Nigel Harman will make his last appearance as Max Christie in the New Year as the BBC confirm the official return date for the brand-new series of Casualty
Casualty is set to return to our screens in just a matter of days after the show has been off screens since September.
The BBC’s long-standing medical drama had paused due to the “busy Autumn schedule”. A sneak peek trailer has also been shared, giving fans a taste of what’s to come for their favourite characters in the emergency department on Saturday, December 30.
Sunetra Sarker will be back as Zoe Hannah, playing a key role in Charlie Fairhead’s (Derek Thompson) final storyline. Derek, who has been a part of Casualty since its inception in 1986, will officially leave the show in early 2024.
Nigel Harman will leave the show in the New Year (Image: BBC/Alistair Heap)
Speaking about Derek’s departure, Executive Producer Jon Sen said: “It an amazing surprise to me when Derek arrived with a brilliant idea for Charlie’s exit as part of an upcoming storyline, which was too good to pass up. We will all miss Derek enormously.”
But Derek isn’t the only one saying goodbye. Nigel Harman will make his last appearance as Max Christie in the New Year. The official synopsis for the upcoming episodes hints at trouble for Max as he struggles with kidney failure. It reads: “Time is running out for Max as he faces kidney failure. But when offered a lifeline by Jodie (Anna Chell) he must decide whether he’s ready to accept her help in order to survive.”
Nigel Harman, who plays a character in Casualty, revealed to Digital Spy: “I finished my last scene on Monday, [then I] was here on Friday. I’m on screen until the end of February, and [I have] no plans to return at the moment.”
Sunetra Sarker, a fan favourite, will also be making her much anticipated return to the ED (Image: TV Grab)
Meanwhile, Melanie Hill, a Coronation Street legend, is set to join the show as Siobhan Mackenzie, a character expected to stir things up. Melanie shared her excitement about joining the cast, saying: “I am delighted to be joining the cast of Casualty and I can’t wait for fans to meet Siobhan.”
“She’s a supremely competent manager, who is firm but fair and expects nothing but the best from her nursing team. However, get on the wrong side of her and she’ll make mincemeat out of you! I’m sure she’s going to ruffle a few feathers in the Emergency Department.”
In other news, it was announced in September that Casualty would be taking a break and returning at the end of the year. A BBC spokesperson explained: “This is not the first time the show has taken a break due to the busy Autumn schedule.”
“Our priority is always delivering quality over hours and due to super inflation in drama production we’ve taken the decision to slightly reduce the number of episodes per year in order to maintain the quality on screen for audiences.”
