Holby City

I have just come across the first four seasons of Holby City and am re-watching them. This was a brilliant series in the beginning, thanks to particularly the characters of consultant Anton Meyer, Victoria Merrick, Nick Jordan and Sister Karen Newburn. Compared to more recent episodes that I have watched one can see how the series has gone downhill since most of the original characters have left.

As all the other comments have been made about only Series 1 and 2 and Holby is now near the end of its 4th series, I need to renew them. Of course I have grown up since the last comment I made ('mathewowen') and now realise that Holby City really isn't that realistic when you look at the hard graft and rush that goes on in real hospitals. It's true that a lot of the staff are more like counsellors than medical staff, and it's also true that a lot of the one episode characters (in every episode different patients are featured with their own storylines) come from soaps.

However, Holby City is still watchable stuff, and I think with the two new wards: Maternity and the Children's Ward, every episode is even more different, and there are so many new characters that are, for the most part, well played.

Holby is now viewed as a soap because of its all year round showing, and what with more staff storylines involving affairs and staff becoming patients, it's still good drama. Watch out for some eps where there are some scenes set in Casualty (Holby is a spin off of Casualty) with Casualty characters (likewise in a recent episode Mr Meyer was featured in Casualty being as arrogant as ever).

Okay, some could say that there are more staff storylines as the writers as exhausting the patient storylines. However, there are have been some pretty memorable staff storylines in the past 2 series, such as Mr Meyer being shot, Janice Taylor's (she's the consultant on the children's ward) husband having an affair with Sister Williams, Kath Shaugnessy playing victim to domestic violence, Liam Evans learning to cope with life in a wheelchair, Victoria Merrick being murdered (it was a classic 'whodunnit') and Danny Shaugnessy marrying an illegal immigrant who's first husband turned up though she thought he was dead, to name a few.

And the good thing about Holby City is that the whole set and atmosphere is like a real British hospital. You can almost smell the disinfectant!

Watch Holby City next time it's on and see for yourself. It's good drama.

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.

I watched Holby City since it came out and I have always loved it, but I found myself particularly enraptured with the series since the arrival of Connie Beauchamp, played by the sublime Amanda Mealing.

The episode where she drove in at the beginning bedecked in full scarf and sunglasses, femme fatale garb, only to crash into Will was one of my favourites.

I've heard people say her stuffs repetitive but I think it's great fun seeing her boss the boys around and dish out her scathing comments.

The storyline with Will is a joy to behold - it may just be me being insanely sad but every week I can't wait to see what she'll throw at him.

I only hope she stays for a long time.

I have been watching Holby City since it began, although it suffers slightly from the story lines revolving too much around the staff the show does give us some intense drama when it wants to. I would recommend watching this to anyone who loves a good drama based around the setting of an hospital. Holby City also has some great characters like the wonderful newcomer Amanda Mealing who plays Connie. Here's to the future of Holby City - may it be long and prosperous and continue to flourish. I don't think Holby is as good as it once was however but it's still a top notch drama and one that the BBC should be very proud to air.