The essential episodes of The Royal

Watch these 15 in order and you've got The Royal — each pick states its reason.

  1. 01

    S01E01 · Pilot · January 19, 2003 · 1h

    First Impressions6.0

    Dr. David Cheriton arrives at St. Aidan's Royal Free Hospital in Elsinby, newly qualified and keen to impress at his job interview - only to discover they aren't even expecting him. Meanwhile, Dr. Jill Weatherill's professional competence is called into question during a home visit, and hospital porter Ken Hopkirk's efforts to put up a television aerial end in disaster.

  2. 02

    S01E03 · Season 1 peak · February 2, 2003 · 1h

    Coffin Fit8.0

    Claude Greengrass causes a kerfuffle with a coffin containing the remains of his deceased sister and a mysterious phone call only serves to raise suspicions. Jill Weatherill has trouble with a patient who refuses to accept her condition, while Dr. Cheriton panics when he arrives at the scene of an accident bereft of vital medical equipment.

  3. 03

    S01E05 · Top rated · February 16, 2003 · 1h

    Immediate Care8.0

    Dr. Cheriton has the unenviable task of informing a patient she has little time to live, and the situation soon prompts the wedding of the year. Arriving at the scene of an accident at the railway station, Dr. Ormerod is forced to make a drastic decision, but an oncoming train signals disaster. Gambling fever grips the hospital when a champion jockey is admitted and, as always, Greengrass is in the thick of the furore.

  4. 04

    S01E06 · Top rated · February 23, 2003 · 1h

    Kiss and Tell8.0

    The cause of a schoolboy's illness is found too close to home, while a bit of teamwork brings Ormerod and Weatherill closer than they expect. Cheriton's flatwarming party goes with a bang, and Ventress spots an impostor on the ward.

  5. 05

    S01E07 · Top rated · March 2, 2003 · 1h

    Crash8.0

    A serious coach crash throws the Royal into chaos, and for one member of the staff, the incident proves exceptionally traumatic. Cheriton has a bombshell for Nurse Taylor.

  6. 06

    S02E01 · Top rated · May 25, 2003 · 1h

    All at Sea8.0

    Gordon struggles to cope following the coach crash which left his wife horrifically injured and turns for comfort to colleague Jill, who tries to persuade him to take time off work. Meanwhile, a woman arrives at the Royal requiring an emergency hysterectomy following an illegal abortion, and pleads that the whole affair be kept secret from her fiance, and Greengrass is shocked to discover he has a long-lost daughter.

  7. 07

    S02E04 · Season 2 peak · June 15, 2003 · 1h

    Wishing and Hoping9.0

    A frantic mother and father bring their daughter to the Royal for whooping cough treatment, and Cheriton is shocked to hear the girl hasn't been vaccinated because of her parents' fears of the side-effects. Tragically, the youngster dies - leaving the worried staff to cope with an influx of children in need of immunisation.

  8. 08

    S02E05 · Top rated · June 22, 2003 · 1h

    One of Those Days9.0

    Ormerod rushes to help following a boating accident, but realises he's been sent to the wrong location, and when he finally arrives at the disaster scene, his efforts to save a man's life prove futile. On returning to the hospital, he angrily chastises Lizzie for the misinformation - only to realise he was too hasty in blaming her. Can he make amends? Meanwhile, PC Ventress comes to the Royal with two men who had been fighting over a girl, and one promptly collapses due to a brain haemorrhage. Weatherill faces a testing time when she helps deliver a baby which is tragically stillborn and nurse Meryl reveals she suspects she may be pregnant.

  9. 09

    S03E11 · Season 3 peak · January 25, 2004 · 1h

    For Those in Peril9.0

    The hospital staff have an intriguing case on their hands when local tramp Sebastian Fox is found dead. Ken Hopkirk rummages through his belongings and is surprised to find war medals, leading to the discovery that he was a decorated Navy hero. When a relative is traced but refuses to help with funeral arrangements, the Royal team decide to give him a fitting send-off by scattering his ashes at sea. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Goodwin is shocked to discover a farmer's cattle herd have contracted a disease which has passed into cheese that's available in the area, and Jill Weatherill, Matron and Sister Brigid encounter a runaway girl.

  10. 10

    S04E01 · Season 4 peak · December 5, 2004 · 1h

    For Better for Worse8.0

    Jill and Gordon's wedding day finally arrives, but a huge explosion at a nearby care home disrupts proceedings in spectacular fashion. As the Royal staff help pull the elderly residents out of the rubble, the horrifying truth behind the cause of the accident is discovered.

  11. 11

    S05E01 · Season 5 peak · March 12, 2006 · 1h

    Loved and Lost9.0

    Dr. Ormerod returns to work after his accident, but when his brusque treatment of a hypochondriac schoolgirl ends in tragedy, it's clear he still needs time to recover. New nurse Catherine Deane starts her rounds on the wards, and Mr. Middleditch has a surprise announcement to make.

  12. 12

    S06E01 · Season 6 peak · March 25, 2007 · 1h

    Absent Friends8.0

    Weatherill decides to return to work after having a baby. A local family prove a handful for the hospital staff. In Africa, Goodwin faces the horrors of war and makes a promise to a dying woman - but can he keep his word?

  13. 13

    S07E06 · Season 7 peak · December 14, 2008 · 1h

    Stolen Dreams9.0

    The hospital staff are pushed to their limits when an amusement arcade collapses. In the search for survivors, a child is found with a suspected blood-clotting disorder and the team must find his mother to obtain his medical history. Stella enters the wreckage to free a girl who is trapped under a fruit machine, but when she becomes blocked in, Frankie tries to save her - and declares his feelings in the process. After another collapse both Frankie and Stella become trapped. The staff work fast to try and free them.

  14. 14

    S08E01 · Season 8 peak · July 12, 2009 · 1h

    Safe As Houses8.0

    Dr. Ormerod and Dr. Weatherill accompany Brigid back to Ireland for Moira's funeral, and uncover shocking family secrets in the process. Meanwhile, a new locum is thrown in at the deep end at the Royal.

  15. 15

    S08E12 · Series finale · July 31, 2011 · 1h

    The Enemy Within8.0

    A can of worms is opened when Gordon attends to a local family's problems, and when violence spills onto the Royal's wards he gets caught up in the crossfire. Meanwhile, baby Aisling's adoption is final. However, Sister Brigid is confused by her feelings.

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