Angels

1 9 7 5 – 1 9 8 3 (UK)
97 x 30 minute episodes
58 x 50 minute episodes

Angels was the BBC’s twice-weekly story of student nurses at (the fictitious) St Angela’s Hospital in Battersea – and later, the brand new Heath Green Hospital in Birmingham.

The initial lead characters included Irish girl Maureen Morahan (Erin Geraghty), Ugandan Sita Patel (Karan David), party girl Jo Longhurst (Julie Dawn Cole), posh Patricia Rutherford (Fiona Fullerton), Ruth Fullman (Lesley Dunlop) and Sandra Ling (Angela Bruce).

The stories centred on the difficulties faced by nurse trainees in adjusting to the nursing profession, their relationships with the opposite sex, character clashes among the staff, and the stress of working shifts in the National Health Service.

Unlike Coronation Street, against which it was scheduled, there was a documentary-like style, and the nurses’ work was shown as thankless – a long way from the romance of Emergency – Ward 10.

From 1975 to 1978, Angels was originally broadcast in 50-minute episodes, moving to two 30-minute episodes per week from 1979 onwards. St James’ Hospital in Balham, South London (demolished in 1992) was used in filming.

Many of the cast members went on to much bigger success in a variety of roles – Pauline Quirke became one of the Birds of a Feather, Fiona Fullerton joined Roger Moore as a Bond Girl, and Lesley Dunlop became a regular in both May to December and Where the Heart Is.

Shirley Cheriton, Judith Jacob and Kathryn Apanowicz would move from St Angela’s to Walford, joining the early cast of EastEnders, as did many of the production team.

Jean MacEwen
Carol Holmes
Patricia Rutherford
Fiona Fullerton
Rose Butchins
Kathryn Apanowicz
Jo Longhurst
Julie Dawn Cole
Sita Patel
Karan David
Tracey Willoughby/Carr
Julia Williams
Ruth Fullman
Lesley Dunlop
Maureen Morahan
Erin Geraghty
Vicky Smith
Pauline Quirke
Alison Streeter
Juliet Waley
Anna Newcross
Joanna Monro
Katy Betts/Smart
Shirley Cheriton
Shirley Brent
Clare Clifford
Fleur Barratt
Sharon Rosita
Janet Dickens
Michelle Martin
Sarah Regan
Debbie Ash
Dave Nowell
Neil West
Ron Frost
Martin Barrass
Sandra Ling
Angela Bruce
Beverley Slater
Judith Jacob
Linda Mo
Sarah Lam
Dick Willoughby
Stacy Davies
Susan Willoughby
Jill Meers
Kathy Stone
Lynda Bellingham
Ayo Lapido
Joy Lemoine

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