Angels

1975 - United Kingdom

Created by writer Paula Milne, Angels chronicled the personal and professional lives of six student nurses based at the fictitious St Angela's Hospital in London's Battersea district, from 1975-1983 on BBC1. 

Dubbed the Z-Cars of nursing by some critics due to its authentic semi-documentary approach, the series, over the course of its successful run, acted as a valuable training ground for a number of young gifted actresses such as Fiona Fullerton, Kathryn Apanowicz and Shirley Cheriton (EastEnders), Lesley Dunlop (May to December) and Pauline Quirke (Birds of a Feather), all of whom would later go on to consolidate the promise exhibited during their time with the series. Other notable behind the scenes production personnel who lent their talents to the series were writers Anne Valery and Deborah Mortimer and experienced directors such as Tristran de Vere Cole, Derek Martinus and future EastEnders supremo, Julia Smith. 

The series began as a 50-minute drama series but changed to two half-hour episodes a week in 1979 and exterior scenes were shot in the grounds of St. James's Hospital, Balham. With its winning combination of the soap opera-like personal lives of the young nurses and the often starkly detailed and harrowing medical aspects of its drama, Angels was a slickly produced series that can now be seriously regarded as the all-important bridge between the gentler medical series of the 1960s such as Emergency-Ward 10 and the intense, harder edged offering that followed such as in Casualty and A&E.

Published on November 27th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Baldmoney, Sneezewort, Dodder and Cloudberry

Meet the last four gnomes in England, or rather three of them. For when Baldmoney, Sneezewort and Dodder wake up under the old oak tree after a long winter sleep, they discover cloudberry is missing. The question is, should they set out on an expedition to find him? It could be very dangerous.

Also released in 1975

ER TV series

ER first hit the television screens with all the speed and force of an express train in 1994, and immediately earned the label of 'rock 'em - sock 'em' television, hardly giving the viewer a chance to catch breath as each story-line unfolded.

Also tagged Medical Drama

Emergency Ward 10

Britain's first medical soap, which was also the first of the country's twice-weekly serials, went on to become one of the nation’s best loved programmes, reaching an average audience of 16 million people a week and 24 million at its peak.

Also tagged Medical Drama

Survivors

A pandemic leaves the world population devastated.

Also released in 1975

Dr. Fiunlay's Casebook

Based on a series of stories 'The Adventures of a Black Bag' by Dumbartonshire born novelist A. J. Cronin, Doctor Finlay's Casebook proved to be an instant hit with viewers in spite of stiff competition from US exports Dr Kildare and Ben Casey.

Also tagged Medical Drama

Chicago Hope

US medical drama and five-time Emmy Award winner.

Also tagged Medical Drama

Call Oxbridge 2000

Medical drama spin-off from Emergency-Ward 10, Britain's most popular medical soap opera of the 1950s and 60s, which never lived up to its predecessor

Also tagged Medical Drama

May to December

Middle aged man meets young school teacher and they fall in love much to the dismay of both their families.

Also starring Lesley Dunlop

Birds of a Feather

Sitcom in which sisters Sharon and Tracey are left alone to fend for themselves following each of their husband's imprisonment for armed robbery. As if that wasn't bad enough, they also have to contend with nosey next door neighbour, Dorien.

Also starring Pauline Quirke