"One" is the thirty-first series finale of the British medical drama television series Casualty and the 1,049th episode of the overall series. The episode is written by Paul Unwin, the show's co-creator, and directed by Jon Sen. It premiered on BBC One and BBC One HD on 29 July 2017. "One" is a fly on the wall episode following an hour in Holby City Hospital's emergency department (ED) with additional focus on sister Lisa "Duffy" Duffin (Cathy Shipton) mentoring two work experience girls and paramedic Jez Andrews (Lloyd Everitt) grieving the death of a baby.
"One" pays homage to Casualty and the National Health Service (NHS); executive producer Oliver Kent stated that it recognises the efforts of the NHS, while actress Amanda Mealing said it showcases the challenges faced by the NHS. Producers began planning "One" in 2016, with an idea of producing a live episode. After this was ruled out due to technical difficulties, Unwin settled on an episode filmed in one take. Crew members questioned whether it would be possible, while there was a mixed response from cast members. Most of the cast were trained in theatre so relied on their training for filming, whereas the crew did not have this luxury and found the experience scary.
Filming took place in early April 2017. Cast rehearsed the script in twelve sections, before piecing the sections together and filming it twice every day. "One" was filmed in one take using one mobile camera, which covered 360-degree shots. 35 radio microphones and 6 booms were hidden into the set, while 26 actors wore body microphones. Multiple methods for capturing film and sound used in regular episodes had to be changed for "One". To capture the entirety of the serial's set, a camera operator was lifted down a 17 feet drop in a harness while recording a scene. The production team wore medical scrubs on-set in case they were caught on camera.
The episode was promoted through promotional trailers, a Twitter hashtag, and a countdown on social media. Within a 28-day period, 6.57 million viewers watched the episode. "One" received a mixed response from viewers and television critics alike. Some viewers criticised the camera movement in the episode, stating that they felt "disoriented" watching it. Alison Graham of the Radio Times called the episode a "bold piece of television" while Jessica Ransom of What's on TV felt the episode highlighted the disorderly nature of an ED. The Daily Telegraph critic Michael Hogan gave the episode a mixed review, opining that although the episode was directed and performed well, the script was poor and "needed some doctoring of its own".
Plot Paramedics Jez Andrews (Lloyd Everitt) and Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) are called to a house fire. Jez is inside and searches for casualties in the house. He finds none and pulls Sun-Mi (Aewia Huillet) from the burning building. Iain and Jez take Sun-Mi to the ambulance. Sun-Mi pulls her oxygen mask from her face and tells Jez her baby is inside the house. Jez prepares to rush back in, but the house explodes before he can get in.
Jez and Iain drive to the emergency department; they encounter a male who has come off his motorbike after colliding with a car. They request another ambulance and continue to the ED. As the pair arrive, sister Lisa "Duffy" Duffin (Cathy Shipton) greets two schoolgirls: Diamond Whittaker (Georgia Sandle) and Chloe Robinson (Kassius Nelson). Duffy is tasked with acting as Diamond and Chloe's mentor.
Sun-Mi is taken into Resus to be treated by consultant Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing) and nurses Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) and Robyn Miller (Amanda Henderson). Duffy tells Diamond and Chloe to wait outside Resus, but Diamond ignores Duffy's instructions and walks in. When Duffy finds the pair in Resus, she gives them a warning but is then called over to treat Sun-Mi. Duffy hands Chloe and Diamond over to Charlie to look after them. As Jez is collecting a drink from the vending machine, he receives news from nurse Jacob Masters (Charles Venn) that Sun-Mi's baby was found and taken out of the house; Jez is ecstatic.
Consultants Dylan Keogh (William Beck) and Elle Gardner (Jaye Griffiths) work together to treat patient Dougie Cox (Sule Rimi) in Resus. Charlie asks a nurse to look after Diamond and Chloe, who are then passed onto Jacob and then passed over to Iain. In the staff room, Jacob reveals to Iain in front of Diamond and Chloe that Sun-Mi's baby died in the house fire. When Jez walks into the staff room, Diamond apologises to Jez, who is heartbroken upon learning Sun-Mi's baby died. Andrew Sully (Gordon Kennedy), Sun-Mi's husband, is devastated by his and his wife’s loss. He later learns that Dougie was behind the fire after throwing a petrol bomb through the window.
Duffy finds Diamond and Chloe filing paperwork in Jacob’s office. Registrar Lily Chao (Crystal Yu) asks Duffy, Chloe, and Diamond for a selfie. Chloe reveals to Lily and Duffy she wants to be a nurse. Duffy takes Chloe and Diamond to the front of the ED, as she explains why she chose to become a nurse and make a difference in people's lives.
Production
Conception and development "One" was written by the show's co-creator Paul Unwin, who had not written regularly for the serial since its second series. Jon Sen directed the episode, while Erika Hossington served as the series producer and Oliver Kent acted as the executive producer for his final episode. Hossington and Simon Harper, Kent's successor as executive producer, were overjoyed by Unwin's return. Hossington enjoyed the episode's script. Unwin and Sen felt privileged to be involved in "One"; Sen called the episode a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" and "an amazing bit of film-making".
"One" is a fly-on-the-wall episode exploring life at the emergency department (ED) of Holby City Hospital, the setting for Casualty. Specifically, the episode focuses on Sister Lisa "Duffy" Duffin (Cathy Shipton) mentoring two girls, Chloe (Kassius Nelson) and Diamond (Georgia Sandle), who are on work experience in the ED as they decide whether to pursue a career in medicine. Duncan Lindsay, writing for the Metro, reported that the events of the episode would challenge Duffy both "emotionally and professionally". The episode sees an increased focus on the ED's nursing staff, which Shipton described as "a lovely echo back to the show's origins". She liked the additional focus since the nurses "soak everything up in emergencies". Shipton felt "One" reflects original Casualty producer Geraint Morris' aim to portray nurses as being at the front of emergency departments.
At the beginning of the episode, Diamond is portrayed as a stuck-up young girl who wants to become a consultant, while Chloe is displayed as worried and agitated, struggling with her surroundings. Shipton stated that the characters' personalities change during the course of the episode: Diamond is taught to be more respectful, whereas Chloe's confidence grows and she decides to spend more time in the ED.
"One" was billed as "unique", "extraordinary", "pioneering" and "ambitious". Shipton called it "classic Casualty" and described it as "Casualty bumped into Mike Leigh bumped into a living art installation". A BBC Online reporter branded the episode the serial's "most challenging episode yet". Cast member Amanda Mealing (Connie Beauchamp) described "One" as "a love letter to the NHS". She added that since the complex format featured in "One" is not often used, the episode would be "exciting and new". Hossington similarly thought the episode is complex and alternative, adding that "One" would excite fans of the show because it is unattempted. Mealing's co-star Crystal Yu called the episode "different and magical" and branded it "an amazing experience". Unwin used "One" as an opportunity to pay homage to Casualty and the NHS. Kent believed that the episode recognises what "the heroes of the NHS really do", while Sen opined that "One" is the greatest way of the audience being able to witness the NHS. Mealing explained that "One" should symbolise the drama and outstanding efforts of the NHS. She believed that the episode demonstrates "the numerous pressures and obstacles" tackled by the NHS, as well as the efforts and dedication needed to run an emergency department. On the episode, Mealing commented, "It starts with a bang and the excitement and high drama continue right to the end." Sen said that "One" features emotional scenes when characters' personalities are challenged by emergency situations.
Planning for "One" began in 2016, with show bosses keen to attempt something new. Shipton stated that an obvious suggestion is a live episode, but accepted that it was out of the show's capabilities. Hossington later explained that the show cannot transmit live because it goes through several post-production procedures which would not be possible if they transmitted live. She told Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy that the show would not appear or sound like the regular show. After discovering the 2015 film Victoria, Unwin considered an episode filmed in one take. In September 2016, Unwin informed Shipton of his plans to write a one-shot episode to conclude the thirty-first series. The idea was met with apprehension from Shipton, who believed it was a joke. However, Hossington thought Unwin's plans created a nice way to conclude the series as it varies to regular episodes. Lead sound recordist Tim Hunt was approached with the idea in June 2016, although he was apprehensive about it and spent the following summer questioning whether it could be achieved. Hunt understood that "One" would need to be filmed using a wide shot angle, which he believed would create problems as "you see everything". Plans for the episode started to circulate in the media in August 2016 when Hossington and Kent promised that Casualty would complete "[their] version of a live episode at some point". When rumours began circulating on-set, plans for the episode were confirmed to the cast. At the 22nd National Television Awards in January 2017, Hossington hinted to Shipton that she would feature prominently in the episode. The actress later found an unreleased script for the episode, which she stole to read. After reading the script, her confidence in the episode grew.
In August 2016, Casualty actor William Beck expressed an interest in filming a live episode, which left him in disagreement with his co-star Jaye Griffiths as she did not want to film a live episode. Griffiths later stated that she struggled to "grasp" the concept of the episode initially. Conversely, Yu was pleased to be involved in the episode and Shipton found the experience "exciting and nerve-wracking". Mealing admitted in an interview with Catrin Carrucan of The Daily Express that she was apprehensive about creating "One" because she believed the cast would have limited rehearsal time as they already work with a "really tight schedule". The majority of the cast were trained in theatre so were able to rely on their training for the episode. Shipton stated that the crew found the experience scary in comparison as they are usually able to "stop and start" production. The actress also mentioned that the cast could improvise if they botch their lines. Shipton previously performed in a one-woman show, which prepared her for the episode. This helped calm her nerves as she felt if she botched her lines, it would reflect real life. However, to help her concentrate, Shipton called her co-stars by their character names on and off set. Yu's character Lily Chao appears halfway through "One" so she hoped that she would not botch her lines, especially since she had much medical jargon to say.
Filming