Pulse (BBC-3 2010, Stephen Campbell Moore)

In the atmospheric and downright chilling medical horror pilot Pulse young trainee doctor Hannah Carter arrives back at one of the country’s top teaching hospitals after taking an extended break following the death of her mother from cancer. She is soon terrified by strange visions and the threatening behaviour of her ex-boyfriend and star surgeon Nick and wonders if she has come back too soon. But beneath the hospital’s reputation of medical excellence she discovers a secret network of dangerous experiments pushing back the boundaries of science.

Some highly gruesome scenes via the operating table and the morgue but Pulse is fabulous stuff, carrying with it a genuine air of menace, hard to quite see how it could translate to a full on series though even if it does a twist in the very final scene. One of three pilots made for BBC3 the other two, Dappers and Stanley Park were both half hour comedies.

production details
UK / BBC Three / 1×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 3 June 2010 @ 9.00pm

Creators: Paul Cornell, Ben Teasdale and Tom McRae / Writer: Paul Cornell / Story: Ben Teasdale / Music: Stephen Hilton / Production Design: Matthew Gant / Costumes: Theresa Rymer / Producer: Helen Gregory / Executive Producers: Simon Heath, Hugo Heppell, Polly Hill / Director: James Hawes

cast
STEPHEN CAMPBELL MOORE as Nick Gates
ALAN WILLIAMS as Charlie Maddox
ARSHER ALI as Adam Hussein
EMILY BEECHAM as Stella Hamilton
CLAIRE FOY as Hannah Carter
GREGG CHILLIN as Rafee Hussein
MATTI HOUGHTON as Jess Black
EILEEN DAVIES as Mrs Maddox
CAROLINE GOODALL as Juliette Randall
BEN MILES as Joe Sennet
JO HARTLEY as Loz Westmoor
EMMA STANSFIELD as Nurse