The Royal (2003–2011) User Reviews

Interesting and absorbing medical drama

[herblison-740-436529 · 8/10 · 26 July 2019]

This series centers on a small community hospital in northern England during the so-called "swinging" 60's. There are a number of fascinating characters especially Matron, head of nursing, Mr. Rose, consulting surgeon and the two main physicians, Doctors Ormerud and Wetherill. Unlike Gray's Anatomy the plots have as much to do with the practice of medicine as the personal lives of the characters. For the most part the drama is not sensational, but thoughtful and gentle. If you want some respite from the barrage of violence, gore and bedroom antics of most other television fare, you should enjoy The Royal.

Great British Telly, and my favorite drinking game.

[rothenbergerdale · 8/10 · 28 March 2020]

This show exemplifies the quality of British television. The writing, dialogue and character development is on point. The music, location scenes, casting and attention to period realism is also top notch. This show can make you laugh and cry all in the same hour. It's a little bit medical drama, and a little bit soap opera but only in the best ways. It also is the basis of a drinking game for me and my family. If someone questions the competence of the "Woman" doctor Jill Weatherall, you have to take a shot. If it's her husband doing it you take two shots. If you see a doctor smoking, you take a shot. If Dr. Rose tells someone their (whatever) days are over, you take a shot. If he's smoking his pipe while he says it, you take two shots. Example "I'm sorry good sir, I'm afraid your horse riding days are over", or I'm sorry ma'am, I'm afraid your childbearing days are over". Follow these rules and you'll be drunk before a half hour.

Great 60's Music!!

[schtdygirl · 8/10 · 31 March 2022]

I happened upon this series. I think I'm enjoying the original 1960's music. The Zombies are playing in the current episode. Some of the topics are certainly 60's subjects but this second season episode was about the "new controversial" whooping cough vaccine.

Recreation of Medical Past

[borsosmjd · 10/10 · 13 August 2019]

This show is amazingly good. The songs from the 60's are tastefully interwoven throughout. The acting is natural and gripping. I highly recommend this well done medical series.

The 1960s soundtrack is phenomenal!!!

[dailyb · 9/10 · 2 April 2019]

While I truly enjoyed bingeing on this whimsical dramedy set in North Yorkshire, it was re-visiting the 60s British pop hit singles that made every episode for me- From Manfred Mann's cover of Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn" to Freddie and the Dreamers' "I'm Tellin' You Now" to The Spencer Davis Group's "Keep on Runnin" it's a thoughtful musical journey back in time accompanying the goings on at St; Aidan's Royal Free Hospital.

I wish the producers or distributors had the forethought to get agreements for a couple of soundtracks/playlists It would be a fun listen. Maybe another reviewer will gather the titles from every episode...

Shown on DR1 every weekday

[riccinystrand · 20 September 2018]

The makers of this series have put a lot of effort into making it seem authentic. Most appealing and very addictive!

Pick a lane!

[michaelr-07217 · 6/10 · 22 February 2020]

This is just a silly show. The characters are either one dimensional or cartoonish buffoons. Nothing to see here.

Great Show

[judithlwalker · 10/10 · 6 April 2019]

I've binge watched The Royal over the past couple of weeks. Absolutely love the series. However, the end was horrible. I feel at a loss without the people at The Royal, and really wish the series had been brought to a good closing, rather than what it seems like a Dumping. The final season could have at least been completed...

The cliffhanger before shelving!

[ruthiespangler · 10/10 · 17 May 2020]

Very disappointed why do this??? loved every episode of The Roral! I finally caught up on Britbox, living in Virginia... Why on earth did ITV shelve at such a truly critical point? What in the actual heck???

Great show, despite the occasional stumbles

[vixphn · 9/10 · 7 December 2019]

But how on earth could they leave viewers hanging like that?! I say it's high time for a reunion special!

most enjoyable 60s pop music

[braquecubism · 5/10 · 21 October 2019]

The 60s classic English pop music made this the most fun. most all I knew- a few I wondered why they choose it (didn't fit or recognize)- mostly pop but well known hits- just a few Cream, only 1 Kinks 1-1/2 line, & cut off- a few Beatles cover. almost no Stones, a very few covers, Season 4 Episode 11 - they played Strange Brew by Cream and As Tears Go By with Marianne Faithful. No Klash. I guess they are moving forward. most of it's stories are pretty routine, tho in the 1st episodes there are already 2 deaths. It is a hospital. and they try to be social relevant on some without exploring issues. Mixed in with this- its "the Love Boat- on land, in Yorkshire, "the Love Royal". This is the mid 60s- time of the Female Eunuch, Gloria Steinem, fight for Racial and Social Equality, and Free Love. This is not London, but it's England in a major area, Yorkshire. Yes, Woman Drs had to fight, and abortions were still illegal. England was not as Catholic as Ireland, or Italy. But I am not sure those who wrote this understands the times. I do think they have mixed up U.K. in the 60s with Ireland, Scotland in the early 50s. there are 2 handymen; one is a schemer always plotting, meant to be comedic relief; rather hokey, lovable. 2 older Drs, are kind of characters. One is sensible, the other a gifted surgeon, more interested in golf, an odd ball, who really has a good heart. Everyone is sincere and well meaning. Some religious morality of the time, with one nurse a nun. They do try to be relevant and not ignore the world. sometimes just too hokey (strained, contrived, saccahrin), characters just too precious. Can a hospital even small, rural, but near a city and bigger hospitals, run like thisI don't want to add spoilers- but some stuff just isn't possible- for instance, it's a busy hospital (how many personnel & beds?) more nurses than we meet- we know all the Drs. (a handful), a small local hospital. there is one front desk receptionist who signs ppl in and answers the phone which doesn't ring that much. and there's never a relief- she goes home- but it's just her- 7 days a week- no one else?- There would be more activity in a Drs' office. They do call it a free hospital, and private practice; not sure how the Public Health system fits in. Something else- for country roads with little traffic, there are a lot of death by car accidents- and the all present ploy of standing in the road, and getting hit, killed by a car. Everyone hit by a car doesn't die. what are all these drivers doing, not watching the roadway; these are not freeways- so on a cell phone (not in 1960s) drunk, not watching, and how many go off the road and crash and die, or are trapped. It is a really cheap (poor) plot point. Big Spoiler- they clearly didn't expect Season 8 to be the last- end of Ep#11, and the finale Ep#12- very sad events and a cliff hanger- really got serious with no happy resolve. DO NOT read if you don't want to know- man accidentally kills his son. old woman abused by a priest and sent to asylum as a 15 yr old, her life stolen, dies, and favorite character is at point of death. do they kill him off or does he survive- and sister Bridget may leave the nun's order. (about time) a new secular life? it ends!

My Sunday Evening Fave!!!!

[northword · 10/10 · 8 July 2006]

I don't really care how many times B. C.'s Knowledge Network repeats this show - I have to watch it Sunday evenings. If that's not possible, then I'll tape it & watch it later. I'm not totally sure what it is about this show, but there really is something about it that draws me back week after week.

Now on the Knowledge Network we were left several months ago with Dr. Ormerod's tragic accident, but it sounds like he's alive - albeit barely. It'd really be terrible if they decided to kill him off after having just married him & Jill! I'm really very excited to see what actually happens & am waiting the resolving of that cliffhanger with baited breath!

Feels Exactly Right

[imabookworm1943 · 10/10 · 25 June 2019]

I've been binge watching The Royal this past week through Series 5. Britbox only has five series currently so until they broadcast the remaining three series I am left wondering about the fate of The Royal and Jill and Gordon's baby results. The Royal reminds me of growing up in a community where my mom worked at the local hospital. After school worked there myself until I married. So watching The Royal is rather like being back home so many years ago, the very same time as The Royal depicts

Fantastic show

[jinxieb · 10/10 · 12 August 2019]

I binged the first season over a weekend and fell in love with this show. The Royal centers around a hospital in Yorkshire. The plot balance of what is going on in the hospital and the personal lives of the doctors, nurses and patients is perfect. Aside from the great plots and sub-plots is the music. A mix of hits from the era is the perfect backdrop to the stories.

Great music!

[radecastro · 9/10 · 13 July 2019]

I find this oddly pleasant to watch, not just for the music.

But with all the rescues the doctors participate in, I don't know how they can afford to keep buying suits :)

Royal series

[mariesmagic · 10/10 · 18 January 2019]

I have just been told by ITV's services that they might be shelving the Royal I'm really not happy with this it's one of the few televisions programs I love they're still showing heartbeat I bet that will be next to be shelved does anybody know if I can do a petition to bring the Royal back to life I'dt should never have been shelved

Went downhill slowly.. Needed to end

[paulatepc66 · 5/10 · 11 March 2022]

Good start when linked to Heartbeat but ran out of ideas and needed to end. Pity.. Could have been saved by good writer.

Perhaps they should have listened to the viewers and finished the series sooner rather than later.

The Royal T.V. Series Review updated since 2003 by PAS

[palexandersquires · 10/10 · 17 December 2012]

I Originally reviewed this television series in 2003, and I still see the repeats on ITV 3, and I still enjoy them. my other review still stands in what I think about new bosses, when you work for an old boss, everything is happy until the old boss retires, then when a new boss arrives you get his way of doing things at your work, often not how you like to do them, this is what happened at the Royal hospital Middleditch retired and Harper came and changed everything I did like Ken Hopkirk and Lisa Hopkirk, and Alan vending machines make awful tea and you do not get a lot for your money, I also thought that DR.Omarod (Gordon) is a good doctor and I would not of minded if he was my doctor or Gilian his wife I also admired Mr.Rose as a good surgeon and Sister Bridget as a good nurse and listener to our problems I also remembered Mr. Carnige he was also a different boss to Mr. Middileditch but mellowed after the staff had meetings with him about his methods at working practises. I also remembered Matron she was a very good one as well

The Royal Time Machine:

[norman-bloom · 10/10 · 5 May 2021]

I always look forward here in Toronto area to watch this series that runs on Tuesday nights at 8pm on Vision Tv. They play alot of British drama,s.

I always like to watch this show as it reminds me of back home in that time. It was a more simpler time and the people were alot different and the girls were cute looking.

I was quite fond of Sister Brigid played by Linda Armsrong I have this secret crush on her. She is quite attrctive in her own means.

The show was set in the 60,s up in the Yorkshire area. I think the main town or city is Whitby.

The plots were good and sometimes funny and drama as well. I like the Matron played by wendy craig she was firm and direct. I also like the porters in it as well as Dr. Rose. I wish I could have a doctor like Dr. Rose. I looked forward to see whats taking place at the Royal. Mnay times the show crossed over to Heartbeat also made in the same time range and area.

Its a good series not complicated like today,s series and it represents a nostalgic Britain which I was a customed to.

I would recommend to watch this series it,s well worth it...............

A royal show!

[regorwi · 10/10 · 27 July 2019]

This show is great from every angle. The big plus is the superb use of 60's music throughout the series! My wife are binging this and it's wonderful.

Yorkshire Med in the 1960s & early 70s

[ebnnzidh · 9/10 · 5 February 2022]

I was very sorry to see The Royal end. I wish there were at least 10 more series, so we could see how these characters grow and mature over time! It reminded me somewhat of All Creatures Great and Small, also set in Yorkshire. I had grown up watching the first series of those shows on TV, as well as reading all of the James Herriot books. I did some reading and found out that the writers and actors of The Royal had no idea that season eight would be their last season, therefore the reason many of us struggle with the unfortunate ending. Even one or two more episodes could have easily wrapped things up neatly- but oftentimes those with the power and money to make a difference are just not interested.

I was very glad to find all seasons of The Royal available on Amazon prime, during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back to an earlier, simpler and less stressful time was a therapeutic break for me. It was a great example to see people working together to solve problems, and supporting each other thru difficult times.

While I was reading about The Royal online, I discovered it was actually a spinoff of the tv show Heartbeat! I had heard of that TV show, but not being in the UK, I had never seen it. For those of you who have not seen Heartbeat, I highly recommend it! There are 18 total series, and at least the first nine are available on YouTube.

Whereas The Royal centres around a north Yorkshire village hospital and its immediate surroundings near Scarborough and Whitby in the mid 1960s to early 1970s, Heartbeat begins in the early 1960s in the same area. Most filming for Heartbeat was done in the village of Goathland, which is given the TV name of "Aidensfield." Other parts of Heartbeat were filmed in Whitby, Scarborough and several other rural and city Yorkshire locations.

Of course things were not perfect in the 40s 50s 60s and 70s, not even in North Yorkshire. But there is some reason we all are longing for a time when things were simpler. I wonder exactly what attracts me to shows from this timeframe? We all should be thankful there is less racism today, and there are more educational opportunities available to everyone, so people are not automatically locked into the same type of job their parents had. While there is much to be said for having good relationships with your local Dr and nurse, and for midwifery and home births, I'm sure we are all thankful for more advanced medical understanding and treatment that's available now, especially during emergencies and for chronic illnesses. We should all be glad there is more help and openness regarding mental health needs, and much more help for the various types of abuse and addiction.

There are several characters who do crossovers between The Royal and Heartbeat. I believe these occur in the first four seasons of The Royal, but I did not realize it at the time so I'll likely go back and watch them again once I'm thru watching Heartbeat. Probably the character we would most recognize is the most entertaining rogue of Aidensfield, Claude Jeremiah Greengrass! Since Heartbeat actually began filming eight or nine years before the Royal, by watching Heartbeat we can see Mr. Greengrass getting up to shenanigans in all his glory, before the actor had a stroke.

If you have watched all episodes of the Royal and Heartbeat, and if you are still longing for Yorkshire of the past, I recommend that you watch All Creatures Great and Small- both the old and new series. Other series that hit nearly the same spot for me, but are set a bit earlier and a bit farther north are, Dr. Finlay's Case Book, and Dr. Finlay. Search YouTube and Amazon for these. I cannot visit Yorkshire or the UK, but I am thankful for these shows which have given me a little taste of a slower, more beautiful and peaceful pace of life during the crazy times in which we now find ourselves.

In parting, while we cannot go back to a simpler past and live those days over again, each one of us can do something now to make the present and the future a bit better. No, we can't do Everything to fix the world problems- but we can do Something to make our immediate surroundings more kind, more positive, to simplify our lives, to stop and smell the roses, and to share joy with others. Each one of us can do at least one thing this month to slow down and enjoy the beauty of creation. If we cannot plant a garden, we can grow herbs or flowers in a pot. If we cannot grow flowers outside, we can buy easy indoor flowers like African Violets- a pot for ourselves to cheer us up, and a pot to give to someone who needs cheering. Or perhaps we can make some cookies for ourselves, making enough to share with a neighbour, an overwhelmed mother, or someone who is lonely? Let us start by considering, what needs to change? And then let us say, what can I do? I can't do Everything, but I can do Something. Let us begin with treating others as we'd like to be treated, appreciating and loving our family members and neighbours, as we would like to be appreciated and loved.

I think that is largely what is missing from the world today, and a big part of what has changed from both town and country life in the 50s and 60s. I think many of us enjoy shows like this from the past, because we love seeing the importance of community relationships and how people support and help each other during times of need. Many of us long for membership in some type of fellowship that practises mutual aid; this is how our ancestors survived. Yes some things are better now, such as less racism and more opportunities for advancement through education. But isolated, depressed and self-centred people do not make strong healthy communities, nor healthy families. Some people are helped by meditating on this question, asking themselves, "What Would Jesus Do, if he were in my place?" If that doesn't work for you, then maybe ask what your favourite character on The Royal would do? 💙🙏🏽

No Ending

[mambus2000 · 10/10 · 26 February 2021]

We watch 8 seasons of this show and it abruptly stops. Something happens in the last episode but viewers are left hanging.

WTF!!!!

[tammyellis17 · 10/10 · 11 July 2021]

I loved this series and they just ended it like that???? Horrible way to end, the least they could have done is 1 more episode to tie up the loose ends.

Brilliant program!

[jeffcaz · 10/10 · 27 May 2023]

Why did they end such a good show with the ending of Dr Ormerod fighting for his life at the hands of Mr Rose. I have just rewatched it, and are annoyed even more this time around. The rubbish they make now and we have to either endure, or like i have look for older programmes to watch. Yet they renew stuff like made in chelsea, so many of the shows which were entertaining were binned for one reason or another that were so good, especially crime Drama's. The hundreds of channels yet we have to pay to get ALL the episodes of a lot of those shows, which tells me 1 thing they were & still are very popular..

I really wanted to rate this a 10.

[VeganVag · 9/10 · 17 October 2022]

I've been really enjoying this series for the past several days, even the greatest 60s hits was fun at first, but not only did it fit the theme of this type of show, it was being played many times at the worst moments, right before and during extremely serious situations, making it so annoying to the point that I needed to mute it to get a better feeling of what was really going on. And then characters we've been seeing for several episodes and seasons were tragically being killed only to be forgotten the next episode?! It became stressful watching it by S7 because we didn't know who was going to tragically die after a great 60s song had been blasting. Argh!

The action was outstanding each minute of each episode, the blood looked real, loved the coastal scenery, and the acting top notch, but because of all the issues I've had while binging this I had to rate it much lower than I was feeling I was going by S6.

The scene with Moira and her newborn baby was the most ridiculous stressful moment possible! All 3 medical staff were at fault for allowing her to get to that point before she went AWOL, something she didn't need to do at all because she wasn't really in any trouble. All you can do is roll your eyes once you think about the absurdity of it all. Another thing annoying about that is there was never anything said after 2 main characters tragically died before, no funeral, no remembrance, nada, but there they are going through all the motions about a character we only saw maybe 4x, someone they pretty much allowed to think she had no other choice when all Dr Jill and Dr. Gordon needed to do is tell her the great news while she was holding her newborn, they didn't need to ask for her sister Sister Brigid blessing first, ridiculous! I wish I could fast forward it all because it was so easily preventable, and now they're dragging this on into S8. Argh again!

Nevertheless, this has been by far the most exciting series I've enjoyed these past 6 months after downloading both AcornTv and BritBox to FireTv, it was just ruined by great music at the wrong place & time in a dramatic emergency & rescue medical film about 60s Doctors, Nurses, and a Catholic Nun, and also extremely implausible moments, as in, married with 2 kids, baby face Frankie being able to get his hands on 4 nurses, where 2 died, and 1 came very close to dying by S6.

Alun Morris (Andy Wear) and Dr. Rose (Denis Lill) were my favorite characters. I also really loved Dr. Jill Weatherill (Amy Robbins), but by the end of S7, I couldn't anymore since I blamed she, her hubby Dr. Gordon Orme... (Robert Daws) and sweet Sister Brigid (Linda Armstrong) for what happened to Moira, and what almost happened again to her newborn while in Ireland. I'd have broken my tv if not for the fast forward option. Lol!

You could end up with PTSD by season 8, which is why I was okay with the ending, I couldn't take the suspense and action anymore, every episode had scenes which caused me to worry about what was going to happen to main characters we've come to love, something that did happen again because doctors aren't known for risking their hands and or lives as what we watched over and over again to stress out the viewer before qualified rescued teams showed up.

I was relieved it was over.