Can You Hear Me? (Doctors)

Jimmi Clay (Adrian Lewis Morgan) calls Kira Hyde on zoom for a counselling session, while Ruhma Carter (Bharti Patel) chats with son Shak Hanif (Sunjay Midda) online. Ruhma then catches up with Bear Sylvester (Dex Lee), Daniel Granger (Matthew Chambers), and Emma Reid (Dido Miles) about events at The Mill Health Centre and St Phils Hospital due to the COVID–19 pandemic. Ruhma tells Emma about her illness symptons, and Emma suspects it could be coronavirus. Zara Carmichael (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh) confides in Emma about the anxiety she is feeling due to the pandemic, as does Karen Hollins (Jan Pearson).

Ruhma calls Daniel, where she displays further symptoms of coronavirus, and she is later admitted to hospital. Valerie Pitman (Sarah Moyle) lip-syncs to music to cheer Al Haskey (Ian Midlane) up. Karen talks to daughter Imogen (Charlie Clemmow), where Imogen reveals that she has lost her job, and has been unemployed for three weeks. Rob Hollins (Chris Walker) reveals that domestic violence rates in Letherbridge are up, while Shak worries about the fate of Ruhma. All of the team join a zoom call to celebrate Ruhma surviving coronavirus, and Al hosts a quiz for them.[1]

• Adrian Lewis Morgan as Jimmi Clay
• Matthew Chambers as Daniel Granger
• Elisabeth Dermot Walsh as Zara Carmichael
• Dido Miles as Emma Reid
• Ian Midlane as Al Haskey
• Bharti Patel as Ruhma Carter
• Dex Lee as Bear Sylvester
• Jan Pearson as Karen Hollins
• Sarah Moyle as Valerie Pitman
• Chris Walker as Rob Hollins
• Sunjay Midda as Shak Hanif
• Charlie Clemmow as Imogen Hollins
• Caoimhe Farren as Kira Hyde

On 18 March 2020, it was announced that filming of Doctors had been postponed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] As a result, production was suspended indefinitely, and cast and crew members were sent home for their own safety.[3] On 22 May 2020, despite having the government's permission to recommence production, Doctors announced that a lockdown episode was being filmed at cast members homes using their mobile phones.[4] Doctors is the first soap opera to directly address the effects of the pandemic, and the first to film an episode using mobile devices.[5] The official Twitter account shared a photograph of cast member Elisabeth Dermot Walsh holding a clapperboard stating that her scenes in the episode had been filmed using an iPhone X.[6] Despite fellow BBC soap opera EastEnders announcing plans to return to filming in June 2020, Doctors producer Peter Eryl Lloyd stated: "I wanted to capture the strange times we are experiencing and present it to our audience."[7] He added: "The very specific demands of producing an episode of this nature was a challenge for everyone involved, especially the cast as they were acting straight to camera, with only my voice performing all the other characters, so that certainly required a lot of imaginative work on their part. It was a real team effort."[8]

Cast members Elisabeth Dermot Walsh and Sarah Moyle expressed their nervousness at filming the episode. Walsh stated that due to having two young children, she had to completely clean the room shown in her scenes. She moved all furniture out of view, as she felt that her character, Zara Carmichael, would not have such pieces, drawing on their differences.[9] Moyle stated that she was excited to take part in the episode as it was something to do during lockdown, but found the filming aspects daunting, such as lighting and camera angles. She also found getting into character difficult, as she got used to going on set and feeling like character Valerie Pitman. Moyle also found it strange filming by herself, and added that Verie is accustomed to being around other characters.[10] Moyle stated that filming from home was entertaining, but added that her scenes were filmed in a room in her flat that she hadn't yet decorated.[9]

I came up with the idea during the first week of lockdown – there was a lot of talk about what it would be like going back to work, when it would be and how we would do it; but it seemed so far off and I wanted to capture the strange times we were experiencing and present it to our audience as they were going through it. It would be tricky to pull off, but knowing the Doctors team, I was sure we could do it effectively. Executive Producer Mike Hobson was all for it and was keen to get things going as soon as possible. He talked to BBC Daytime who were also enthusiastic, especially as we would be the first continuing drama series to make and transmit a 'lockdown' episode. Then we had to approach the cast. I'm sure some of them thought we were mad, but with some assurances, they were all for it. Once Daytime gave us the go ahead, Mike and I worked hard with Script Editor Richard Kelly and writer Toby Walton to capture moments in time during lockdown. Of course there were massive limitations to contend with; we were restricted to group meetings and phone calls and spent a lot of time trying to make those interesting and watchable. We wanted to convey the hard work of the NHS, the fear and paranoia everyone went through and some of the ridiculousness of the situation. Toby really pulled that off and turned in a script that was by turns hilarious, heart breaking and heart-warming. As we worked on the script, Andy Richardson (Production Manager) and Stephen Killick (Supervising Editor) 'auditioned' the actors technical equipment to see if it was fit for use. We knew we had to produce a quality product and it was important to us that everyone looked good. So phones, laptops and tablets were experimented with, as well as lighting, setting, plus asking actors to find their own 'in character' costumes and do their own make up. We quickly realised that this could be a forty five minute special, which meant more filming time, but ultimately it took five days. We would do each actors scenes individually, then send them to a drop box for checking. With ten regular actors, two semi regulars and a guest, this was a long week!

— Peter Eryl Lloyd on producing the episode.[11]

Lloyd conceived the idea for the episode in late March, during the first week of lockdown, and stated that the episode took three weeks to complete, with filming itself taking five days.[12] The production team ensured that strict social distancing measures were followed through the making of the episode.[13] Executive producer Mike Hobson commented: "We're never afraid to push the format on Doctors as our loyal viewers know, but this episode has been a challenge of a very different kind. To turn it around at this speed has meant coming up with new ways of working and totally rethinking how to make the programme. I'm incredibly proud of the work everyone has put into this episode, especially our brilliant cast who have had to learn new skills, while still giving outstanding performances."[14] Lloyd stated that the cast enjoyed filming the episode, as it "gave a real focus after weeks of uncertainty. Everyone was very enthusiastic, and though some were daunted by the set up and the technical know-how, we managed to pull it off", and that they were pleased to be working towards something "concrete" that was guaranteed to be broadcast.[11] Doctors take an annual transmission break during the summer to accommodate the BBC's coverage of sport ceremonies and other daytime dramas,[15] which typically starts in late June, but due to production on set being suspended, the transmission break began after the episode aired on 12 June 2020.[16]

When the episode was announced, head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak Carla-Marie Lawson commented: "Doctors recently celebrated their 20th anniversary and this unique episode demonstrates why the programme continues to innovate, and remains so popular with viewers. I think lockdown has presented challenges for everyone but it's been wonderful to see the ingenuity within the creative sector and I'm delighted that Doctors is the first British continuing drama series to bring this very exciting format to fans."[7] Lewis Knight of the Daily Mirror said that the episode "will make some highly topical viewing", while Stephen Patterson of Metro described it as "groundbreaking" and "something of a revolutionary instalment not only for the daytime soap, but for continuing drama as a whole".[7][14] On the BBC review series Points of View, the series received praise from viewers. One stated that they initially dreaded the style of the episode, but that it surprised her, adding that it "captured every aspect of this pandemic". An ITU nurse said that the episode was well written, and that it accurately portrayed the pressures and struggles that the ITU doctors and nurses are facing, and that it highlighted that a lot of their BAME colleagues are falling ill.[17]

• "Can You Hear Me?" at BBC Programmes
• "Can You Hear Me?" on IMDb