Holby City

Ah, where would we be without the joys of Holby City?? If you enjoy gory operations, pain-in-the-arse patients and the entire staff going for a drink in the bar at the end of the day and waking up in bed with each other the next morning then this may very well be for you.

Im a medical student, and surprisingly Holby City is not that far from the real world, if only Ed would put a tie on! Things may be a little OTT but the series is enjoyable, inspiring and not afraid to take on real issues of consent, racism, addiction and honesty in medical practice. It is most definately light relief from real-life hospitals and universally enjoyed by medics! A spin off of Casualty it has outgrown its predecessor and taken hospital dramas to new hights. For those of you who regularly watch ER this is similarly absorbing but there is slightly less of the completely impossible week-in week-out (ie helicopters don't fall on the consultants every other week)

Like any long running drama they do have the continual problem of killing off all the best characters and dragging story lines out for several months, but this show is definately worth a look on a cold rainy tuesday eve.

Holby City has inspired me. 16 years old, I've watched the episodes over and over again and I love the atmosphere. I have now decided to go into medicine, as the lifestyle of the characters in this programme has enthralled me. The acting is brilliant, the effects are wizardry, the atmosphere is memorable and it's a fantastic spin-off from 'Casualty' - Another medical drama set in the same hospital.

In its early years this show was essential viewing, it definitely took me away from Casualty, arguably it was the better show. The stories were engaging, the cast were excellent, the whole thing felt well made and tightly written, the early years of the show I'd class as an 8/10, however,

It its latter years, the quality crashed, it turned into a melodramatic soap opera, it was such a shame, the original tightly written storylines transformed into something more fitting of an early afternoon soap opera.

It was always well made and authentic looking. If you get the chance to see the earlier episodes, I'd say they're still worth seeing.

I was sad to see the show axed, but it's fair to say it was long since on borrowed time, it ran out of steam many years before it ended. The latter years I'd rate as 4/10.

Overall, 6/10.

'Holby City' has to be one of the most boring TV 'dramas' I have ever had the misfortune of watching. The plots are insipid, tedious, and cliched beyond belief. Does it possibly exist as some sort of retirement home for washed-up soap-opera actors ? Save yourself the pain and go and read a good book.

Now almost 23 years on, HOLBY today is so far from HOLBY of 1999.

Today HOLBY is a rushed, badly written and sometimes badly acted Soap Opera, in the real sense of the term, Soap Opera.

Back in the day it was new, fresh, well written and the Actors were believable!.

One was invested in the lives and struggles of Patients, Doctors, Nurses and the Paramedics and crews.

Not anymore!, instead of the quality TV it once was, today you find yourself looking at your watch, almost wishing it to end!.

So very Sad!, If the Actors do not deserve better, then surely the Viewers should.