No Angels (TV series)

This article is about the British television series. For the German pop group, see No Angels.

No Angels
No Angels title card
Format	Comedy drama
Starring	Louise Delamere James Frost Jo Joyner Charlotte Leach Francis Magee Derek Riddell Sunetra Sarker Kaye Wragg
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	26
Production
Running time	approx. 45 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel	Channel 4
Original run	2 March 2004 – 11 April 2006
External links
Website

No Angels is a critically acclaimed British television comedy drama series, produced by the independent production company World Productions for Channel 4, which ran for three seasons from 2004 to 2006. It was devised by Toby Whithouse.^[1]

Premise

The programme centres on the lives of four nurses in the city of Leeds. The four main characters are Kate Oakley (played by Kaye Wragg), Lia Costoya (Louise Delamere), Anji Mittel (Sunetra Sarker) and Beth Nicholls (Jo Joyner). Additional main characters were played by Derek Redell, James Frost, Francis MaGee and Matt Bardock. The show deals with the nurses' lives both in and out of the hospital.

Cast

• Louise Delamere as Lia Costoya
• Kaye Wragg as Katherine 'Kate' Oakley
• Sunetra Sarker as Anji Mittel
• Jo Joyner as Beverly 'Beth' Nicholls
• Francis Magee as Mr. Leslie McManus
• Derek Riddell as Dr. Jamie Patterson
• James Frost as Callum
• Charlotte Leach as Emma
• Lynn Ferguson as Stella

Lia Costoya is a nurse [and acting ward sister in series one] at the hospital. She is a single mother with her daughter Emma living with her father. Lia lives in hospital accommodation with Anji, Kate and Beth and attended college with Kate Oakley. The two have subsequently become best friends. Lia has a sharp attitude and is often described as being a "great nurse, but a terrible mother." At the end of Series 3, Emma asks to move in with Lia and they begin to search for a flat; shortly afterwards Jamie(who Lia was in a relationship with until he relocated to Australia) returns to Leeds and they get back together.

Katherine "Kate" Oakley is a nurse and later Ward sister at the hospital. Kate has several relationships throughout the programmes, including Dr Jamie Patterson; she later accepts the proposal of Peter Compton in Series 3, but after he makes numerous attempts to control her she eventually leaves him at the altar in the show's final episode. Kate went to an all girls school, and had a horse called Treacle and it is therefore assumed that she was relatively well off; however, she feels she doesn't get the attention she craves from her mother.

Anji Mittel is a health care assistant (HCA) at the hospital, She is openly known for her numerous relationships and one night stands and in the first series she is engaged (by an arranged marriage) to Adjesh but he later rejects her after he falls in love. After declining a nursing course and being rejected by Callum, Anji decides to go traveling, returning in Series 3 heavily pregnant. She later gives birth to a baby girl and begins dating Callum after he declares his love for her. At Kate's wedding she decides to name her baby girl Mia. Anji is Beth's best friend. She has two sisters who are both married dentists, but she doesn't really get on with her family.

Beverly "Beth" Nicholls is a nurse at the hospital. She openly admits that she'd rather have money than love in the first series and begins an affair with one of the hospital's senior management. However after he leaves his wife, she dumps him admitting that she needs something more than "I will love you". She continues to date men for their money, but clearly doesn't like being treated like a "trophy wife". In the final series she begins dating a plumber (ironically as for 3 seasons she stated that she 'didn't do' plumbers). Beth like Kate and Lia has also slept with Jamie; Beth was raised by her aunt and it is implied that she left home for an unknown reason, although it is hinted in the same episode that she was molested/raped by her male cousin in the fourth episode of series one - something that by the end of the episode is suspected by her Aunt.

Dr Jamie Patterson is McManus' golden boy. He has had both a short term relationship and a fling with Kate, and has slept with Beth. At the end of series three he reconciles with long term girlfriend Lia after his return from Australia, where he admits that he loves her.

Emma Costoya is Lia's daughter. She lives with her dad and step-mum, Sally. At the end of series 3 she asks to live with Lia as she finds Sally too controlling and would prefer to be with her mum.

Decommission

On 19 August 2005 Channel 4 announced that the show was to end after a third and final series. Newly appointed drama commissioner at the station, Francis Hopkinson decided to cancel the show after the eight episodes of Series 3, had aired. He stated "All the characters have moved on..I didn't like the idea of starting again with new characters so we're ending it while it's on top." Channel 4 said that by ending the series they were able to focus more on issue-based dramas.^[2]

Filming

The filming for all three series of the show took place mainly at the disused High Royds Hospital site in the Menston area of the city.^[3]. Most other filming took place in Leeds city centre and Bradford.^[4]

References

1. ^ No Angels Channel 4 Profile
2. ^ Channel 4 puts nursing drama to bed
3. ^ Martin Cook Lights! Camera! Action!
4. ^ Drama that shocked Angel Kaye for real

Further reading

• Allen, Daniel (25 February 2004). "No holds barred". Nursing Standard (RCN Publishing Company) 18 (24): 14–15.

External links

• No Angels at the Internet Movie Database
• No Angels at TV.com