Medical drama series Peak Practice detailed the problems of a medical practice in the Derbyshire peak district. Initially the first three seasons concentrated on the relationship between Doctors Jack Kerruish (Kevin Whately) and Beth Glover (Amanda Burton).
The pair later married and left the practice, ITV should probably have finished the show at this point but ratings were still very good so new characters came on board especially Dr Andrew Attwood (Gary Mavers) and Dr Erica Matthews (Saskia Wickham) but it lacked the spark that the central dynamic between Kevin Whately and Amanda Burton gave it.
The 2001 season ended with a cliffhanger (literally) with Claire Brightwell (Eva Pope) pushing herself and Dr Alex Redman (Maggie O’Neill) off a cliff. Central, who made the series for ITV, then announced the series would be ending leaving the cliffhanger storyline, along with others, unresolved.
Incidentally after Whately and Burton left two episodes were made with Larry Lamb as the new lead but Central felt that his character wasn’t working and the episodes were never transmitted.
Cast: KEVIN WHATELY as Dr Jack Kerruish (Seasons 1-3); AMANDA BURTON as Dr Beth Glover (Seasons 1-3); SIMON SHEPHERD as Dr Will Preston(93-96/2000-); JAQUELINE LEONARD as Sarah Preston(93-96); SYLVIA SYMS as Isabel de Gines (Seasons 1-3); ESTHER COLES as Kim Beardsmore; RICHARD PLATT as James White; HAZEL ELLERBY as Chloe White; GARY MAVERS as Dr Andrew Attwood(96-99); SASKIA WICKHAM as Erica Matthews(96-97); ADRIAN LUKIS as David Shearer(97-98); HAYDN GWYNNE as Joanna Graham(99); JOSEPH MILLSON as Sam Morgan(99-); MARGERY MASON as Alice North; MAGGIE O’NEILL as Dr Alex Redman (2000); EVA POPE as Claire Brightwell
Creator: Lucy Gannon / Music: John Altman / Producers: Tony Virgo, Michele Buck, Neil Zeiger
UK / ITV – Central (Carlton from season 8 onward) / 1×90 minute episode 151×50 minute episodes / x60 minute episodes / Broadcast 10 May 1993 – 2001
THE EPISODES
SEASON ONE 10 May – 28 June 1993
1. SHARP PRACTICE (10 May 93)
2. OUTSIDERS (17 May 93)
3. GROWING PAINS (24 May 93)
4. ROSES AROUND THE DOOR (31 May 93)
5. IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOUR (7 Jun 93)
6. HOPE TO DIE (14 Jun 93)
7. LISTENING SKILLS (21 Jun 93)
8. GIDDY HEIGHTS (28 Jun 93)
SEASON TWO 1 March – 24 May 1994
1. IN GOOD FAITH (1 Mar 94)
2. OLD HABITS (8 Mar 94)
3. LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR (16 Mar 94)
4. ACT OF REMEMBRANCE ( 22 Mar 94)
5. ENEMY WITHIN (29 Mar 94)
6. LONG WEEKEND (6 Apr 94)
7. CHANCE ENCOUNTER (13 Apr 94)
8. LIFE CHANGES (19 Apr 94)
9. A BRAVE FACE (26 Apr 94)
10. ABBEY (3 May 94)
11. PERFECT LOVE (10 May 94)
12. POWER GAMES (17 May 94)
13. HAPPY EVER AFTER (24 May 94)
SEASON THREE 31 January – 16 May 1995
1. LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL (31 Jan 95)
2. TENDER (7 Feb 95)
3. COMING OUT (14 Feb 95)
4. LOSING OUT (28 Feb 95)
5. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD (7 Mar 95)
6. FIGHTING CHANCE (14 Mar 95)
7. FAMILY TIES (21 Mar 95)
8. ILL WIND (28 Mar 95)
9. A NORMAL LIFE (4 Apr 95)
10. WALKING AWAY (11 Apr 95)
11. BEDSIDE MANNERS (18 Apr 95)
12. GIVING UP (25 Apr 95)
13. NOBODY’S FAULT (2 May 95)
14. LIFE AND SOUL (9 May 95)
15. OTHER LIVES (16 May 95)
SEASON FOUR 27 February – 30 April 1996
1. HOLDING IT TOGETHER (27 Feb 96)
2. A NEW LIFE (5 Mar 96)
3. NEW HORIZONS (12 Mar 96)
4. LOOKING BACK (19 Mar 96)
5. WHIPPING BOY (26 Mar 96)
6. CLOSE TIES (2 Apr 96)
7. IN SAFE HANDS (9 Apr 96)
8. PARTNERS (16 Apr 96)
9. RUNNING ON EMPTY (23 Apr 96)
10. HEART AND SOUL (30 Apr 96)
SEASON FIVE 14 January – 22 April 1997
1. EYE OF THE STORM (14 Jan 97)
2. THE PRICE (21 Jan 97)
3. INNOCENT BLOOD (28 Jan 97)
4. LETTING GO (4 Feb 97)
5. CLASSICS (11 Feb 97)
6. LOST FEELINGS (18 Feb 97)
7. HOME TRUTHS (4 Mar 97)
8. RUNNING TO HIDE (11 Mar 97)
9. BORROWED TIME (18 Mar 97)
10. TOUGH LOVE (25 Mar 97)
11. STATE OF MIND (1 Apr 97)
12. PRIORITIES (8 Apr 97)
13. A CHANGE OF HEART (15 Apr 97)
14. FIGHT OR FLIGHT (22 Apr 97)
SEASON SIX 5 January – 22 April 1998
1. ALL FALL DOWN (5 Jan 98)
2. THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY (12 Jan 98)
3. A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE (19 Jan 98)
4. THE GOOD SON (26 Jan 98)
5. ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE (2 Feb 98)
6. A CHANGE OF VIEW (9 Feb 98)
7. BODY AND SOUL (16 Feb 98)
8. THE SPINNING WHEEL (23 Feb 98)
9. GLASS HOUSES (2 Mar 98)
10. THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE (16 Mar 98)
11. THE FALLING SKY (23 Mar 98)
12. A CHILD I DREAM (30 Mar 98)
13. TWO THINGS SEEMED LIKE STONE (6 Apr 98)
14. ONCE IN A LIFETIME (22 Apr 98)
SEASON SEVEN 5 January – 6 April 1999
1. RACE AGAINST TIME (5 Jan 99)
2. THE TIES THAT BIND (12 Jan 99)
3. TURN A BLIND EYE (19 Jan 99)
4. COMRADES IN ARMS (26 Jan 99)
5. PASSION (2 Feb 99)
6. MAP OF THE HEART PART ONE (9 Feb 99)
7. MAP OF THE HEART PART TWO (23 Feb 99)
8. BEFORE THE LIGHTS GO OUT (2 Mar 99)
9. A FIGHTING CHANCE (9 Mar 99)
10. NO BOUNDS (16 Mar 99)
11. TAKE HER BACK (23 Mar 99)
12. SINGLE-MINDED (30 Mar 99)
13. THE NATURE OF THINGS (6 Apr 99)
SEASON EIGHT 14 September 1999
1. BREAKING POINT (14 Sep 99)
2. ALONE (21 Sep 99)
3. ESKIMO ROLL (28 Sep 99)
4. WOOD FOR THE TREES (5 Oct 99)
5. BUYING TIME (12 Oct 99)
6. CHANGE OF LIFE (19 Oct 99)
7. CLOSE TO HEAVEN PART ONE ( 2 Nov 99)
8. CLOSE TO HEAVEN PART TWO (9 Nov 99)
9. THE FIRST STONE (16 Nov 99)
10. HEARTS AND MINDS (23 Nov 99)
11. NOT WAVING BUT DROWNING (30 Nov 99)
12. MOVING ON (7 Dec 99)
13. NEW BEGINNINGS (14 Dec 99)
SEASON NINE 4 January – 28 March 2000
1. AND THEN THERE WERE TWO (4 Jan 00)
2. CLOSE TO HOME (11 Jan 00)
3. FAMILY VALUES (18 Jan 00)
4. LETTING GO (25 Jan 00)
5. LANGUAGE OF THE EYE (1 Feb 00)
6. ONCE TOO OFTEN (8 Feb 00)
7. TRUTH OR DARE (15 Feb 00)
8. GHOSTS (22 Feb 00)
9. A TEST OF FAITH (29 Feb 00)
10. TURNING TIDES (7 Mar 00)
11. FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE (14 Mar 00)
12. LAST ORDERS (21 Mar 00)
13. HOPES AND DREAMS (28 Mar 00)
SEASON TEN 5 September – 19 December 2000
1. FOR THE LOVE OF A CHILD (5 Sep 00)
2. HIT AND RUN (12 Sep 00)
3. SKIN DEEP (19 Sep 00)
4. ON A CLEAR DAY (26 Sep 00)
5. ABSOLUTION (3 Oct 00)
6. LONELY HEARTS PART ONE (31 Oct 00)
7. LONELY HEARTS PART TWO (7 Nov 00)
8. DIVIDED WE STAND (14 Nov 00)
9. KEEPING UP THE ACT (21 Nov 00)
10. PLAYING GOD (28 Nov 00)
11. WALLS OF JERICHO (5 Dec 00)
12. MASQUERADE (12 Dec 00)
13. ELECTRICITY (19 Dec 00)
SEASON ELEVEN 2 January – 5 April 2001
1. STILL WATERS (2 Jan 01)
2. FLESH AND BLOOD (9 Jan 01)
3. WIN SOME, LOSE SOME (16 Jan 01)
4. TRUST IN ME (23 Jan 01)
5. TOGETHER WE STAND (30 Jan 01)
6. PRISONERS OF THE PAST (6 Feb 02)
7. PRIVATE LIVES, PUBLIC EYE (13 Feb 01)
8. SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN (20 Feb 01)
9. BODY BEAUTIFUL (8 Mar 01)
10. HIDDEN AGENDA (15 Mar 01)
11. CROSSFIRE (22 Mar 01)
12. BLIND SPOT (29 Mar 01)
13. BAD MEDICINE (5 Apr 01)
SEASON TWELVE 25 October 2001 – 30 January 2002
1. EPISODE ONE (25 Oct 01)
2. EPISODE TWO (1 Nov 01)
3. EPISODE THREE (8 Nov 01)
4. EPISODE FOUR (15 Nov 01)
5. EPISODE FIVE (22 Nov 01)
6. EPISODE SIX (29 Nov 01)
7. EPISODE SEVEN (6 Dec 01)
8. EPISODE EIGHT (13 Dec 01)
9. EPISODE NINE (3 Jan 02)
10. EPISODE TEN (10 Jan 02)
11. EPISODE ELEVEN (17 Jan 02)
12. EPISODE TWELVE (24 Jan 02)
13. EPISODE THIRTEEN (30 Jan 02)
