Post by Katrina on Jan 27, 2011 14:13:16 GMT 1
From the BBC Press Office
Doctors
Wednesday 16 February on BBC ONE
To celebrate its 2,000th episode, a specially commissioned one-hour episode of Doctors can be seen on BBC One on Wednesday 16 February, when a deadly virus threatens the staff and its patients inside the Mill surgery.
To mark this special occasion, Programme Information talks to some of the stars to find out what they love about their character, why they think Doctors is so successful and what viewers can look forward to in the 2,000th episode.
Diane Keen plays Julia Parsons
What do you love about Julia?
I don't always love playing Julia as she can be quite silly, but she can also be extraordinary. She was a wild child – in capital letters – when she was young. She was a groupie and hung out with all the top bands. We won't go too deeply into what she did and didn't do with them – but they fancied the pants off her! She was a good-looking woman in leathers or whatever the gear was at the time. She became more sensible and eventually – through Mac – ended up at the Mill, and then the campus. I bring the wild child out, because it's still there inside her.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think – I could be wrong here – but I think part of the appeal is that we do have a complete story every day, and if viewers miss the serial line with us regulars, they're going to get value for money in their half-hour by watching a story with guest artists. It's like they have a mini film to watch, regardless of what's happening with the regulars.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
It's quite special – it really is – what happens is quite spectacular. It's going to be amazing.
Matthew Chambers plays Dr Daniel Granger
What do you love about Daniel?
I like that he lacks consistency. He tries very hard to be consistent and to do the right thing but he continually finds himself in situations where he makes wrong decisions. You're not quite sure how he'll react to any given situation, which is lovely and great to play, because it's exciting.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
In terms of the product, I think the quality is excellent. For 27 minutes of television drama, at 1.45 in the afternoon, we do a pretty good job.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
Because of the high stakes, Daniel ends up getting into trouble. Not immediately, but something is forced upon him, in a way, and that's been wonderful to play because that will, of course, have consequences and they will be out of his hands.
Elisabeth Dermot Walsh plays Dr Zara Carmichael
What do you love about Zara?
Her flaws are what I love about her. I just love the complexity of her, that she's not just one thing, and that I'm allowed to play a private and a public persona. Her exterior is confident and hard and then inside she's actually very vulnerable. I also love when a character is contradictory, when you think you know how they're going to behave and then they confound your expectations. That's great fun to play.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
It's story-telling. Every day there's a new, wonderful story and we change genre. There are storylines which have a more comic element, or a more surreal element, or very sobering serious storylines. We also have stories of the day where we really tackle proper, contemporary, relevant issues, and then we have much more camp storylines, sort of fulfilling the melodrama required of a soap. So I love all of that, the diversity.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
The 2,000th is a wonderful, dramatic storyline, and I think it's very beautifully written. It's got a real lyricism about it. Owen's (Dr Heston Carter) monologue at the end, his sort of summing up, is very moving. Zara is stuck in a room with the patient from hell and she would much rather be – well, guess where she'd much rather be!
Charlie Clemmow plays Imogen Hollins
What do you love about Imogen?
Everything. Probably the main thing is that she's so different to me. There are things that I can definitely relate to, and I look back at myself when I was 17 years old and there are definitely parts of my personality that I think ring true. But she's so bold, and she can be so cheeky and so naughty but she's got such a good heart.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think it appeals to a wide range of people and I think that's important in this economic climate, you need to feed a diverse group. We've now got the whole spectrum really with age and gender, and culture and background, so I think that a lot of our audience find that they can relate to different people. I also think the humour makes Doctors successful. A lot of the comments that I've got recently have been "Oh it's just so funny!", and I think sometimes people don't compliment that enough.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
The best thing about it is that everyone's a part of it. It's not very often that we pick up a script and everyone's in it. There are characters that Imogen would never normally come into contact with, and yet we're all sharing this story.
Chris Walker plays Sgt Rob Hollins
What do you love about Rob?
That's easy. Because I play the local copper, when I get my stories I get my own police show to play, and when I'm with my family I get my own little sitcom to play. It's not all fun and games in the family, because recently we've been doing some very heavy stuff, which has been fabulous to do, but we have a great time as well as a family, and we do have some laughs. So that's easily the best thing – that I switch from one to the other.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
The reason why it's so successful, in my eyes, is because it's a cross between soap and play for the day, which no other soap does. It's the standalone stories every day that – because the genres change all the time, the styles of shows change all the time – we can, if you like, mess about with the show. You can do flashbacks, you can do comedy, you can do spoof and get away with it. And that's what we do and that's what makes it so exciting. And I think that's what has helped to give it its longevity because it is so diverse.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
It's an hour long for a start, so it lets us get deeper into the story, which is great. And it's a gripping story, so that's been lovely.
Lorna Laidlaw plays Mrs Tembe
What do you love about Mrs Tembe?
I always describe her as a sort of Botswanan Hyacinth Bucket as she gets herself into lots of scrapes. She's very forthright, and very religious. I think she gives Zara a run for her money, and it's always nice when I'm playing with Zara because we do sort of bounce off each other, and sparks fly, and I really do love that. I think she's come on to the scene and left a real, very positive Botswanan stamp on it, which I think is fantastic.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think it's because the storylines are so varied, that sometimes you go, "What! Really?" and then sometimes some of them are so real. I think that the emotional journeys that all the actors go through is great entertainment, because it's great to watch an actor go through all of that in a very short space of time.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
It's really exciting and different and I think that's really fantastic. It's good to do those things out of the blue that nobody's expecting.
Sophie Abelson plays Nurse Cherry Malone
What do you love about Cherry?
Well she's so lovely, isn't she? She's so nice. If only I could be as good a person as she is. I think it's great that she's such a good person but I also like the fact that she's not a pushover, and I think that's something that has developed over time.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think the producers are very good at producing characters that gel well together and have so many different layers and I think the audience really gets to know the characters, and really gets to love or hate them. As actors in the show we get such a good opportunity to show range; we get put in so many different, bizarre situations, and also everyday situations, that I think the audience can really relate to us. Also I think it's the variety of the guest stories as well. Viewers can really get to know the regular characters but have the interest of the guest stories, so anyone that switches on can just enjoy a single episode, as well as the avid fans that watch it daily and know everything about it as well.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
Well obviously I've read the script and I've seen it and I think it's great and I think the audience are going to love it. It's going to keep them on the edge of their seats. There's lots of twists and turns and I think they'll enjoy it because it's got all the regular characters in it and also we've got some great guest artists that are part of it as well.
Doctors
Wednesday 16 February on BBC ONE
To celebrate its 2,000th episode, a specially commissioned one-hour episode of Doctors can be seen on BBC One on Wednesday 16 February, when a deadly virus threatens the staff and its patients inside the Mill surgery.
To mark this special occasion, Programme Information talks to some of the stars to find out what they love about their character, why they think Doctors is so successful and what viewers can look forward to in the 2,000th episode.
Diane Keen plays Julia Parsons
What do you love about Julia?
I don't always love playing Julia as she can be quite silly, but she can also be extraordinary. She was a wild child – in capital letters – when she was young. She was a groupie and hung out with all the top bands. We won't go too deeply into what she did and didn't do with them – but they fancied the pants off her! She was a good-looking woman in leathers or whatever the gear was at the time. She became more sensible and eventually – through Mac – ended up at the Mill, and then the campus. I bring the wild child out, because it's still there inside her.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think – I could be wrong here – but I think part of the appeal is that we do have a complete story every day, and if viewers miss the serial line with us regulars, they're going to get value for money in their half-hour by watching a story with guest artists. It's like they have a mini film to watch, regardless of what's happening with the regulars.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
It's quite special – it really is – what happens is quite spectacular. It's going to be amazing.
Matthew Chambers plays Dr Daniel Granger
What do you love about Daniel?
I like that he lacks consistency. He tries very hard to be consistent and to do the right thing but he continually finds himself in situations where he makes wrong decisions. You're not quite sure how he'll react to any given situation, which is lovely and great to play, because it's exciting.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
In terms of the product, I think the quality is excellent. For 27 minutes of television drama, at 1.45 in the afternoon, we do a pretty good job.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
Because of the high stakes, Daniel ends up getting into trouble. Not immediately, but something is forced upon him, in a way, and that's been wonderful to play because that will, of course, have consequences and they will be out of his hands.
Elisabeth Dermot Walsh plays Dr Zara Carmichael
What do you love about Zara?
Her flaws are what I love about her. I just love the complexity of her, that she's not just one thing, and that I'm allowed to play a private and a public persona. Her exterior is confident and hard and then inside she's actually very vulnerable. I also love when a character is contradictory, when you think you know how they're going to behave and then they confound your expectations. That's great fun to play.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
It's story-telling. Every day there's a new, wonderful story and we change genre. There are storylines which have a more comic element, or a more surreal element, or very sobering serious storylines. We also have stories of the day where we really tackle proper, contemporary, relevant issues, and then we have much more camp storylines, sort of fulfilling the melodrama required of a soap. So I love all of that, the diversity.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
The 2,000th is a wonderful, dramatic storyline, and I think it's very beautifully written. It's got a real lyricism about it. Owen's (Dr Heston Carter) monologue at the end, his sort of summing up, is very moving. Zara is stuck in a room with the patient from hell and she would much rather be – well, guess where she'd much rather be!
Charlie Clemmow plays Imogen Hollins
What do you love about Imogen?
Everything. Probably the main thing is that she's so different to me. There are things that I can definitely relate to, and I look back at myself when I was 17 years old and there are definitely parts of my personality that I think ring true. But she's so bold, and she can be so cheeky and so naughty but she's got such a good heart.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think it appeals to a wide range of people and I think that's important in this economic climate, you need to feed a diverse group. We've now got the whole spectrum really with age and gender, and culture and background, so I think that a lot of our audience find that they can relate to different people. I also think the humour makes Doctors successful. A lot of the comments that I've got recently have been "Oh it's just so funny!", and I think sometimes people don't compliment that enough.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
The best thing about it is that everyone's a part of it. It's not very often that we pick up a script and everyone's in it. There are characters that Imogen would never normally come into contact with, and yet we're all sharing this story.
Chris Walker plays Sgt Rob Hollins
What do you love about Rob?
That's easy. Because I play the local copper, when I get my stories I get my own police show to play, and when I'm with my family I get my own little sitcom to play. It's not all fun and games in the family, because recently we've been doing some very heavy stuff, which has been fabulous to do, but we have a great time as well as a family, and we do have some laughs. So that's easily the best thing – that I switch from one to the other.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
The reason why it's so successful, in my eyes, is because it's a cross between soap and play for the day, which no other soap does. It's the standalone stories every day that – because the genres change all the time, the styles of shows change all the time – we can, if you like, mess about with the show. You can do flashbacks, you can do comedy, you can do spoof and get away with it. And that's what we do and that's what makes it so exciting. And I think that's what has helped to give it its longevity because it is so diverse.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
It's an hour long for a start, so it lets us get deeper into the story, which is great. And it's a gripping story, so that's been lovely.
Lorna Laidlaw plays Mrs Tembe
What do you love about Mrs Tembe?
I always describe her as a sort of Botswanan Hyacinth Bucket as she gets herself into lots of scrapes. She's very forthright, and very religious. I think she gives Zara a run for her money, and it's always nice when I'm playing with Zara because we do sort of bounce off each other, and sparks fly, and I really do love that. I think she's come on to the scene and left a real, very positive Botswanan stamp on it, which I think is fantastic.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think it's because the storylines are so varied, that sometimes you go, "What! Really?" and then sometimes some of them are so real. I think that the emotional journeys that all the actors go through is great entertainment, because it's great to watch an actor go through all of that in a very short space of time.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
It's really exciting and different and I think that's really fantastic. It's good to do those things out of the blue that nobody's expecting.
Sophie Abelson plays Nurse Cherry Malone
What do you love about Cherry?
Well she's so lovely, isn't she? She's so nice. If only I could be as good a person as she is. I think it's great that she's such a good person but I also like the fact that she's not a pushover, and I think that's something that has developed over time.
Why do you think Doctors is so successful?
I think the producers are very good at producing characters that gel well together and have so many different layers and I think the audience really gets to know the characters, and really gets to love or hate them. As actors in the show we get such a good opportunity to show range; we get put in so many different, bizarre situations, and also everyday situations, that I think the audience can really relate to us. Also I think it's the variety of the guest stories as well. Viewers can really get to know the regular characters but have the interest of the guest stories, so anyone that switches on can just enjoy a single episode, as well as the avid fans that watch it daily and know everything about it as well.
What can viewers look forward to in the 2,000th episode?
Well obviously I've read the script and I've seen it and I think it's great and I think the audience are going to love it. It's going to keep them on the edge of their seats. There's lots of twists and turns and I think they'll enjoy it because it's got all the regular characters in it and also we've got some great guest artists that are part of it as well.
