Bodies

The finale of Bodies has just aired in the UK and I can say without doubt that this is the most compelling and tense drama to come out of Britain for a very long time. Combining an acting and shooting style both muscular and assured in execution; a brave, gripping, convincing script and appropriately realistic prosthetics, Bodies is hard to beat in its genre. With all the colourless, vapid dross being churned out on British TV nowadays, it seems almost unbelievable that the BBC in its wisdom saw fit to axe it.

Max Beesley brings a riveting, pinched intensity in his outstanding portrayal as hard-done-to doc Rob Lake struggling in a sea of incompetence, dishonesty and sheer managerial mediocrity. His central, career-defining role in tandem with oleaginous Dr Whitman (Keith Allen), comely foils Donna Rix (Neve McIntosh), Polly Grey (Tamzin Malleson) and his nemesis, the pusillanimous, dangerous Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi), provides the viewer with an at times uncomfortable but undeniably unmissable experience.

There is no sentiment at work here, no shirking away from numerous, unpalatable aspects of the British NHS or dilution of the viscera involved in child delivery. Bodies is destined to remain a classic TV series; a far cry from the cloying sloppiness and user-friendly mollycoddling of, say, the BBC's Casualty. Closer in concept to ER yet far superior in the sheer quality of the conflict on screen, Bodies packs a bloody punch as a tremendous watching experience which has yet to be unsurpassed in medical drama.

Highly. highly recommended.

I'll keep this short and sweet...ish. I only watched this recently (Jan-Feb 2020), after finding it on one of the steaming services. Despite it being nearly 15 years old it has been the most enjoyable medical drama I have ever seen. Brilliantly written and brilliantly acted, it portrays a gripping and realistic depiction of the lives of doctors, nurses and management staff at a British NHS hospital, wrapped up in drama.

This drama does not hold back from showing some truly difficult and tragic scenes at times (such are the realities of life), but this is done in such a well constructed way that only top quality writing and acting can carry off. The darker aspects of this drama are well counter-balanced by the comedy, there are some very entertaining interactions between the characters that bring the audience out of the morbid depths and back into positive territory, I rarely see a show that does this so well.

As with all good dramas, virtually every character is essentially good but flawed in some way (I won't say who or what, you can find out for yourself), these flaws get tested. I found myself rooting for one character and disliking another in the beginning but then going full circle as the show progressed and finding good cause to sympathise with all of them by the end. These are not paper-thin characters that you get in so many dramas, over just a few episodes the layers are built up and they all become relatable (for good or for bad). The audience is left to make up their own mind, we are not fed a good vs evil story and this approach makes for a far more rewarding viewing experience.

Finally, the cinematography and medical prosthetics are very realistic, the visuals feel real and gritty, this is not a polished US drama where no hair is out of place, its like watching a documentary where nothing is edited out.

Well I tried to keep it short, just go and watch it. I'd love to see a follow-up but I think it is long dead. Such a shame.

What an absolutely brilliant series. Great story lines, great cast and really well put together in a realistic way. It maybe over fifteen years old but it's definitely stood the test of time. This show should have been raved about so much more. I just wish they'd made more than 2 series!

Being a fan of Line of Duty I thought I would check out Jed Mercurio's first hit series Bodies. Set in a gynaecology department at an NHS hospital the show focuses on the trials and tribulations of working with financial pressures and the trusts targets. Make no mistake this no Call the midwife, it's extremely graphic there are hysterectomies Caesarean sections and lots of blood. For those who remember This Life the programme is shot very much in that style and the very good looking senior staff members spend so much time shagging each other it's wonder any babies get born! There are moments of dark humour and Kieth Allen excels as the repulsive sex mad consultant. This is not your normal medical drama and may not be for everyone, but Mercurio's writing and the fly on the wall style camera work gives the show a very real feel about it. 8/10

If you are young and fancy a career in medicine sit through a season of this before you make your decision. This warts and all drama really hits home without compromise. Being set in an Obstetrics ward some of the scenes are incredibly graphic, they server to counterpoint what it really must be like working in a UK NHS hospital environment.

The acting is top notch as is the writing. A particular nod to Max Beasley and the excellent Patrick Baladi. Keith Allen also delivers his usual styled misogynist character to one of the roles.

I can not highlight enough this is not for the squeamish I couldn't watch certain scenes because of their graphic nature.

An excellent UK (home grown) masterpiece.