critical works so well as a series?
What does Lennie James bring to the show?
What impact do you hope that Critical will have on audiences?
How similar are you to Billy?
Because there is so much natural drama in a hospital. It’s
literally life and death. I really admire people who work in
hospitals. After a week shadowing a real-life anaesthetic ODP
at St George’s Hospital in South London, I rang my mum and
said, “I can’t believe what they do in the NHS.” Even if you
don’t use it very much, it’s still well worth fighting for. It’s
incredible that anyone can be admitted to the trauma unit,
and the staff will do their best to save you. The professionals
who work in hospitals are amazing people.
He’s just brilliant. He’s fantastically charismatic and
intelligent, but also very generous. Jed says that when you
see that Lennie is number one on the call sheet, you feel very
comfortable. He is a great team captain. All other actors really
respect him. The show is about how this maverick figure is
called in to head up this team that isn't working and then
welds them into a crack unit. He makes the team gel and gets
them into shape. That’s the journey of the series, and it works
because people want to follow Lennie.
I hope viewers will be thrilled by the opportunity to watch the
human body in extremis and characters who are on the front
line of saving people’s lives. I’m a sentimental fool, but I find
myself frequently welling up with tears out of sheer awe at
what they do. I know that body is plastic, but I’m so caught up
in the moment that I’m just amazed by how complex and
wondrous the human body is. It’s just awe-inspiring. The
show should feel very positive. There is genuine jeopardy, but
in the end Critical is a real celebration of life.
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CHRISTOPHER HALL
PRODUCER
What makes Critical different from other medical dramas?
There are lots of medical dramas out there, but this stands
out in many, many different ways. No member of the cast or
crew was quite prepared for what we’re attempting. We’re all
out of our comfort zone. The reason it’s so different and why
it will work is because the actors are actually doing the
medical procedures themselves. On most medical dramas,
you get a close-up of the actor’s head and then you cut
through someone else’s hands doing the operation. Normally
producers do a lot of cheating, but we’re trying to do it for
real. And that makes everything much more authentic.
Tell us more.
It’s set in real time with real procedures and real passion in
the actors' eyes. That communicates itself in their
performances. How characters react to their situation and to
each other is what drama is about and what makes this so
gripping. These are all great actors, but the fact that they’re
not busking it makes it all the more compelling. They’re in the
moment, really believing that they’re trying to save a life.
You have a lot of rehearsal time. Does that help?
Yes. The drama is so convincing because the rehearsal
process is so comprehensive. It is an extended choreography
as the cast work with blood and prosthetics. Sometimes we
rehearse a scene for five hours and shoot it for three days. If
the script says, “The army marches over the hill,” that
sentence can take an awfully long time to film. We have to
make sure it’s correct.
What does Lennie James bring to the table?
He is a phenomenally powerful actor. He has that natural
authority. He demands respect as an actor and as a human
being. When he says “No”, people listen. The intensity he gives
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to this role is something wonderful to behold. I’m thrilled
with what he’s doing as Glen. We’re very fortunate to have
got him because he’s so much in demand on both sides of
the Atlantic.
What makes Jed Mercurio such a special writer?
He is a fierce talent. He’s so original. I don’t know anyone else
who writes so well about this world. The fact that he is a
doctor brings so much to the project. He has a specific vision
for the screen, and we are all buying into his ambition to
realise it.
Does he write well for actors?
Yes, because he writes for specific performers. He will hear
something in a rehearsal and adjust the script accordingly.
That plays into the idea that everything in this show is in the
moment. He finds what puts these characters under stress
and shows how they react to that.
Is it beneficial that you are all based in the same studio?
Yes. That helps a great deal. It gives the production a
collegiate feel. Everything is here, from the editors and
producers to the caterers and the cast. Everyone feeds off
each other. Everything is contained here and contributes
to the whole. That has enormous benefits. We can all learn
from each other and help each other. We’ve really grown as
a group here.
Finally, what do you hope viewers will take away from
watching Critical?
CONTACTS
Annabel Rudden
[email protected]
020 7032 6845
Nicola Vincent
[email protected]
020 7032 3078
DVDs:
Emily Trant
[email protected]
020 7032 1505
Image requests:
Stills Department
[email protected]
020 7032 4202
I hope they will be riveted by this drama which conveys what
it is like for these medics in the moment. I think we’re
delivering something highly original here. There isn’t anything
else on TV like it.
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