The 39th season of Casualty is currently airing after the show returned to the BBC on 10 August 2024. Episodes so far have seen the doctors of Holby City Hospital dealing with crashed prison vans, a man with phantom pains after amputating his own fingers and a teenager accidentally struck by a car driven by his own father. The doctors have also been dealing with their own personal dramas, including relationship issues, childhood abuse and the sad death of recurring character Jamie Cleveland, played by Ryan Hawley.
The season is soon approaching its end and the BBC has confirmed that there will be major changes when the show returns for its 40th season. The corporation confirmed that Casualty would be put out for competitive tender, meaning that other production companies might take the show over. However, the BBC has confirmed that it has no intentions of letting the show go, saying it would continue to air in its primetime slot on BBC1, while also still being filmed in Cardiff.
In a statement, David Pembrey, the chief operating officer of BBC Content said: “The award-winning Casualty is a hugely important continuing drama which has been on our screens since 1986. We are opening it up to competition as part of our ongoing commitment to delivering the very best value for audiences.”
Despite the move, it doesn’t necessarily mean that any changes will happen to the long-running show. Back in 2017, Holby City, the sister show of Casualty, was put out on the same competitive tender and the BBC opted to keep the production with BBC Studios. Despite this, the show was eventually cancelled by the BBC five years later in 2022.
Earlier this year, HELLO! caught up with Olly Rix, who joined the show as Flynn Byron earlier this year. “It’s been overwhelmingly busy”, said the 40-year-old. “It’s all-consuming. The set itself is quite extraordinary and such an immersive experience. Those two factors weave together perfectly. Really, I do feel as though I’ve spent the past year legitimately pretending to be a doctor, doing long shifts and finishing with sore feet and an aching back. It’s been quite the journey.”
Taking the role also allowed the actor to return to Cardiff, where he was born. He explained: “There’s something poetic about coming full circle. I don’t really have any memory of Cardiff. My parents left when I was about a year old, but my dad worked at Debenhams in the St David’s Shopping Centre. It’s not a store any more, I went to it. I’m literally treading ground that my parents trod. It’s pretty lovely.”