Angels(1975)

[beccabear67]

We've started watching a BBC series from the '70s about student nurses at a hospital in London. I think one of the second year nurses later took over from the original lead nurse in Where The Heart Is. So far so good, and in episode two a couple of them do a bit of sightseeing and you get to see Carnaby street! We gave The Onedin Line a sail for four episodes but the fourth one was so horrid we left it for this show (which is on Youtube). Never watched it before but we did watch Children's Ward for awhile. Something I read described Angels as the Z cars of hospital show. I hope it doesn't get too serious...

[Semi42]

Yeah, good show, I still remember the theme tune

[George 1978]

I was too young to remember it personally, and so I am doing this from research. I believe that it was an indirect predecessor to Casualty - it was a 1970s and early 1980s equivilent of that series. Angels, was of course, named after St Angela's Hospital in which the series was based. For those who are curious: St Angela was an Italian Catholic religious educator who founded the Company of St Ursula in 1535 in Brescia, in which women dedicated their lives to the service of the church through the education of girls. As she died on 27th January 1540 aged 65, I guess that 27th January is St Angela's Day if it exists.

Anyway, a lot of famous actresses (I hate it when people say "female actors") played various nurses - Julie Dawn Cole (who I always associate with being in the 1971 Willy Wonka film) played Jo Longhurst; one of those nurses. It does sound like if anyone enjoyed Casualty, then they would enjoy Angels, but that's a bit like saying that anyone who like The Bill would enjoy The Sweeney or Special Branch. On ITV around the same time during the first few years, ATV's General Hospital was still being seen; I assume, a very similar series which was no relation to its American namesake.