Boiling Point (Casualty)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Boiling Point
Series = Casualty


Caption = The Emergency Department burns down
Season = 7
Episode = 24
Airdate = 27 February 1993
Production =
Writer = Peter Bowker
Director =
Guests =
Episode list =List of Casualty episodes, Series 7
Prev = No Cause for Concern
Next = Cat in Hell

The Holby A&E Fire (1993) was one of the most controversial storylines in the long-running medical drama "Casualty".

From 1992 through to 1993, "Casualty" began to tackle many hard hitting storylines. The subjects ranged from the gang rape of a rent boy, sexual abuse of children, surrogate pregnancy and organ donation to wife battering, a chilling nuclear power story, the grounding of a luxury yacht, a circus trapeze artists’ spectacular fall, ecstasy abuse, and a horrific fall from an electricity pylon.

Finally, 'Boiling Point', a story by Peter Bowker had rioting youths following ambulances which came into their midst back to Holby and, crazily, setting the A&E department alight.

Plot

On a housing estate, an old man, Ray, is brutally beaten at his son, Gordon's (and his wife Elspeth) home. Gordon gets his neighbours, part of a vigilante group, to tour the estate with baseball bats. They meet the youths, and a big fight erupts. Gordon attacks one of the youths, Steve, who injures his back. The father, Errol, of one of the other youths, John, is stabbed by the gang leader, Terry. Josh and Jane are one of the crews to arrive, they are not happy with the scene and rush to take victims Errol and Gordon away. The youths follow the ambulance as it arrives at Holby, they take Steve in and cause a disturbance. Terry even threatens Ray again - Ray later dies of a suspected heart attack.

They then break into the hospital basements and start a fire in the lifts. Maxine sounds the alarm, and waiting patients are pushed out, as an ambulance is petrol bombed by the jubilant youths. It blasts reception and Resus, where Mike is attempting surgery on Errol, who has a collapsed lung. The staff stagger into the grounds - but Rob lingers trying to bring Ray's dead body out with him. A second explosion brings the roof down on top of him. Outside Mike fails to save Errol's life, John feels awful. Fireman fight the blaze and bring Rob out - Mike suspects Rob may survive, but his legs are seriously crushed. Duffy is upset and feels it is the end for the Holby A&E department - Charlie tries to comfort her. [cite web|url=http://www.holby.tv/db/index.php?id=23,817,0,0,1,0|title=S7 E24 Boiling Point by Peter Bowker - 27/2/93|publisher=holby.tv|accessdate=2007-09-09]

This episode contained very strong language, such as "twat" spoken by actor Matt Bardock (a first for Casualty) along with other swear words.

Reception

The episode was met with great controversy and some outrage. The BBC thought the episode too violent to be shown before the watershed, and warned viewers before it was shown at 9.30pm. Despite this, 700 people jammed the switchboard to complain about the violent nature of the programme. This episode received the show's highest viewing figures at the time, with 17.02 million.

References