The Royal

Season 1

TV-PG

This British drama aired from 2003 to 2011, a total of 86 episodes about a dedicated staff of doctors and nurses caring for patients at the fictional St. Aidan's Royal Free Hospital in the seaside town of Elsinby in this spinoff of the popular British show "Heartbeat." Set in the 1960s, the series focuses on the medical issues faced by patients and the moral dilemmas those emergencies bring.

Where to Watch Season 1

7 Episodes

First Impressions
E1
First ImpressionsDr. David Cheriton arrives at St. Aidan's Royal Free Hospital in Elsinby, newly qualified and keen to impress at his job interview - only to discover they aren't even expecting him. Meanwhile, Dr. Jill Weatherill's professional competence is called into question during a home visit, and hospital porter Ken Hopkirk's efforts to put up a television aerial end in disaster.
Second Time Around
E2
Second Time AroundA motor-bike crash brings a cruel end to a romantic escapade for a young couple, but elsewhere Matron assists Dr. Ormerod in bringing marital harmony to patient Dennis Cording and his wife. The porters have to deal with a rodent infestation problem and unwisely turn to patient, Aidensfield wheeler-dealer Claude Greengrass, for advice, though he keeps hallucinating that spiders are crawling all over him.
Coffin Fit
E3
Coffin FitClaude Greengrass causes a kerfuffle with a coffin containing the remains of his deceased sister and a mysterious phone call only serves to raise suspicions. Jill Weatherill has trouble with a patient who refuses to accept her condition, while Dr. Cheriton panics when he arrives at the scene of an accident bereft of vital medical equipment.
Sister of Mercy
E4
Sister of MercySister Bridget discovers a baby on the steps of the hospital. PC Bellamy and Dr. Alway link it to a girls disappearance for a couple of days. Dr. Alway sets out to find the girl and informs her shocked parents that their daughter has had a baby.
Immediate Care
E5
Immediate CareDr. Cheriton has the unenviable task of informing a patient she has little time to live, and the situation soon prompts the wedding of the year. Arriving at the scene of an accident at the railway station, Dr. Ormerod is forced to make a drastic decision, but an oncoming train signals disaster. Gambling fever grips the hospital when a champion jockey is admitted and, as always, Greengrass is in the thick of the furore.
Kiss and Tell
E6
Kiss and TellThe cause of a schoolboy's illness is found too close to home, while a bit of teamwork brings Ormerod and Weatherill closer than they expect. Cheriton's flatwarming party goes with a bang, and Ventress spots an impostor on the ward.
Crash
E7
CrashIt's Dr. Alway's last day at the Royal before retirement but he, and the rest of the staff, are kept busy, following a bus crash, one of the wounded being Dr. Ormerod's wife Caroline. Whilst Cheriton gets cosy with Staff Nurse Taylor, Bernard Hussey, the NHS administrator, gets in everyone's way and Greengrass is re-admitted, apparently suffering from malaria.