The
lowdown: 'Angels' is a British drama set in London's St Angela's
Hospital, and ran on BBC1 from 1 September 1975 to 22
December 1983. Some 220
episodes were made, and it is now perhaps best remembered for the long
list of actors who appeared
in the show, including some
who were already well-known and others who would become famous in future
roles. It featured the
usual mix of drama, romance
and pathos that have become staples for medical dramas - difficult patients,
medical emergencies
and the relationships between
doctors and nurses, and their patients. The early focus was on a group
of student nurses trying to
establish careers in the
nursing profession under Britain's National Health Service. Individual
episode names were dropped at the
start of the fifth season.
The
episode: 'Decision' was the first episode of the fourth season,
and debuted on 3 April 1978. It featured Patrick Troughton
as George Moore, a London
businessman whose adult son Peter (ironically played by Patrick's own son,
Michael) has been
admitted to the hospital
for some unspecified mental condition, which may be linked to the death
of his mother or simply the fact
that his father has high
expectations of him which Peter is unable to meet. Peter is refusing to
consent to undergo electric shock
therapy, despite his father's
best efforts to convince him that it would be for his own good (Father
of the Year candidate there!).
Peter eventually agrees
to the treatment, but then leaves the hospital and is hit by a car. He
survives relatively unscathed, but
complications arise and
he nearly loses his leg. George realises that he has been too pushy and
needs to change his attitude
toward Peter. The subplot
involves one of the student nurses trying to decide whether nursing is
the right career for her. She
ultimately decides to take
a year off and travel with her wealthy father, but it is unlikely that
she will return to her studies.
The
verdict: 'Angels' is exactly what
you would expect from a hospital-based Britdrama from the 1970s, from the
soap-style
scripts
to the very dated fashions and hairstyles. However, the acting from
the regular cast is generally quite good, and the guest
stars such as the two Troughtons
make for interesting viewing. However, one cannot help wondering why patients
are allowed to
simply leave the hospital
whenever they feel like it (NHS staffing issues, presumably!) 'Angels started
out as a reasonably serious
drama, although it tended
toward soap in later years. It was very popular at the time, although a
DVD release is probably unlikely.
As the images here were
captured from an old VHS recording the quality is not that good.
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