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Angels

You have to wonder, why, if they had a colour camera... ...they also went went with this black and white shot

MEDICAL MARATHON based in hospital St Angela’s – do you see? – with usual soft-centred sob stories swapped for grime, grit and grumblings. FIONA FULLERTON and LESLEY DUNLOP led the charge. Also spotted “doing the rounds”: JOANNA MUNRO, PAULINE QUIRKE and KATHRYN “ONE OF DIRTY DEN’S BITS” APANOWICZ.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Sarah

    January 6, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    The personal and professional lives of a group of nurses at St Angela’s Hospital, Battersea.
    Cast included in the main part…
    Fiona Fullerton (Patricia Rutherford);
    Erin Geraghty (Maureen Morahan);
    Clare Clifford (Shirley Brent);
    Julie Dawn Cole (Jo Longhurst);
    Karan David (Sita Patel);
    Shirley Cheriton (Kathy Betts);
    Kathryn Apanowicz (Rose Butchins);
    Pauline Quirke (Vicky Smith);
    Lesley Dunlop (Ruth Fullman)
    Producer Julia Smith, who went on to launch EastEnders c.1985

  2. Brian Rowland

    January 7, 2010 at 10:39 am

    Two of the cast of Angels (one of whom was definitely Apanowicz) turned up years later in Victoria Wood’s As Seen on TV documentary spoof “In Hospital”, playing nurses. When asked why they went into the profession, the reply: “We saw that programme Angels, and liked the hours. Twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, for half-an-hour”.

    Julia Smith’s co-creator on EastEnders, the also late Tony Holland, worked on Angels with her. As script editor.

  3. TV Cream

    January 7, 2010 at 11:34 pm

    Indeed, you can watch it here…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4CqkKmVlkE

    “Sections of intercost, or something.”

  4. Glenn Aylett

    May 1, 2022 at 9:03 am

    Had a non more seventies theme tune that sounded like a cross between soul and rock, although this might have changed in the eighties. Angels was OK, an early attempt at a BBC soap, and featured some quite controversial storylines such as an alcoholic nurse, interracial relationships and nurses having affairs with consultants. Last series upped sticks to Birmingham, developed a political slant and viewers lost interest.

  5. Richardpd

    May 1, 2022 at 1:07 pm

    It also was a dummy run for Casualty along with Eastenders.

    The BBC seemed to make a big effort to move away from the likes of Dallas & Dynasty in the mid 1980s as the storylines were beginning to get too far-fetched & were under pressure to make more home grown dramas. Howard’s Way was a good attempt to make a Supersoap.

  6. Glenn Aylett

    May 2, 2022 at 2:53 pm

    @ Richardpd, Angels was quite successful in its twice weekly slot, attracting 12 million viewers, but it only ran for part of the year and was scrapped after eight years due to falling ratings. Two memories for me, a Chinese nurse declaring she was still a virgin, cue to loads of sniggering from a room of 14 year olds, and a punk character called Kiss Of Death Spencer who popped up in the late seventies. However, on a more serious note, Angels wasn’t afraid to tackle more serious issues such as a nurse with alcohol problems( controversial stuff for an early evening show) who struggles to get help and has to cover it up.

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