A Look Inside the World's Longest-Running Medical Drama

Working

This week, host June Thomas talks to Jenny Thompson, story producer for the long-running U.K. medical drama Casualty. In the interview, Jenny explains what a story producer does, and why it’s different from a script-writing job. She also shares what it’s like to create character arcs for a show with such a long and rich history and explains how the U.K.’s National Health Service impacts the storylines and characters.

After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler talk about why shows like Casualty are so beloved in Britain.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Jenny shares some of her favorite examples of TV storytelling.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-WORK. That’s [phone].

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices