Critical

Cannot believe yet another great series that's cancelled WHY!!!??? Lennie James shows what a versatile actor he is and extremely talented, this is a great realistic series about a trauma team who have the what they call the golden hour on the clock to stabilise the patient, as well as lots of realistic trauma scenes there is also a back story of a lost love and hospital politics. Such a great show and yes I've said it twice but I'm dropping the realistic bomb again , as an sfx artist I can appreciate the talent and work that went into the scenes . Highly recommend this

Very interesting how some have seen this as unrealistic, after 38 years of working in this environment, I can say it's very realistic, some of the cases are exaggerated and the timelines compressed for entertainment purposes, but the scenes are extremely realistic, and it's easy to recognise personalities in the characters, but it's understandable that it could be seen as OTT and too gory for many viewers.

There are many medical TV shows out there but when I saw this advertised it looked different. Ever since I started watching I've been on the edge of my seat, and eagerly anticipating the next episode!! I can't rate Critical enough! In my opinion the acting of all the actors is amazing and the choreography and fluency of the characters is funny and enjoyable. The medical jargon and realism seem pretty outstanding (mainly because I don't get half of it)! But arguably most of all, the quality of the plot and the quality of the makeup for the surgery/injuries just takes my breath away!

I'm so hoping for a second season and one just isn't enough! Both me and my sister love sitting down and watching it together! And you should try it too!!

Boy this must have looked good in the concept stage.

We'll do the most graphic medical drama in history, said one exec to the other, and we will overlay classic dramatic arcs to keep it moving along.

Well, the first bit worked. This is the most graphic show of its kind. It is even more graphic than many medical documentaries.

The second bit did not work. Never underestimate the viewer. By the third episode the viewer has figured out 3 key things about this series:

1. No matter how straightforward the procedure, no matter how skilled the staff, something will go wrong at the 30 min mark and stretch it to a one hour operation.

2. Overlaying life and death surgery with maudlin and peevish character arcs does not work.

3. Overall, I would rather work in my garden.

Which is why even with James (who is always great) this imploded after one season.

I am disappointed that this won't go to season 2 as it's one of the best medical dramas I have seen; the character development in between these crucial, life-saving, actions is brilliant, the script, the cast, the tempo... perfect. It is no cliché drama with awful love- story tactics that make the medical interventions a welcome break – every aspect is very, very well crafted. While the genre is hard to get right if it's about one team (in this case critical emergencies), which means pretty much 2 or 3 things that can be done to help the patient and a LOT of beeping, this manages to hold its own and brilliantly.

British do drama series very well and this is a prime example. Still very disappointed with no season 2....