Frankie: BBC One nursing drama starring Eve Myles

Torchwood star Eve Myles plays Frankie Maddox, a hard working but fun district nurse, in Frankie, a new six-part drama due to start on BBC One on Tuesday 14 May 2013. She has to balance a career she loves with keeping her long-term boyfriend PC Ian Hargrave (played by Dean Lennox Kelly) happy.

“The community nurse must walk up the path to that front door and knock on it, alone, not knowing what sort of reception there will be,” said writer Lucy Gannon. “Her patients can be rowdy young men with rugby injuries or the bewildered 90 year old with a broken hip. When that door is opened it might reveal a drug addict, a drunk, anyone. And she or he must be ready to treat them, always aware that she is in their home, that she is there as a guest, that she needs diplomacy and forbearance quite as much as she needs nursing skill.”

Based in Bristol, Frankie is set around the lead district nurse and her team. There are different story lines every week, but the link is the team’s professional and private lives.

In the first episode, Frankie is approaching her 36th birthday and wonders what surprise Ian has up his sleeve. Meanwhile, one of her elderly patients is showing signs of dementia but his daughter is proving to be an obstacle in getting him the care he needs.

Actors in Frankie

Eve Myles won one Bafta and was nominated for another for her best-known role, that of playing Gwen Cooper in Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. She was also nominated for a Bafta for playing Ceri in Belonging. Other notable roles include Maggy in Little Dorritt, Sarah in Baker Boys and Lady Helen in Merlin.

“This is the first medical role I have played,” said Myles. “And it's a lot to take in. Especially with district nursing, as it’s not an area that's really been highlighted before and not all set in a hospital, surgery etc as they are constantly on the road and in patients’ homes.”

Dean Lennox Kelly is also no stranger to the Doctor Who world having played Shakespeare in “The Shakespeare Code” episode. His career dates back to 1998 and the role of Martin Beasley in two episodes of Peak Practice. The following year he played TI Chris Mallory in six episodes of Maisie Raine. Other roles have included Dom in The Worst Week of My Life, Dex in Sorted, Job Gregson in Cranford, Hedley Huthwaite in The Invisibles, Danny Rampton in Collision, Dickie in Married Single Other and Kev Ball in Shameless.

Derek Riddell plays Frankie’s colleague and confidant Andy Peat. Jemma Redgrave plays GP Zoe Evans, who often disagrees with Frankie’s ideas on patient care. Michael Byrne plays elderly patient Mr Thomas and Barbara Marten his daughter Jean. Amy Strange plays young mother Heather and Hannah Jean-Baptiste plays her eight-year-old daughter Ruby. The programme also features Julia Ford, Leila Mimmack and Carla Henry.

Team behind Frankie

Frankie was commissioned by Danny Cohen, controller of BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, controller of BBC drama commissioning. The BBC executive producer was Hilary Salmon, and the BBC producer was Erika Hossington. The first two episodes were directed by Mark Everest.