Casualty series 21

Lore & Background

The twenty-first series of Casualty commenced on BBC One on 23 September 2006 and concluded on 4 August 2007. Jane Dauncey served as series producer until episode 21, after which Oliver Kent took over. The series consisted of 46 episodes and marked the show's twentieth anniversary. To celebrate, the two-part opening episode 'Different Worlds' featured several characters traveling to Cambodia to assist at a medical clinic, where long-standing figures Charlie (Derek Thompson) and Duffy (Cathy Shipton) were reunited. Filming took place in Phnom Penh from 22 May to 8 June 2006, with cast and crew contending with intense heat and challenging conditions. Shipton later commented on the experience, stating 'Cambodia is a beautiful country with gracious, dignified people.

Reader's Guide

The twenty-first series of Casualty is significant as it celebrated the show's twentieth anniversary with a special two-part episode filmed on location in Cambodia, reuniting iconic characters Charlie and Duffy. The series saw multiple cast changes: Cathy Shipton reprised her role as Duffy for the first two episodes; Jane Hazlegrove and Joanne King joined as paramedics Dixie and Cyd; and Matt Bardock debuted as paramedic Jeff Collier. Several actors departed, including Martina Laird, Georgina Bouzova (whose character was killed off), and Luke Bailey. Liz Carling quit the show because she felt like a 'workhorse' and wanted change after a close friend's death. The series maintained the show's format of medical drama set in Holby City Hospital's emergency department and Holby Ambulance Service, with 48 episodes airing over nearly a year.

Did You Know?

• The two-part opening episode 'Different Worlds' was filmed in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 22 May to 8 June 2006.
• Cathy Shipton, who reprised her role as Duffy, stated 'I’m thrilled to be working with Derek again. It feels as though Duffy has never been away.'
• Georgina Bouzova's character Ellen was killed off in episode 16.