I asked the stars of Casualty what to watch after 'explosive' 40th anniversary special episodes — and their unexpected answer is absolute genius

Casualty fans, buckle up: two special episodes for its landmark 40th anniversary are heading to BBC and BBC iPlayer from September 5th.

If dealing with lots of ill people on a daily basis is bad enough, this new double-bill steps the drama up to levels we haven't seen in decades. Think The Pitt, if HBO Max decided to set it in South West England.

As you can tell from the below trailer our episodes are centered on a massive explosion strikes near the Clifton Suspension Bridge, plunging the city of Wyvern, and the hospital, into immediate chaos.

In the back of an ambulance, Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) and clinical lead Flynn Byron (Olly Rix) are caught in a race against time. Meanwhile, Dylan Keogh (William Beck) must lead the emergency department through its darkest hour... including facing his own personal tragedy.

Understandably, the 40th anniversary of Casualty is going to be a pretty intense watch. In fact, it could be so intense that you'll likely want to decompress by streaming something that's the polar opposite completely answer.

Luckily enough, I asked the Casualty cast for their ideas — and how they got through the on-set stress themselves — and the suggestions are genius.

'I've just finished Love Island'

"I've just finished Love Island... though I'm not sure if I want everyone knowing," Melanie Hill tells me. I hope she forgives me for including this, but it's such an unexpectedly fantastic choice that it actually makes complete sense.

Reality TV is often dubbed 'trash viewing,' treated as second-rate viewing because it's considered to be low-brow. The truth is the opposite — not only are most of the smartest women I know absolutely obsessed with it, but many shows offer fascinating insight into human social behavior and psychology. It's us at our best and worst, under glossy lights.

Frankly, Love Island is exactly the sort of show I'd choose to watch after watching people on death's door, even if it's only fictional. But if this isn't your thing, the suggestions don't stop there.

"I watched Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad? not too long ago," Neet Mohan adds. "It was a one-episode documentary by ShabazSays on TikTok. Was really funny. I also watched Pitch Perfect with my daughter... so there's that."

William Beck jokes, "I think if you want the complete opposite, go for snooker. But that's not very exciting, is it? Maybe even [children's show] Hey Duggee."

The good news is that three out of four of these TV show suggestions are readily available on BBC iPlayer, with Love Island currently on ITVX (or on Hulu in the US).

No matter what your jam is, you've got something ready to stream for free on the same platform... but come on, it's gotta be Love Island, right?

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