The
lowdown: Now in its 10th season, 'Doctors' is a daytime drama
which is broadcast on BBC One, and
premiered on 26 March 2000.
The series centres on the professional and personal lives of the staff
of the Mill
Health Centre, a family
medical practices in the Midlands. The medical clinic is the main location
for each
episode, although other
locations such as a police station are featured ocassionally. Like all
long-running
dramas, 'Doctors' has featured
an extensive list of recurring and guest characters, including many who
have
been on 'Doctor Who'. Indeed,
Colin Baker has appeared in the show twice.
The
episode: 'The Lollipop Man was the 113th episode of the 10th
season, and the 1456th of the series. It was
first broadcast on 13 October
2008, and features Sylvester McCoy in the role of Graham Capelli, an ageing
actor
who once had fame in a 1980s
children's television show called 'The Amazing Lollipop Man'. His character
used
his lollipop sign to travel
in time and space (sound vaguely familiar?). Graham has not worked on TV
for many
years, but he is offered
the opportunity to make a new series of the show in Australia, where the
original series
is still popular. However,
he must first pass a medical test. Meanwhile, he is asked to do a photo
shoot and record
a commentary for the upcoming
DVD release of the original series.
Graham has an appointment
to see Dr Nick West, and is not aware that the doctor had died in a traffic
accident
the previous week. The practice's
nurse, Mike Kelsey, was a fan of 'The Amazing Lollipop Man' when he was
a child,
and agrees to see Graham.
The medical exam shows that Graham has a history of angina and high blood
pressure,
and travelling to Australia
is out of the question. Returning home, Graham tries to prove that he is
fit enough to do
the new series, but hurts
his back while doing pushups. Nick is called to the Capellis' home, where
Graham's wife
admits that there is no
job in Australia and she just wanted to lift her husband's spirits.
The
Verdict: 'Doctors'
is typical of programs of its genre, so if you enjoy British serial dramas
you should enjoy
this
one. It has good production values, interesting storylines and a regularly-changing
cast, as you would also
expect
from soaps. The script even slips in a few sly references to 'Doctor Who'.
|
|
