BBC Radio 4 Extra

Polyoaks

Comedy: Satire

Comedy: Sitcoms

NHS satire by Dr Phil Hammond and David Spicer

Polyoaks: Series 1

Polyoaks: Series 1: Episode 2

Episode 2

Series 1

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Polyoaks, Series 1, Episode 2

How will Dr Jeremy and the two Dr Thorntons cope with buying the NHS Walk-In Centre?

How will Dr Jeremy and the two Dr Thornton brothers cope with buying the NHS Walk-In Centre? Comic satire on the NHS starring Nigel Planer and Celia Imrie. From June 2011.

Nigel Planer, Celia Imrie, David Westhead, Phil Cornwell and Tony Gardner star in a timely satire on the NHS set in the bewildering new world of Coalition healthcare. This new sitcom is written by Private Eye's medical columnist, broadcaster, comedian and practising GP Dr. Phil Hammond and David Spicer ('Double Income, No Kids Yet' and 'Three Off the Tee'.)

As responsibility for the Health Service is stripped from managers and handed to doctors, brothers-in-medicine Roy & Hugh Thornton are struggling to work out what to do with all this sudden money and power. If they can diagnose acute appendicitis surely they can manage an £80 billion health budget. Can't they?

But a useless Celebrity TV Doctor, an overly-aggressive South African Nurse and a sinister GP Consortium Chairman don't make their lot any easier. 

In this second episode TV's Dr. Jeremy and the two Dr. Thornton brothers have been persuaded by their Consortium to buy the Polyoaks Walk-In centre and set up a polyclinic. It's now their Practice Manager Betty's unenviable task to show them how manage the money. Well they couldn't do it on their own, could they? Hugh's too busy playing squash with local politicians and Roy has started filming consultations. And if, God forbid, any of their patients is seriously ill, will anybody notice?

Cast:
Dr Roy Thornton: Nigel Planer 
Dr Hugh Thornton: Tony Gardner 
TV's Dr Jeremy: David Westhead 
Betty Crossfield: Celia Imrie
Vera Du Plessis: Carla Mendonca 
Mr Devlin/Patient: Phil Cornwell 
Mr Stafford: David Holt 
Nanny/Mrs Grafton: Kate O'Sullivan 
Oliver: Hugo Docking 

Written By Phil Hammond and David Spicer 

Producer/Director: Frank Stirling 
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

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Satire on the NHS, set in the bewildering new world of coalition healthcare

Satire on the NHS by Dr Phil Hammond and David Spicer, set in the bewildering new world of coalition healthcare

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