Holby City series 22

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Holby City: Series 22 – quick guide

Overview
- Series 22 of the British medical drama Holby City aired on BBC One.
- It ran from 7 January 2020 to 30 March 2021 and featured 44 episodes.
- Series producer: Jane Wallbank. Executive producer: Simon Harper.

Production notes
- Filming paused from March to July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with two transmission pauses during the series.
- The show introduced COVID-19 related inserts and updated storylines to reflect the real-life crisis.
- Production resumed in July 2020 with strict safety measures; episodes returning in November 2020 were shortened to 40 minutes.
- Holby City donated ventilators and PPE to the NHS Nightingale hospital to help during the pandemic.
- Writers rewrote pre-planned stories to focus on the pandemic and its impact on the hospital and staff.

Major storylines
- Holocaust Memorial Day episode featuring Sacha Levy and Essie Di Lucca.
- Cancer scares and illnesses affecting Essie and Fletch, explored in a heartfelt arc.
- Essie’s terminal cancer story culminates in her death on the way to her wedding with Sacha.
- The series weaves in the stress and challenges faced by hospital staff during the pandemic.

Cast and characters
- Louis McGerry (Tyler Luke Cunningham) is introduced as the hospital’s first regular transgender character, starting as a recurring role in episode 12 and becoming a nurse from episode 15.
- Four new regulars join after the break: Lucky Simpson (Vineeta Rishi), Josh Hudson (Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge), Jeong-Soo Han (Chan Woo Lim), and Skylar Bryce (Phoebe Pryce). Skylar leaves in episode 34.
- Returning/side appearances include Sahira Shah (Laila Rouass) returning in January 2021 (episode 37) and John Barrowman guest-starring as Drew Nicholson-Heath in episode 23.
- Notable departures during the series included Serena Campbell (Catherine Russell) in episode 3, Ric Griffin (Hugh Quarshie) in episode 26, and Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel) in episode 36.
- Raf di Lucca (Joe McFadden) makes a one-episode return.
- Other guest and recurring characters appear throughout the run as the hospital’s storylines unfold.

What to know
- The 22nd series continued Holby City’s tradition of mixing medical cases with personal stories, while integrating the real-world COVID-19 crisis into its storytelling.
- It introduced new faces, said farewell to longtime characters, and highlighted the resilience of NHS staff during a difficult year.