The staff of Holby City Hospital are in the midst of an explosive disaster and faced with life-or-death emergencies in a first look at the Casualty 40th anniversary episodes.
In a teaser trailer released by the BBC, fans were offered a first glimpse at the drama to come when the long-running medical show celebrates its landmark anniversary in September.
The upcoming special episodes, which will air later this year, will comprise of a double-bill centred around beloved characters including Dr Dylan Keogh and Flynn Byron.
The trailer opens with an explosion as emergency medicine consultant Byron, portrayed by Olly Rix, watches on in shock.
An eerie chorus of children singing “Happy Birthday dear dad” can be heard as members of the emergency department, including clinical lead Dr Keogh (William Beck), gather outside the hospital.
The preview provides glimpses of other fan-favourite characters, such as paramedic Jan Jenning (Di Botcher) and consultant Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless).
Many incident alerts are seen flagging up on a map of the show’s fictional setting of Holby before the trailer descends into chaos – showing a fight erupting in the hospital, as well as a tearful Dr Keogh.
Rows of ambulances with flashing lights, patients being rushed around on stretchers, and a firefighter navigating a room full of wires while sparks are flying are also shown in the dramatic preview.
The trailer does not reveal much, ending with a clip of what appears to be armed police officers approaching Holby City Hospital.
The gripping anniversary episodes are said to focus on a “high-stakes major incident that throws Holby into chaos”, with lives hanging in the balance and the emergency department team “pushed to their limits”, the BBC said.
It will also feature a major rescue operation, Dr Keogh will battle a personal tragedy as his team face “their darkest hour”, and Nash and Byron will face a life-threatening situation as they “fight for survival in a race against time”.
The upcoming instalments will commemorate 40 years of the world’s longest-running medical drama whilst signalling an “exciting new chapter”, the BBC added.
The Bafta-winning show first launched in 1986 and is highly successful, having led to hit spin-off show Holby City, which was based around its fictional setting in south-west England.
The show, which has been filmed at Cardiff’s BBC Roath Lock Studios since 2011, is also expected to move to a new fictional hospital in Wales next year.
The Casualty 40th anniversary episodes will air on September 5 on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
