The BBC One medical drama Casualty is not airing tonight, as the show has entered a scheduled hiatus following its 40th anniversary special. The programme will return to screens next year with a brand new series, according to a confirmation aired during the end credits of the anniversary episodes.
The anniversary double-bill, which aired last week, marked four decades of the emergency department and came six weeks after the conclusion of the Lethal Legacy boxset. The special episodes featured an explosion in the city that put lives in peril and left the doctors facing one of their biggest challenges to date.
Anniversary Episodes Delivered Dramatic Scenes
During the anniversary episodes, Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) and Flynn Byron (Olly Rix) were left fighting for their lives after their ambulance plunged from a cliffside into a quarry. Familiar faces including Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) and Ethan Hardy (George Rainsford) returned, while Dylan Keogh (William Beck) endured a devastating tragedy with the loss of ex Sophia Peters (Kellie Shirley), who died in the wake of the blast.
The 40th anniversary episodes were described as “everything fans could’ve hoped for and more,” with dramatic scenes aplenty. The tagline for the special was “Life begins at 40,” suggesting a fresh start for the long-running series.
Why Casualty Is Off Air and When It Returns
Casualty is not on tonight because it returned to screens for one week only to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Much like it does every autumn, the show will now go on hiatus during Strictly Come Dancing’s run. It will return to TV sometime next year with a brand new series.
Confirmation of its return came during the end credits of the 40th anniversary, with the BBC One announcer stating that the “best is yet to come.” The 40th marked the end of one era, with future episodes thought to signify the beginning of a refreshed, exciting one for the medical drama.
Cast Teases What’s Next for Stevie and Flynn
While little is known about what’s in store upon its comeback, star Olly Rix spoke to Metro about what’s next for Flynn and Stevie. “Part of the fun of Flynn and Stevie’s dynamic is that everybody sees it but them,” he said with a smile. “They are the last to realise it.”
Rix added: “In this moment in the 40th – in a life or death situation where they realise that one half of this equation might not make it – perhaps that reorientates them going forward and makes them fully understand the depth of what is there.” He also teased: “I’m not going to give too much away, but that’s the beginning of their story, not the end of their story.”
Casualty will return to BBC One next year. The 40th anniversary episodes, plus the whole of 2023-2025, are now streaming on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
