Casualty: BBC Tease More Details About 30th Anniversary Special

More details about what we can expect from Casualty’s explosive 30th anniversary special have been revealed, with the BBC teasing new information that’s made the episode sound EVEN better.

As if having EastEnders legend Pam St Clement as part of the cast wasn’t enough, it’s been announced that Josh Griffiths, played by Ian Bleasdale, will return to Holby for the special episode.

Copyright [BBC]

In the feature-length extravaganza, Josh returns to the infamous hospital to help celebrate Charlie Fairhead’s amazing 30 years of service to NHS.

However, it’s not all surprise parties and fancy cakes, with Josh actually finding himself getting his hands dirty in the Emergency Department as news of Connie’s accident (in which Steph forced her off a cliff edge in a dramatic car chase, as shown in the last cliffhanger episode) reaches the hospital.

Connie and her daughter Grace’s car is lying at the bottom of a ravine, with all hands on deck to try and save them as their lives hang in the balance.

Describing how it felt to return to Holby, Ian, who was on the show for 18 years after joining in 1989, said: “My first feeling was of slight apprehension, and the first scene of the first day I had to deal with a technically complex script!

Copyright [BBC]

“The medical advisor, Pete Salt, looked at me and said ‘Ian, you know what to do’ and I did! Great cast and crew, fantastic director and producer. I felt completely at home again and loved it.”

Steve Hughes, the episode’s director, added that it was a hugely complex task to film the ‘ambitious stunt’ that forms the centre of the special, explaining: “When Series Producer Erika Hossington, told me about the ambition for the episode, I couldn’t believe we’d attempt to do something that big!

“Even before my preparation started, I had numerous conversations with my stunt coordinator, Julian Spencer.

“Between us we decided to attempt to shoot the sequence practically, for real rather than using CGI. It would make things incredibly complicated, but the end result, as I hope people will agree when they see the episode, would be worth it.

Connie and Grace’s lives hang in the balance. Copyright [BBC]

“There would be CGI involved to add to the practical effects, but we wanted the sequence to feel terrifyingly real. We wanted the whole episode to have a feature film quality to it, without having a feature film schedule and price tag.

“The main stunt was shot over two days using various stunts, VFX and rigging teams. We shot about 16 stunts in those two days and everyone had an amazing time, some of the most fun days I’ve ever had on a set - it was a blast!”

The episode, which runs for one hour and 40 minutes, airs on Saturday August 27 on BBC One. We can’t wait!