Eddie Redmayne

Brian Kirk speaks for a generation when he recalls watching The Day of the Jackal on TV as a child. “Even then, it felt genre-defining,” says the director. “It had this enormous manhunt with a sense of consequence and incredible plotting, great set-pieces, sustained tension. It felt like it was in the real world, with a real ticking clock, which left a big impression.”

Since its debut in 2000, Doctors has followed the fictional lives of NHS doctors, nurses, and receptionists, as well as their families and friends. Alongside these continuing story lines, they also have a story of the week which focuses on a patient and their individual life, usually for a one or two episode arc.