The Royal is back

· TV Week · 10 Nov 2008 · by: ITV

The Royal is back with four action packed episodes which see some much-loved characters depart and new faces appear.

Tragedy strikes in episode one when an amusement arcade collapses leaving a vision of chaos as children and adults are buried under the rubble. Nurse Stella Davenport (Natalie Anderson) crawls under the wreckage to rescue a young girl but, when there is further movement, she soon becomes trapped. Ambulance driver, Frankie Robinson (Scott Taylor), goes in after her, but will they both get out in time to escape a huge gas explosion?

Ken Hopkirk (Michael Starke) has left The Royal to run a B&B in Torquay. A replacement porter is needed and who better for the job than Ken’s cousin Jack Bell (Gareth Hale)?

Sister Brigid (Linda Armstrong) gets a shock when her unmarried pregnant sister turns up in search of help and Lizzie (Michelle Hardwick) contemplates her future. Can she bring herself to leave The Royal?

Matron’s (Wendy Craig) flighty niece Susie (Sarah Beck Mather) shows up again and this time she’s a new nurse. How will Matron react when she discovers Susie has got her claws into Carnegie (Robert Cavanagh)?

Guest artistes throughout the series include Claire King, Brian Blessed, Sean Wilson, Susan Hampshire and Ian Carmichael.