Casualty

I think the exterior shots used in that episode, where an example of ones that could have been shot anywhere, it would be nice if occasionally they used the odd location around Bristol, say the Clifton suspension bridge or typical Bristolian looking home.

Thanks for that. So would they have just approached the local authorities and had agreement to close the road?

I don't know if you know this already seeing as you used the phrase "The Road to Nowhere", but this is where many of the car crashes took place when filming took place in Bristol:

http://g.co/maps/4ussz

Known as "The Road to Nowhere" in Yate (Bristol), it is a dual carriageway from the 1970's that never got completed. Construction was halted when Yate became part of the County of Avon and funding for a bridge over the railway was never granted. I'm surprised that with it being such a unique location it wasn't used for this stunt, as it is only still about an hour from the new studios in Cardiff. It has also featured in Skins.

It can be hired out from South Gloucestershire Council for filming, more info here:

http://apps.southglos.gov.uk/filmlocation/Location.aspx?Filter=Category&CategoryId=15&SubCategoryId=75&LocationId=82

Thanks. I wasn't aware of the Road to Nowhere but having seen the pictures in your link certainly recognise it's use from Casualty. Does seem a very good use of a resource that would otherwise be of little use - and presumably makes the council a little bit of money.

Yep - just like when James May wanted to put train tracks and Scalextric across roads - you just have to ask the council.

With regards to the recent fire, it's almost 20 years since the Holby A+E department first got burned out. The final
episode of Series 7 called "Boiling Point", where a gang of thugs started a fire in the basement and firebombed
a stolen ambulance at the entrance of A+E, causing the entire department to go up in flames.

YouTube - (UK Gold) Casualty - S7E24 - Boiling Point.
(Starts with a classic 90's UK Gold ident too!)

Last night's episode was entitled "Duty of Care" -- I'm sure that's been used before as a Casualty episode title - was it not when that man had a bomb strapped to himself and Baz had to try to negotiate with him?

EDIT: Checked Wiki - indeed it was - Episode 152, season 9 final ep.

I wonder what those thugs have done in the last 20 years? Maybe at least one of them turned their life around, perhaps even becoming a paramedic?

Jeff

Here are the new opening titles:

Wanted the fireman to survive quite a good episode tonight!!

I really love the long camera shots they've been using - especially walking right the way round the department on a single shot. There was also an impressive single shot from the shop inside to the outside - clearly not possible on the old set which had separate exteriors and interiors. But though impressive, these things are still subtle.