There are good and there are great episodes. One of the biggest and most shocking episodes this year has been the death Karen Hollins played by the ever brilliant Jan Pearson after 14 years. Being the soap that doesn’t get the coverage that others do can sometimes play out well in that Doctors can pull off twists better than others.
Much like long time Doctors writer Ray Brooking another who has been with the show for over 21 years is Claire Bennett – writer of great stand out episodes that includes Karen’s death, There Is No Place (homelessness week) – an episode Claire won a Writers Guild Award for, and who can forget ‘Aftermath’ that won Best Single Episode at the 2007 British Soap Awards.
How did you first get involved with working on Doctors?
When Doctors began, I was writing radio drama for the BBC. I had a radio producer at Pebble Mill. I also had a mentor, Sam Boardman-Jacobs, who was an established radio, theatre and television writer. He lived ten minutes from me and taught Writing for Radio at The University of Birmingham. I had taken that Adult Education course… those were the days! Education for all – throughout their lives!
Sam told me to “get into Pebble Mill and meet people” so I made that my goal. I heard about the start of Doctors through a friend who had worked on The Scarlett Pimpernel – they made masses of television and radio at Pebble Mill then – she introduced me to Peter Eryl Lloyd. Peter was the original script editor on Doctors, now the Series Producer. Long story short, he read a short story I had had published and my radio scripts and took a punt on me.
What storyline in the show’s history has been your favorite to work on?
I can’t choose just one. There have been so many important and entertaining stories on Doctors. I loved the George and Ronnie stories because I loved their characters. I wrote about their crisis over wanting/not wanting children and their marital difficulties. Of course “Home” the week featuring homeless characters, which I had pitched, was really important to me. The whole idea being based on the story of a homeless man I used to talk to in Birmingham city centre.
And then there is Barry Biglow! I created him for an episode with Ruth the receptionist and determined to bring him back. I was delighted that other writers wanted to write for him, and that the audience loved him. David Perks is a smasher! “Time to Go” was his second outing… it made people cry on set!
How would you sum up the show in 5 words for new viewers just starting out with the Drama repeats who haven’t seen it before?
Engaging. Surprising. Important. Funny and heartbreaking.
If you had the chance to have any character return to see out the final episodes, who would you like to see one last time?
I am very fond of Sister Joy who manages to get Al to be kind to somebody who does believe in god! And Bazza obviously!
From script to screen, how long does the process take to put together an episode?
Before “the plague” when there was no filming and then when the secret plans to axe the show was happening – we should have known something was up with that 4 days nonsense! – it was a six-week turnaround from approval of the Story of the Day to 4th draft, final script.
There has never been an issue or idea that wouldn’t have been possible to make. It’s all about how it’s written and how the story is told. Doctors was SO important because it was daytime, but it wasn’t ever meant for an audience that included children – I think that’s why it came off during school holidays in no small part. There couldn’t be sweary or blaspheming characters, but no topic was out of bounds. When we covered cervical examinations I actually had communications from women who had finally made appointments – that still makes me proud.
When Doctors ends in December 2024, it’ll be just short of 25 years. What do you think has made the show so popular for viewers to keep coming back?
Doctors was popular for the five-words-reasons. It was always engaging, surprising, important, funny and heartbreaking. The serial element over the years has been terrific but I think the fact that there was a new story every day with new characters was what made it. For a writer it was a chance to write a play every episode! That said, some of the all-serial episodes have been belters too.
As a resident Brummie, how has it been having the Midlands as the core location of another soap?
I honestly believe that seeing where you live on screen gives people a massive boost loved every moment of it. It’s a source of pride. Who would have realised how much glorious stained glass there was in South Birmingham and how green our suburbs are without Doctors?! There have been times when the Brumminess has been dialled down on the show, but I was always there to turn it back up to 11! It is such a shame that we are going to lose that.
Doctors – The Early Years airs on the Drama Channel every weekday morning from 8am and via UKTV Play. Current episodes air Monday to Thursday at 1.45 pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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