Entertainment

Casualty keeps viewers in suspense with one-shot episode

The hospital drama tried a new approach.
The hospital drama tried a new approach.

Casualty fans were on the edge of their seats for the first ever one-shot episode of the hospital drama.

Viewers were taken on a one-hour journey through the BBC One show’s A&E department, following in the footsteps of Nurse Lisa “Duffy” Duffin (Cathy Shipton) as she guided teenage work experience visitors Chloe and Diamond.

Casualty
(Adrian Heap/BBC/Adrian Heap)
Duffy had to contend with the work experience students (BBC)

A cable-free camera and 360-degree shots captured everything from hospital wards to the inside of a moving ambulance in just one single scene.

Fans of the BBC One series thought that the unusual episode had worked brilliantly.

One tweeted: “Nah, but let’s just appreciate @BBCCasualty for actually even attempting that! That was phenomenal.”

Someone else added: “An incredible episode to end an incredible series!! So, so proud!! #CasualtyOne”

Another agreed: “#CasualtyOne Awesome episode, brilliant acting. Made you feel part of it. Congrats to all who made it happen.”

People were impressed by the realistic take on what hospital staff face at work.

A viewer tweeted: “Tonight’s #Casualty really showed a representation of the physical & emotional stresses in our NHS & hospitals.”

Someone else agreed: “That episode captured the real struggles and huge challenges of a busy ED beautifully.”

However, some viewers complained that the innovative filming had an unpleasant effect.

One tweeted: “My goodness! How good was #CasualtyOne ! A bit dizzy vision but was excellent x”

Another wrote: “Finding #CasualtyOne hard to watch! Givin me a headache.”

Fans were worried about how they would fill their Saturday nights after the series finale.

One wrote: “Casualty will return in three weeks” this is not okay.”

Another complained: “Now #CasualtyOne is over. What do we do next week, and the week after….”

Commenting on her role in the episode, which concludes the show’s 30th anniversary series, Shipton said: “It is so exciting and nerve-wracking to be working on this episode and unlike anything any of us cast or crew have ever attempted before.

“It is a brilliant fly-on-the-wall episode in real time, placing nurses central in the storyline. It will become a classic Casualty.”