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.

[beccabear67]

I've only seen one 1972 example of General Hospital, more soapish, and the main memory is of the male doctors all looking like they'd just come out of the hairdressers! The story seemed quite good though, with various patients with problems, and I'd watch more if I had the chance.

General Hospital was preceded by Call Oxbridge 2000 (ATV 1961). Richard Thorp (later a stalwart of Emmerdale) was Dr. John Rennie from the pilot episode. He stands out as one of the few actors on screen not over-acting as a 'character' including the patients. I hated pretty much the entire supporting cast from just that first episode that survives.

Emergency: Ward 10 (ATV 1966) shines in contrast, though set in the same Oxbridge as the earlier programme. Bernard Breeslaw was the guest star patient in the one I saw as an amnesia case with injuries from a fall. The back story of a clown haunting him leads to finding out he is a former boxer. Self-contained stories format within a serial framework.

I'm not sure if General Hospital which was also made by ATV was also set in the same Oxbridge...

[beccabear67]

In Nurses episode 10, which I watched last night, there was a Hindu third year nurse played by Karan David who had come over with her family after Idi Amin had Asians kicked out of Uganda. She goes to her first house party. Two first year nurses wander around trying to find the party (and fail), and a male nurse is insulted by one of the other blokes there.