Surgical Spirit (TV series)

This article is about Surgical Spirit. For the medical substance, see rubbing alcohol.
Surgical spirit
Genre Situation comedy
Created by Peter Learmouth
Written by Annie Bruce
Raymond Dixon
Graeme Garden
Peter Learmouth
Paul McKenzie
Annie Wood
Directed by David Askey
John Kaye Cooper
Starring Marji Campi
Heather Chasen
David Conville
Lyndam Gregory
Andrew Groves
Simon Harrison
Beresford le Roy
Suzette Llewellyn
Nichola McAuliffe
Duncan Preston
Emlyn Price
Theme music composer David Cullen
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 7
No. of episodes 50
Production
Executive producer(s) Humphrey Barclay
Andy Harries
David Liddiment
Al Mitchell
David Shanks
Antony Wood
Producer(s) Humphrey Barclay
Location(s) Lister Hospital,
Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Running time 30 minutes
(including commercials)
Production company(s) Humphrey Barclay Productions
Granada Television
Distributor ITV Studios
Release
Original network ITV
Picture format 4:3
Original release 14 April 1989 (1989-04-14) – 7 July 1995 (1995-07-07)

Surgical Spirit is a British situation-comedy television series starring Nichola McAuliffe and Duncan Preston that was broadcast from 14 April 1989 through to 7 July 1995. It was written by Annie Bruce, Raymond Dixon, Graeme Garden, Peter Learmouth, Paul McKenzie and Annie Wood. It was made for the ITV network by Humphrey Barclay Productions for Granada Television.

Cast
  • Beresford le Roy as Michael Sampson
  • Suzette Llewellyn as Sister Cheryl Patching
  • Nichola McAuliffe as Mrs. Sheila Sabatini
  • Duncan Preston as Dr. Jonathan Haslam
  • Emlyn Price as Mr. Neil Copeland

Plot

The series was based around Sheila Sabatini, a senior surgeon at the Gillies Hospital, whose verbal skills have most people running for cover. She dominated the operating theatre, while at home she was divorcing her Italian husband, Remo, with whom she had a son, Daniel. Sheila was also a gossip, often gossiping with her best friend, theatre administrator Joyce Watson.

One of the major themes in the programme was her developing relationship with Jonathan Haslam, the anaesthetist. At the end of the sixth series, they married and she had become director of surgery, while her son had become a medical student at the hospital, much to her annoyance.

Trivia

Beresford le Roy, who played theatre technician Michael Sampson, was in fact a qualified theatre technician (correct title is in fact operating department practitioner) in real life and later became a medical advisor on the series.

In accordance with UK medical practice, surgeons are referred to as "Mr" or "Mrs". Only physicians are called "doctor" in the UK.

Production

Granada Television decided to decommission the programme after the seventh series.

The outside shots were of Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Episodes

Series one (1989)

  1. "The lecture" (14 April 1989)
  2. "The locum" (21 April 1989)
  3. "Joyce's ulcer" (28 April 1989)
  4. "The country, right or wrong?" (5 May 1989)
  5. "Fame" (12 May 1989)
  6. "Sammy Eldridge" (19 May 1989)

Series two (1990)

  1. "Cold cuts" (27 April 1990)
  2. "The Copeland affair" (4 May 1990)
  3. "Educating Daniel" (11 May 1990)
  4. "Doubting Thomas" (18 May 1990)
  5. "The phone call" (25 May 1990)
  6. "The garden party" (1 June 1990)
  7. "Something in the air" (8 June 1990)

Series three (1991)

  1. "The holiday job" (4 January 1991)
  2. "Only a roach!" (11 January 1991)
  3. "Making news" (18 January 1991)
  4. "The folks on the hill" (25 January 1991)
  5. "Close to the edge" (1 February 1991)
  6. "The earth trembles" (8 February 1991)
  7. "'The rover's return" (15 February 1991)

Series four (1992)

  1. "The mating game" (14 February 1992)
  2. "Joyce's little turn!" (21 February 1992)
  3. "The son also rises!" (28 February 1992)
  4. "Oh, happy day!" (6 March 1992)
  5. "The fence" (13 March 1992)
  6. "Wanderlust" (20 March 1992)

Series five (1993)

  1. "Congratulations!" (19 February 1993)
  2. "Sheila's baby" (26 February 1993)
  3. "The right man for the job?!" (5 March 1993)
  4. "A marvellous opportunity!" (12 March 1993)
  5. "Trial by fury" (19 March 1993)
  6. "You won't feel a thing!" (26 March 1993)
  7. "Moan, moan, moan!" (2 April 1993)

Series six (1994)

  1. "Yes or No?" (7 January 1994)
  2. "The morning after" (14 January 1994)
  3. "Daniel's stunt" (21 January 1994)
  4. "The deaf sentence" (28 January 1994)
  5. "Midnight bugler" (4 February 1994)
  6. "On the rebound" (11 February 1994)
  7. "Hot gossip" (18 February 1994)
  8. "Cost cutting exercises" (25 February 1994)
  9. "Reunion night" (4 March 1994)
  10. "For richer, for poorer" (11 March 1994)

Series seven (1995)

  1. "Driving it home?!" (26 May 1995)
  2. "'Rhyme or reason?" (2 June 1995)
  3. "All pull together!" (9 June 1995)
  4. "The silence of the Haslams" (16 June 1995)
  5. "The walkout" (23 June 1995)
  6. "Kicking against the pricks" (30 June 1995)
  7. "Administrator of the year" (7 July 1995)

DVD releases

All seven series of Surgical Spirit have now been released on DVD. An 8-disc set of the complete series has also been released.

DVD Year(s) Release date
The complete series 1
1989
28 May 2007
The complete series 2
1990
4 May 2009
The complete series 3
1991
17 August 2009
The complete series 4
1992
18 January 2010
The complete series 5
1993
19 April 2010
The complete series 6
1994
5 July 2010
The complete series 7
1995
23 August 2010
The complete series 1 to 7
box set
1989-1995
4 October 2010
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