Casualtyfans… today’s the day that the 40th anniversary special episodes finally arrive. Both will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer. from September 5 — and believe me when I tell you that you’re not ready for what’s coming your way.
Without spoiling anything, let’s recap what we know so far. Episodes are centered on a massive explosion near a bridge over a gorge (the real-life Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England if you know it), plunging the city of Holby, and the hospital, into immediate chaos.
In the back of an ambulance, Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) and clinical lead Flynn Byron (Olly Rix) are caught in a race against time. Meanwhile, Dylan Keogh (William Beck) must lead the emergency department through its darkest hour… including facing his own personal tragedy.
If HBO Max decided to set The Pitt in south-west England, this is what it would look like. I don’t feel like we’ve seen mass casualties (pun not intended) on a scale like this before, even in the epic anniversary episodes of years gone by.
Speaking to its cast, they’re just as excited about what’s coming as I am. In fact, they’ve outright confirmed that fans are “in for a hell of a ride.”
‘There are so many twists and turns’
“Hopefully the fans will love it,” Melanie Hill begins. “I think they will, because, obviously, the stakes are really high. The opening 30 seconds… you couldn’t get much bigger than an apocalyptic explosion hitting the town.
“There are so many twists and turns in these double-header that it’s going to be a big rise for everyone. We just hope a lot of people will watch. A few old cast members have a return, so it’s got a bit of everything in it.”
Obviously, not much can be said about just who these returning cameos will be from, as much as the internet is convinced that they’ve got it right. My advice? Every single second of both episodes need to be watched for you to catch the CasualtyEaster eggs in them.
“There’s a bit of nostalgia, but it’s a Casualtyepisode that’s been cranked up to 40,” Neet Mohan adds. “It’s hopefully a lot of fun for the audience and a hell of a ride.”
“Like roller coasters, it really is like being jolted this way, then taking that way, and there are dips when, frankly, it’s difficult to look,” William Beck agrees. “And then there are very slow cranks. Like you’re picked up by a tornado at the beginning, you go right through the eye of the thing and you think you’re never going to be able to get out the other side. And if it leaves people shocked, then that’s what we want. “
I’ve got a funny feeling that the BBC is going to achieve exactly that — and now I want every single future episode to be operating at this level of intense drama, please.
