List of Doctors characters (2000)

Anoushka Flynn, portrayed by Carli Norris,[1] first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made her last appearance on 19 May 2000. Anoushka is a nurse at the surgery, and had relationships with both Steve Rawlings (Mark Frost) and Rana Mistry (Akbar Kurtha). Months later, she discovers she is pregnant with either Steve's or Rana's child. She leaves the surgery the following day, to take care of the baby and start a new life. She was the first original Doctors cast member to leave.

Sarah Manners (pictured) said she had the "best storylines" whilst on Doctors.

Joanna Helm, portrayed by Sarah Manners, first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made her last appeatance on 1 June 2001.

Joanna is a receptionist at the surgery, the first that the surgery had.[2] Joanna meets her grandmother Jessie (Marcia Ashton), and when she looks at Jessie's medical records, she finds out that she is dying of a brain tumour. Jessie tells Joanna that she knows she is dying, and asks Joanna to help her die. Joanna helps Jessie die, and pretends to be upset when she is told that Jessie died overnight. However, when Jessie's nurse takes a look at how she died, she suspects foul play. Mac McGuire (Christopher Timothy) was suspected on killing Jessie, however Mac is cleared. Due to the guilt, Joanna began taking drugs, stealing them from the surgery. She subscribed to more drugs, forging signatures of doctors at the surgery, and eventually took an overdose, nearly dying. She later confessed to the death of her nan, all part of an euthanasia pact, and was dismissed by Mac.

Kate McGuire, portrayed by Maggie Cronin, first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made her last appearance on 26 May 2006.[7]

Kate is the wife of Mac McGuire (Christopher Timothy) and set up "Riverside" with Mac. The two had a son, Ciaran (Tomas Hughes), but they divorced when Kate fell in love with David Quinn (Richard Standing). However, David dies in a car crash, and Kate leaves the church. Ciaran was later kidnapped, however when he was returned, she regained her belief in the church. After a two-month gap, Kate returns to "Best Practice" as the new receptionist. Mac remarries his ex-wife, Julia Parsons (Diane Keen), as she becomes the Practice Manager at the surgery. Kate and Julia become enemies as Kate still had feelings for Mac, which Julia knew about, but soon became friends.[7] Kate meets Dr Mike Miles (Michael J. Jackson) and leaves to Ireland with him. Whilst in Ireland, Mac visits Ciaran and has an affair with her whilst there. Julia finds out, ordering them to leave the surgery, and both depart to Ireland.[7]

At the 2003 British Soap Awards, Cronin was nominated for "Best Actress" but Kacey Ainsworth who played EastEnders's Little Mo Mitchell won, and again in the 2004 British Soap Awards, but Suranne Jones who played Coronation Street's Karen McDonald won.[8] In the 2003 British Soap Awards, Cronin was also nominated for "Villain of the Year", but Brian Capron who played Coronation Street's Richard Hillman won.[8]

Dr. Brendan "Mac" McGuire, portrayed by Christopher Timothy, first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made his last appearance on 26 May 2006.[9]

Mac is twice-married, first to Julia Parsons (Diane Keen) in 1968, to whom he had three children, sons Patrick (Alan McKenna) and Liam (Tim Matthews), and daughter Samantha. In 1995, Mac marries Kate (Maggie Cronin), with whom he has one son, Ciaran (Tomas Hughes), whose birth led to Mac becoming an alcoholic. This marriage only lasted seven years when in 2002, Kate has an affair with a priest, resulting in Mac having a heart attack. The near-death experience resulted in Mac confiding in Julia. Mac then remarries Julia in 2004, but the pair divorce in 2007. Mac becomes friends with Dr Peter Kendrick (Robert Cavanah), however Peter became depressed and soon committed suicide. On 26 May 2006, Mac leaves Letherbridge, moving to Ireland, after Julia orders him and Kate to leave when she discovers he had an affair with Kate.[9]

Development and reception

Christopher Timothy (pictured) described Mac as "James Herriot grown older".

In the press release for Doctors in March 2000, Timothy was said to be "thrilled" to be on the show adding, "On set there's an amazing sense of drama and commitment from everyone around. People really want it to be a success".[1] Described as a "old-fashioned and highly-respected physician who isn't afraid to speak his mind", Timothy added that Brendan (known to his colleagues as "Mac"), is "James Herriot grown older".[1] In an interview with Sussex Life, Timothy stated of his time on Doctors that he loved "the dramatic standards achieved by the fast-paced series, despite the kind of squeeze on time and resources unheard of" adding, "The budget was a joke and the pressure more intense than anything I’d ever experienced. But it was six years of great fun and I got to direct, which I loved".[10] When asked if he had picked up any medical knowledge from the role he said, "No, not really. I spent a week with a real vet in Yorkshire and a day with a real GP in his surgery but I didn’t really watch procedures. The actual procedures – how to take blood pressure and that sort of thing – I picked up as I went along".[11] He added that; "Working in something like Doctors you learn your lines, you say the scene and then forget them because you then have to remember another scene, and another scene".[11] Head of Drama Mal Young said Timothy sat in a consultation room for a day, adding that people were "very good and mostly unfazed by the sight of an actor listening, they were very understanding, especially one woman who came in to talk about hormone replacement therapy!".[1] TV Choice's Nick Fiaca commented that Julia had a "torrid time" with Mac.[12] In 2010, producer Peter Eryl Lloyd was asked by Digital Spy if Mac was to return, in which he replied, "I don't know why we'd do that unless there was a very good reason. The show has moved on since Chris was with us so I don't think anyone would want the character back just out of nostalgia. But if it's motivated, if it has an impact on our characters and makes sense dramatically, then never say never".[13] The British Theatre Guide, said Mac was "very successful".[11]

In the 2003 British Soap Awards, Timothy was nominated for "Best Actor" but lost out to Brian Capron who played Coronation Street's Richard Hillman.[8] Again, in 2004 and 2005, he was nominated for "Best Actor", but Shane Richie who plays EastEnders Alfie Moon won both of the 2004 and 2005 awards.[8] In the 2006 awards, he was nominated for "Best Actor" but lost out to Ross Kemp who played EastEnders's Grant Mitchell.[8] In the same 2006 awards, Timothy and Robert Cavanah who played Dr Peter Kendrick were nominated for "Best Storyline", in which Kendrick committed suicide, however Justin Burton (Chris Fountain) and Becca Hayton's (Ali Bastian) affair in Hollyoaks won.[14]

Dr. Caroline Powers, portrayed by Jacqueline Leonard, first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made her last appearance on 1 June 2001. An experienced doctor, Caroline is involved in many cases, such as when Noel Kenworth (Anthony Edridge) has a vasectomy, however his wife, Karen (Karen Henthorn), still wants children. In May 2001, Caroline's mother, Jane (Stefanie Powers) arrives from America, with her soon to be husband David Wilde (Darren Day) arriving shortly after. Caroline starts to have feelings for David, and the two have sex. On Jane and David's wedding day, Caroline runs away with David.

Dr. Helen Thompson, portrayed by Corrinne Wicks, first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made her last appearance on 16 December 2005.[17]

Before the series began, Helen married Phil (Mark Adams), with whom she had two children, a son Dan (Joshua Prime) and a daughter Claire (Tara Coleman-Starr). In 2002, Helen becomes a widow when Phil is killed in a car crash. However, at the time of the crash, she is in bed with colleague Marc Elliot (Tom Butcher), and is riddled with guilt until she discovers that Phil was also guilty, hiding the fact he has a second family. Helen and Marc set up "Best Practice" together and start a relationship. Over time, Helen grows to dislike Marc and claims she is not in love with him anymore, and Marc leaves to build orphanages in Kosovo. In 2004, Helen falls in love with Dr. Jack Ford (Steven Hartley) and he proposed to her, with Helen agreeing. However, Jack is murdered by his former wife Ria (Mandana Jones), devastating Helen. The next year, Marc returns with a new fiancé, Bella Forest (Sharon Maharaj). However, Marc and Helen realise that they still have feelings for each other, so the pair leave Letherbridge.[17]

Dr. Rana Mistry, portrayed by Akbar Kurtha, first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made his last appearance 1 June 2001. Rana is a general practitioner, who gets into a relationship with Anoushka Flynn (Carli Norris). Anoushka cheats on Rana with Steve Rawlings (Mark Frost), and when she gets pregnant and does not know who the father is, she leaves Letherbridge.[20]

Ruth Harding, portrayed by Yvonne Brewster, first appeared on 26 March 2000,[21] and made her last appearance on 30 April 2001. When the team decide to participate in a lottery syndicate, Ruth agrees to buy the ticket. The numbers match and they win, but as nobody pays her for their part in the ticket, so she claims the money and leaves Letherbridge.

Dr Steve Rawlings, portrayed by Mark Frost, first appeared on 26 March 2000, and made his last appearance on 1 June 2001.

In the press release for Doctors, it was revealed that actor Mark Frost would be playing Steve.[1] Frost played Steve for 18 months, with Steve being called a "hard man" and a "baddie". Birmingham Post's Caroline Foulke said that Frost played "blokes that are naughty and shady" and that Steve would make "Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) look like pussycats".[22]

Patrick McGuire, portrayed by Alan McKenna, first appeared on 16 November 2000, and made his last appearance on 16 March 2012.

Patrick, Mac McGuire's (Christopher Timothy) and Julia Parsons (Diane Keen) son, visits Mac in 2000. In 2003, he returns with his wife Sally (Zoë Tyler) and his sister Sam (Louise Howells). He stays for his father and mothers wedding before leaving. During the time that Patrick is absent, Julia and Mac split, and Mac moves to Ireland. Patrick returns in June 2010, when he becomes concerned about his mother's health when she starts to act differently, with Julia thinking that Charlie Bradfield (Philip McGough) is Mac. He continues to look after Julia, after she is diagnosed with lyme disease.

Two months later he returns, with daughter Chloe (Siena Pugsley), taking Chloe to Julia's house. Patrick and Sally (now played by Jo-Anne Stockham), stay with Julia; experiencing problems with their marriage, which Julia notices. Julia discovers he is having an affair, after he is involved in a car crash, finding out that he was with a woman named Sian in the car. Although Patrick is unharmed, he tries to defend himself towards Julia, begging Julia not to tell Sally. She agrees as long as it never happens again.[23] Patrick commits to his relationship with Sally, and along with her and Chloe, they leave.

However, after Julia comes back from holiday, she finds her house unlocked, with bottles and clothes littering her house. She figures out he is back with Sian, and orders him to explain.[24] when Sally finds out about Patrick' affair, and that Julia knew about it, she takes Chloe and Patrick goes AWOL.[25] Julia forces Sally and Patrick to sort out their differences, after it is affecting Chloe's behaviour, after they do, the three leave together. He appears once more when Julia is hospitalized after a car crash, after she recovers, he leaves.