Doctors

Doctors history

Doctors screens weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One* Doctors is the BBC’s daytime soap following the lives of the staff and patients at the fictional Mill Health Centre. The friendly and efficient staff at The Mill (and its sister Campus surgery) are always on hand to fix a sprained ankle… and have even been known to mend the odd broken heart. There’s ambitious doctor Daniel Granger, fun and flirty senior practice nurse Michelle Corrigan (played by Donnaleigh Bailey) and associate Jimmi Clay (ex-Holby City actor Adrian Lewis Morgan) to name a few. And let’s not forget practice manager Julia Parsons (Diana Keen), a formidable woman who runs the Mill and Campus surgeries with an iron fist. Doctors has had its fair share of guest stars since it launched in 2000. Hollyoaks actors Marcus Patric and Ben Hull and ex-Coronation Street stars Sean Wilson and Adam Rickitt have already appeared and actor Tom Watt– aka EastEnders’Lofty– will shortly be playing a layabout husband, with former Brookside actress, Sue Jenkins, as his terminally ill wife. Each daily dose of Doctors features a one-off story – but it’s undoubtedly the character-driven pot-boilers that keep an average of two million viewers regularly tuning in. And for a daytime soap, Doctors has never been afraid to push boundaries and, as such, has tackled some very gritty storylines in its time. Recently, the issue of mental illness was brought to the forefront when receptionist Ruth Pearce (Selina Chilton) was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) after she tried to take over nurse Michelle’s life. And, last year, senior receptionist Vivien March (Anita Carey) was the victim of rape, a hard-hitting storyline that saw Doctors scoop three trophies– Best Storyline, Best Single Episode and Best Dramatic Performance – at the British Soap Awards 2009. As 2009 rolls on, it’s business as usual for everyone at The Mill. But with Ruth about to return to work, will Michelle’s nightmare begin all over again..?