Medical drama Malpractice, starring the superb Niamh Algar, has made quite the impression after its first episode aired on ITV1.
Many viewers have already binged the entire series – which follows corruption and criminality within the world of medicine – on ITVX.
Read more: Malpractice viewers hail Niamh Algar as ‘the new Sarah Lancashire’
And if it’s left you with an appetite for more brilliantly crafted hospital-based drama, look no further than ITVX Premium which is now streaming Bodies.
Jed Mercurio, feted scribe of Line of Duty, penned this phenomenal medical series way before Ted Hastings or Julia Montague from Bodyguard were even a glint in his eye.
When gritty, bloody Bodies appeared on BBC Three in the mid-2000s it was critically acclaimed.
However, Jed was not a household name back then and social media didn’t exist to whip up the storm it surely would have if created a decade later.
Happily, time has been kind to Bodies – great writing and characterisation don’t age – and the show, which ran for two series, is currently available for everyone to watch.
Although – fair warning – you’ll need the stomach of an ox to make it through some of the bloodier scenes.
What is Jed Mercurio series Bodies about?
Bodies, which began in 2004 and closed with a feature-length episode in 2006, was a dark medical drama set in an NHS hospital’s obstetrics & gynaecology department.
It starred heartthrob du jour Max Beesley as specialist registrar Rob Lake and Line of Duty actor Patrick Baladi as consultant obstetrician Roger Hurley.
Read more: Line of Duty set to air extra long finale episode next month!
Fans of Jed Mercurio will know that he was a doctor in his younger years, so it’s no surprise he gets to the guts of real issues and controversy within the medical profession and beleaguered NHS.
Where to stream Bodies by Jed Mercurio
Bodies is currently on ITVX Premium but you can also catch it on BBC iPlayer. There are 17 episodes, spread across a six-part series one and 10-part second season, with a 90-minute feature-length episode titled Finale to close the story.
What’s Bodies about?
Bodies is based on Jed Mercurio’s own debut novel of the same name, published in 2002.
It tells the story of junior doctor Rob Lake (Max Beesley) working under obstetrician Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi) at the fictional South Central Infirmary.
Lake comes to realise that Hurley is dangerously incompetent as a surgeon, protected in his job by management because his research brings money into the hospital.
The themes are dark and the surgical scenes are occasionally challengingly graphic.
There’s also a thread of dark humour that runs throughout – and some impressive sex scenes to break up the heavy and sometimes distressing subject matter. Special nod to young Max B’s bum.
Jed has previously called it the “the drama I’m most proud of” and called its production “an extraordinary challenge”.
Brett D. Cove / SplashNews.com)
He said in a BBC preview: “We set ourselves the goal of making the medical sequences as realistic as possible in an era before visual effects had achieved today’s technical prowess.
“And we pulled no punches in portraying the murky realities of medical negligence and NHS politics that was groundbreaking then.
“Sadly [it] remains relevant to scandals that have continued into the present day.”
The stars of Jed Mercurio’s Bodies
Since starring in Bodies, Max Beesley has gone on to act in some of the best dramas of the past 10 years, including Suits, Homeland and Jamestown.
Patrick Baladi was best known when Bodies first aired as Neil from The Office. His acting credits since then include Hotel Babylon, Mistresses, the 2013 racing film Rush and, of course, Line of Duty series four and six.
Read more: Crime dramas to fill the Line of Duty hole
Also starring in Bodies are Neve McIntosh (Doctor Who), Keith Allen (Shallow Grave), Susan Lynch (Unforgotten) and Tamzin Malleson (Midsomer Murders).
What did the critics think of Bodies?
Bodies was-well received when it hit TV screens in the mid-2000s and has gone on to garner something of a cult status.
In 2010, The Guardian listed Bodies 20th in a ranking of the 50 greatest TV dramas of all time.
On IMDB, the show has a rating of 8.6 out of 10, putting it on a par with Line of Duty (8.6) and ahead of Bodyguard (8.2).
And did we mention ED! thinks its Jed Mercurio’s best work to date…? Don’t take anyone else’s word for it though, just watch it and thank us later.
Did you watch Bodies when it was originally on? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.