Life Support (British TV series)

{{Infobox television

| image = LifeSupporttitlecard.jpg

| caption =

| genre = Medical drama

| creator = Ashley Pharoah

| director = Morag Fullerton
Richard Laxton

| developer =

| presenter =

| starring = {{Plain list|

}}

| composer = Adrian Corker

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| num_series = 1

| num_episodes = 6

| producer = {{Plain list|

Margaret Enefer
Paddy Higson

}}

| executive_producer = Barbara McKissack

| location =

| camera =

| cinematography =

| editor = Colin Monie

| runtime = 50 minutes

| company = BBC Scotland

| network = BBC1

| first_aired = {{Start date|1999|07|19|df=y}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1999|08|23|df=y}}

| related =

}}

Life Support is a British television medical drama series, written and devised by Ashley Pharoah, that first broadcast on BBC1 on 19 July 1999.{{cite journal |title=Ethics in a twist|first=Colin|last=Douglas|date=7 August 1999|journal=BMJ: British Medical Journal|volume=319|issue=7206|pages=390|pmid=10435986|pmc=1127014|doi=10.1136/bmj.319.7206.390}} Produced by BBC Scotland, the series follows the work of clinical ethicist Katherine Doone (Aisling O'Sullivan) and her colleagues based at Glasgow's Caledonian hospital. Just a single series of six episodes were broadcast, with the final episode broadcasting on 23 August 1999. The series was directed by Richard Laxton and Morag Fullerton, while Matthew Hall, Peter Hall and Andrea Earl contributed scripts. Art Malik, Richard Wilson, Gilbert Martin and Julie Graham are also credited as principal members of the cast.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/robert-hanks-television-review-1107601.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/robert-hanks-television-review-1107601.html |archive-date=14 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Robert Hanks' Television Review|website=Independent.co.uk |date=20 July 1999|accessdate=3 May 2018}}

O'Sullivan said of her role in the series; "Initially, when I read the script and saw that it was a medical drama, I wasn't interested, but then I saw that it was addressing these subjects in a very different way from what we're used to. Medicine has become so complicated that the man in the street doesn't know what's going on. So this is a new and necessary discipline." Series creator Ashley Pharoah said of O'Sullivan's casting; "As soon as we saw her audition tape, we knew. She had just what we wanted. You can believe the intellectual stature. the gravitas; she's young and attractive - and she can do comedy. She is perfect for Katherine."{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/doone-the-right-thing-1.210209|title=Doone the right thing|newspaper=The Irish Times |accessdate=3 May 2018}}

Notably, the series remains unreleased on VHS or DVD. The Evening Standard noted of the series axing; "On the whole, Life Support failed to captivate audiences, although several critics liked it."{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/creating-a-little-terror-6331959.html|title=Creating a little terror|date=10 April 2012 |accessdate=3 May 2018}}

Cast

File:AislingOSullivanLifeSupport.jpg]]

Aisling O'Sullivan as Dr. Katherine Doone
Art Malik as Dr. Kamran Blake
Richard Wilson as John Doone
Gilbert Martin as James McConnell
Julie Graham as Alison McIntyre
Edith MacArthur as Joan Andrews
Ellie Haddington as Fiona Drummond
Stephen Moyer as Dr. Tom Scott
Brian Pettifer as Gordon Travers
Paul Goodwin as Rod Kerr
Georgina Sowerby as Sally Rivers
Gregor Truter as Dr. David McKewan

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#B0C4DE |overall=6 |title=23 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=15 |viewers=10 |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=1

|Title= Where Angels Fear to Tread

|DirectedBy= Richard Laxton

|WrittenBy= Ashley Pharoah

|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1999|7|19|df=y}}

|Viewers=

|ShortSummary= When a severely injured young man is brought into intensive care, Katherine comes into conflict with the hospital hierarchy.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/15eb1deadf56402bad7958b01a99fff1|title=Life Support 1|date=15 July 1999|issue=3935|pages=74|accessdate=3 May 2018|via=BBC Genome}}

|LineColor=B0C4DE

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=2

|Title= Trust

|DirectedBy= Richard Laxton

|WrittenBy= Ashley Pharoah

|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1999|7|26|df=y}}

|Viewers= 5.33{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-30/|title=Weekly top 30 programmes - BARB|website=www.barb.co.uk|accessdate=3 May 2018}}

|ShortSummary= Katherine is determined that an 11-year-old leukaemia patient should have a say in his treatment, bringing her into conflict with new consultant Dr. Tom Scott and the boy's parents.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/85a0834dfb684a848caabe5f2e6ee706|title=Life Support 2|date=22 July 1999|issue=3936|pages=68|accessdate=3 May 2018|via=BBC Genome}}

|LineColor=B0C4DE

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=3

|Title= The Price of Love

|DirectedBy= Richard Laxton

|WrittenBy= Matthew Hall

|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1999|8|2|df=y}}

|Viewers=

|ShortSummary= Called as a prosecution witness in the murder trial of Elaine MacKenzie, Katherine finds herself facing her father, who is acting for the defence.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/36a6c68ebc08424cbc7a81ae1e8138c5|title=Life Support 3|date=29 July 1999|issue=3937|pages=78|accessdate=3 May 2018|via=BBC Genome}}

|LineColor=B0C4DE

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=4

|Title= Playing God

|DirectedBy= Morag Fullerton

|WrittenBy= Peter Hall

|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1999|8|9|df=y}}

|Viewers=

|ShortSummary= Katherine uncovers a bitter family battle raging over the care of a patient, and her investigations into a colleague's behaviour again bring her into conflict with Dr. Blake.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b82610f418b148f9830a53377b1ef844|title=Life Support 4|date=5 August 1999|issue=3938|pages=74|accessdate=3 May 2018|via=BBC Genome}}

|LineColor=B0C4DE

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=5

|Title= Soul and Conscience

|DirectedBy= Morag Fullerton

|WrittenBy= Andrea Earl

|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1999|8|16|df=y}}

|Viewers=

|ShortSummary= Katherine battles to save the life of an overdose victim determined to die.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/91121bb87c8e4d638990a97970ee95ad|title=Life Support 5|date=12 August 1999|issue=3939|pages=74|accessdate=3 May 2018|via=BBC Genome}}

|LineColor=B0C4DE

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=6

|Title= The Undiscovered Country

|DirectedBy= Morag Fullerton

|WrittenBy= Ashley Pharoah

|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1999|8|23|df=y}}

|Viewers=

|ShortSummary= Katherine feels she is making a real difference at the Caledonian. She helps a woman with motor-neurone disease and arbitrates between a patient's wife and mistress. But after an almost perfect day at Loch Lomond, she faces the hardest ethical decision of her life.{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/7e533dc382e7401a830534ae2961150e|title=Life Support 6|date=19 August 1999|issue=3940|pages=76|accessdate=3 May 2018|via=BBC Genome}}

|LineColor=B0C4DE

}}

References

External links

{{IMDb episode|0207259}}

Category:1999 British television series debuts

Category:1999 British television series endings

Category:1990s British medical drama television series

Category:1990s British television miniseries

Category:BBC Scotland television shows

Category:BBC television dramas

Category:British English-language television shows

Category:Television shows set in Scotland