Bodies was a dark medical drama, way down the cynical side of the Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism, which ran for three seasons on The BBC from 2004 to 2006. The main protagonist of the series is Rob Lake (Max Beesley), a junior surgeon who starts a new post in the fictional South Central Infirmary, under consultant obstetrician Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi). Unfortunately, he comes to realise that Hurley is incompetent at his job; the problem is that Hurley is protected by the mutual loyalties of his profession.
Not to be confused with Bodies (2023), a Netflix police/time travel mini-series.
Tropes in Bodies:
- Arc Words: "Doctors look after doctors", the principle that protects Hurley for most of the series.
- Cliffhanger: The first season ends with Lake confessing his mistakes to the family of one of his patients to clear his conscience, with the consequences unrevealed; the third season ends with Lake about to find out whether he has contracted an incurably fatal disease due to an accident caused by Hurley.
- Harmful Healing: Hurley's surgery regularly causes more much harm than good to his patients. Unfortunately, Lake also makes some mistakes in surgery, making it harder for him to expose Hurley.
- Inappropriately Close Comrades: A sexual relationship between a doctor and a nursing sister is at the heart of the drama, with its appropriateness (or lack thereof) addressed.
