Casualty has announced the return of characters Noel, Big Mac and Cal next month for a one-off special to mark the 35th anniversary of the BBC One series.
Tony Marshall, Charles Dale and Richard Winsor will be reprising their roles for a special feature-length episode that goes back in time to a day in the Emergency Department, which will set in motion a chain of events that changes the course of their future.
14.08.21#Casualty35 pic.twitter.com/xJPzPv4Tph
— BBC Casualty (@BBCCasualty) July 15, 2021
Registrar Cal Knight, played by Winsor, exited the show in 2017 when he was stabbed by Scott Ellisson.
Receptionist Noel Garcia, played by Marshall, died at the beginning of the year in the Bafta award-winning coronavirus episode of the show.
Dale's character, porter MacKenzie 'Big Mac' Chalker, was last seen in the hospital in 2016 when he left after admitting to stealing medicine.
The special episode will air on BBC One on 14 August.
Marshall, whose son will also make a cameo appearance in the episode, playing Rudi, a young boy who needs help in the ED, said: "It was strange to come back but rewarding at the same time as the episode tackles yet another important subject.
"It was a joy working with my son, as well as of course Charlie Dale and Richard Winsor.
"We had to abide to Covid restrictions, which is not easy, but we did it. The audience are going to love the episode!"
Dale added: "It's lovely to be back with my friends again, especially, THE Tony Marshall. Reunion Tour?"
The episode will also introduce new character Stevie, played by Elinor Lawless.
Series producer Loretta Preece said: "There is a 35th-anniversary smorgasbord to offer both new and old fans of Casualty with huge stunts, faces from the past, some indelible new characters and some wonderful story twists.
"Elinor Lawless as new consultant Stevie makes a splash right from her first episode and I am confident she will become one of the most talked-about characters in Casualty's history.
New characters announced in @BBCStudios' Casualty.
— BBC Studios Press Office (@BBCStudiosPress) May 20, 2021
Osi Okerafor (Death in Paradise, King Gary) and @elinor_lawless (Doctors, Shakespeare and Hathaway) join the cast of @BBCCasualty as new characters Matthew and Stevie.https://t.co/itnoMKkm2t
"There are huge, heart-breaking stories for Ethan and Jacob later in the series and I'm delighted to also announce a wonderful two-part special to be written by Barbara Machin, one of television's most prestigious writers, for Christmas 2021."
Source: Press Association
