Angels (TV series)
Angels is a British television seasonal drama series about student nurses. It was broadcast by the BBC between 1975 and 1983. It was described as the "Z-Cars of nursing".
| Angels | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Paula Milne |
| Starring | Fiona Fullerton Lesley Dunlop Julie Dawn Cole Angela Bruce Pauline Quirke Kathryn Apanowicz Shirley Cheriton Judith Jacob Clare Clifford |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 220 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Ron Craddock, Morris Barry, Julia Smith |
| Running time | 50 minutes 1975 - 1978 30 minutes 1979 - 1983 |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 1 September 1975 – 22 December 1983 |
From 1979 the show changed to a seasonal twice-weekly soap opera format.
Background and creators
The show's title came from the name of the hospital where the first series was set. This was St. Angela's in Battersea. In the 1980s this was changed to Heath Green Hospital in Birmingham. The series was devised by Paula Milne.[1] Early producers included Morris Barry and Ron Craddock. The first episode was directed by Julia Smith. She became the show's producer in 1979. Her script editor on the later series was Tony Holland.[2] Filming took place at St James' Hospital in Balham, London. This has since been demolished. Location filming for the fictional Heath Green Hospital took place at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry. This has since been demolished and replaced by University Hospital Coventry.
Julia Smith enlisted Tony Holland as the Angels script editor after the show became a twice-weekly soap. In the 1980s Smith and Holland created EastEnders. Writers on its first series included Jill Hyem, Anne Valery and Adele Rose. Hyem and Valery later co-wrote Tenko.
Actors
The series included some young actors who would later become better known. These include Fiona Fullerton, Érin Geraghty, Lesley Dunlop, Julie Dawn Cole, Angela Bruce, Clare Clifford and Pauline Quirke. Additionally, Kathryn Apanowicz, Shirley Cheriton and Judith Jacob all later appeared in EastEnders. Mamta Kaash played a key role in the hospital drama Casualty.
Theme music
The guitar-driven theme tune, similar to American police dramas of the time, was called Motivation. It was composed and performed by Alan Parker.[3]
Critical reception
Angels, tackled issues such as contraception, alcoholism and promiscuity as part of the nurses' lives. Angels received criticism for its unglamorous depiction of the nursing profession. Angels tried to be realistic and authentic. Each actress was required to work on a real hospital ward to gain experience.
Cast
| Actor | Character | Series Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fiona Fullerton | Patricia Rutherford | Series 1-3 |
| Julie Dawn Cole | Jo Longhurst | Series 1-3 |
| Lesley Dunlop | Ruth Fullman | Series 1 |
| Clare Clifford | Shirley Brent | Series 1-4 |
| Karan David | Sita Patel | Series 1-3 |
| Érin Geraghty | Maureen Morahan | Series 1-3 |
| Angela Bruce | Sandra Ling | Series 1-5 |
| Joanna Monro | Anna Newcross | Series 4-7 |
| Shirley Cheriton | Katy Betts | Series 4-7 |
| Carol Holmes | Jean MacEwen | Series 4-6, 8-9 |
| Shelley King | Jay Harper | Series 4-5 |
| Kate Saunders | Brenda Cotteral | Series 4 |
| Clare Walker | Sarah Lloyd-Smith #1 | Series 4 |
| Kate Lock | Sarah Lloyd-Smith #2 | Series 5 |
| Kathryn Apanowicz | Rose Butchins | Series 5-7 |
| Sharon Rosita | Fleur Barrett | Series 5-7 |
| Judith Jacob | Beverley Slater | Series 5-7 |
| Susan Gilmore | Elizabeth Fitt | Series 6-7 |
| Fay Howard | Adrienne O'Shea | Series 6 |
| Julia Williams | Tracey Willoughby | Series 7-9 |
| Sarah Lam | Linda Mo | Series 7-8 |
| Pauline Quirke | Vicky Smith | Series 8-9 |
| Mamta Kaash | Nargis Khan | Series 8 |
| Al Ashton | Mike Hathaway | Series 8 |
| Michelle Martin | Janet Dickens | Series 8-9 |
| Juliet Waley | Alison Streeter | Series 8-9 |
| Joy Lemoine | Ayo Lapido | Series 9 |
Books
Some TV tie-in novels were published to coincide with the series.
- Angels by Paula Milne & Leslie Duxbury, Pan Books/BBC Books, 1975.
- Flights of Angels by Paula Milne, Pan Books/BBC Books, 1976. Includes novelisations of the Season 2 episodes Vocation and Walkabout.
- New Angels by Paul Milne, BBC Books, 1978.
- Angel Katy by Leah Harrow, Dragon Books, 1979.
DVD Release
On 18 March 2013 Simply Media released the Series 1 (fifteen episodes) of Angels on DVD. Series 2 was released in September 2014.