THE ROYAL

'''The Royal''' is a British medical drama. The serial television show features one hour episodes aired by ITV. The title refers to the fictional "St Aidan's Royal Free Hospital", which is located in the rural seaside town of Elsinby close to Whitby, Scarborough and Aidensfield. The town serves both the local farmers and townsfolk and visiting holidaymakers. The show is set in the 1960s and is filmed in the Yorkshire holiday resort of Scarborough. It is a spin-off show from the popular ITV show ''Heartbeat''. Current stars include Wendy Craig, and Amy Robbins.
Series 6 like Series 5 has been broken into two blocks of 6 episodes and the second block of six episodes are expected to be transmitted in September 2007. A daytime spin-off, ''The Royal Today'', set in the present day is also in production.

Contents

Overview

Trivia

Current cast

Departing cast

Previous cast members

Series guide

External links

Overview

''The Royal'' was introduced in the 12th series ''Heartbeat'' episode 'Out Of The Blue'. Several ''Heartbeat'' characters appeared in the first couple of series of ''The Royal'', most notably Bill Maynard as a bed-ridden Claude Greengrass. However, as the series has progressed, it has generally dropped its character crossovers with ''Heartbeat'' to become its own entity.
The majority of the plots centre around medical emergencies and the moral dilemmas created or exposed by the emergencies. Typically there are several on-going crises, each being confronted by one or more staff members. The show tends to avoid political topics on the whole although the Vietnam War was touched upon in one episode, the conflict between progressive and conservative social ideals is central to the show and these issues were addressed in greater detail in season 5 following the arrival of the black Doctor Joan Makori, who joined ''The Royal'' in episode 49. She later departed for Cameroon in episode 55 with Nkeshi the Biafran refugee. The ethical challenges and social changes faced by the hospital staff and their patients mirror those faced by the world in the 1960s.
There is one on-going and as yet unsolved mystery in ''The Royal'': Matron's real name. She has never used a name throughout the series, nor has she ever been referred to by one. All that is known is that her nickname during the Second World War, when she served as a nurse, was "Toffee". However, this may all change towards the end of series 6 when Matron's niece arrives at ''The Royal''.
Filming often takes place on Scarborough South Cliff by Holbeck Clock Tower during the summer months. Many of the old cars used in the filming can be seen residing at the Motor Museum at Thornton-le-Dale just outside Scarborough.
Series 7 is currently in production, this includes a train crash in episode 1 and a car crash in episode 2 and a building collapse in episode 6 with two of the regular characters trapped inside for the mid series cliffhanger. The building collapse and subsequent explosion scenes were filmed at Scarborough's former South Bay Pool, between 28th and 31st August 2007.

Trivia

★ The telephone number for ''The Royal'' back in the late 60's was Elsinby 3323, and there was no Tuesday Evening Surgery.

★ The code to the safe in Mr. Middleditch's office (which is now under the command of Adam Carnegie) is 1886, which is the same year ''The Royal'' was founded.

★ Episode 05.09 in the Series 5 Presspack is clearly entitled "Winners & Losers". However, in the opening credits, the episode title that appears on screen is "Winners & Loser".

★ An illustrated booklet by Dr Edward Black giving a full history of "The Royal", Red Court, its owner Alfred Shuttleworth, and a history of Scarborough is available from the Clock Cafe, Scarborough Information Centres, Scarborough Library, Stephen Joseph Theatre - and the ice cream man outside Redcourt @ £4.

★ The interior scenes are filmed at St Luke's Hospital Bradford, in the now disused Maternity Wing. It was chosen because it had not been updated in many years, and was very similar to how a 1960's hospital would have appeared.

★ St Luke's Hospital Bradford was the Bradford Workhouse, and was a military hospital during and after WW1.

★ The second half of Series 6 starting with 06.07 Starting Over is currently being aired on DR1 in Denmark before it as been broadcast in the UK, even though the UK produces the series.

Current cast

★ Natalie Anderson - Nurse Stella Davenport (2005- )

★ Linda Armstrong - Sister Brigid (2003- )

★ Robert Cavanah - Adam Carnegie (2006- )

★ Wendy Craig - Matron (2003- )

★ Amelia Curtis - Nurse Catherine Deane (2006-2007 )

★ Robert Daws - Dr. Gordon Ormerod (2003- )

★ Michelle Hardwick - Lizzie Hopkirk (2003- )

★ Denis Lill - Mr. Rose

★ Andy Wear - Alun Morris

★ Amy Robbins - Dr. Jill Weatherill

★ Scott Taylor - Frankie Robinson

★ Tara Berwin - Katie Ormerod #2 (Series 6-)

★ Thomas Fox - Tom Ormerod #2 (Series 6-)

★ Joseph Lamb - Jonathan Ormerod (Series 6-)

★ Sydney Wade - Laura (2007- only a guest star for episode of same title 06.10 Laura)

★ Kari Corbett - Nurse Marian McKaig (2007-)

★ Sam Callis - Dr Mike Banner (2007, series 6 only)

★ Michael Starke - Ken Hopkirk (2003-2007)

Departing cast

★ Michael Starke - Ken Hopkirk - joined ''Coronation Street'', will return in Ep 3 of S7 to tie up storylines.

★ Sam Callis - Dr. Mike Banner - joined ''The Bill''

Previous cast members

★ Ian Carmichael - Hospital Secretary T.J. Middleditch (2003 – 2006, 2007)

★ Julian Ovenden - Dr. David Cheriton (2003)

★ Anna Madeley - Nurse Samantha Beaumont

★ Polly Maberly - Dr. Lucy Klein

★ Zoie Kennedy - Staff Nurse Meryl Taylor (2003 – 2006)

★ Kananu Kirimi - Dr. Joan Makori (2006 – 2007)

★ Paul Fox - Dr Jeff Goodwin

★ Sophie Foster - Katie Ormerod #1 (2003 – 2006) (Series 1 – 5) - Daughter of Dr Gordon Ormerod and late wife Caroline

★ Daniel Feltham - Tom Ormerod #1 (2003 – 2006) (Series 1 – 5) - Son of Dr Gordon Ormerod and late wife Caroline

★ Rachel Leskovac - Marie Beattie

★ Lauren Leake-Smith - Cassie Beattie

★ Harvey Leake-Smith - Alfie Beattie

★ Isabella Eades-Jones - Stephanie Beattie

★ David Busfield - Ben Beattie

★ Amelia Curtis - Nurse Catherine Deane

★ Helena Blair - Angela Deane

Series guide

Series 1		7 episodes
Episode	Title	Aired
1	First Impressions	19 January 2003
2	Second Time Around	26 January 2003
3	Coffin Fit	2 February 2003
4	Sister of Mercy	9 February 2003
5	Immediate Care	16 February 2003
6	Kiss and Tell	23 February 2003
7	Crash	2 March 2003

Series 2		6 episodes
Episode	Title	Aired
8	All at Sea	25 May 2003
9	Snakes and Ladders	1 June 2003
10	Thicker Than Water	8 June 2003
11	Wishing and Hoping	15 June 2003
12	One of Those Days	22 June 2003
13	The Last Waltz	29 June 2003

Series 3		14 episodes
Episode	Title	Aired
14	The Unbreakable Chain	16 November 2003
15	If Not for You	23 November 2003
16	Doing the Rounds	30 November 2003
17	Consequences	7 December 2003
18	Poison	14 December 2003
19	Famous for a Day	21 December 2003
20	Skin Deep	28 December 2003
21	Cliff hanger	4 January 2004
22	All the Fun of the Fair	11 January 2004
23	Holding on Tight	18 January 2004
24	For Those in Peril	25 January 2004
25	Reckoning	1 February 2004
26	Doing Time	8 February 2004
27	Home to Roost	15 February 2004

Series 4		12 episodes
Episode	Title	Aired
28	For Better for Worse	5 December 2004
29	Beggars and Choosers	12 December 2004
30	No Room for Ravers	19 December 2004
31	The Rose Queen	9 January 2005
32	It's What's on the Inside That Counts	16 January 2005
33	Duty Bound	23 January 2005
34	Sins of the Father	30 January 2005
35	Everybody Needs Somebody	6 February 2005
36	Say a Little Prayer	13 February 2005
37	The Way We Were	20 February 2005
38	Sinking Feeling	27 February 2005
39	While the Cat's Away	6 March 2005

Series 5		12 episodes
Episode	Title	Aired
40	Loved and Lost	12 March 2006
41	Cometh the Hour Cometh the Man	19 March 2006
42	Thinking Too Hard	26 March 2006
43	Seeking Refuge	2 April 2006
44	Fever	9 April 2006
45	Letting Go	16 April 2006
46	Love Is All You Need	17 September 2006
47	Waifs and Strays	24 September 2006
48	Winners and Losers	1 October 2006
49	Price of Progress	8 October 2006
50	Keep on Running	15 October 2006
51	From This Day Forward	22 October 2006

Series 6		12 episodes
Episode	Title	Aired
52	Absent Friends	25 March 2007
53	Home and Dry	1 April 2007
54	Hoping for the Best	8 April 2007
55	Fear of the Expected	15 April 2007
56	Dr Who	22 April 2007
57	Cursed and Blessed	29 April 2007
58	Starting Over
59	Coming To The Boil
60	Scabs
61	Laura
62	Can't Buy Me Love
63	Love & Loss

External links

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★ ''A Number of Epsiodes have been filmed here''