Alumnus Clare Duggan (Microbiology 1981) on her latest project for the BBC
Executive Producer of Stone City Films, Clare Duggan (Microbiology 1981) faced the challenge of recreating the Royal London Hospital as it was 100 years ago for the latest drama to be screened by the BBC. In a three-part series that follows on from the one-off drama Casualty 1906 in December 2006, Casualty 1907 plunges viewers into London’s East End.
Healthcare has changed beyond recognition since 1907, average life expectancy was only 45 years and in the east end one in five children died before the age of 10. Set 20 years before the discovery of penicillin, Casualty 1907 is based on ward reports, autopsy records and diaries, and features real-life doctors, nurses and patients.
Clare said: “Casualty 1906 was a huge success with 5.5 million viewers. It managed to be both informative and entertaining so the BBC commissioned a follow up series of three programmes, Casualty 1907. We hope this series will be as successful and lead to another series, there were so many interesting things going on in 1908.”
Clare trained as a Television Producer in the BBC Science Department, before taking up the post of Science Producer for Channel 4 News, which took her around the world covering the latest events in science and the environment. This included access to film inside the secret city in Siberia where the Soviets developed their first nuclear bomb.
Casualty 1907, which stars Cherie Lunghi, begins on Sunday 30 March 2008 at 9pm on BBC One.
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