The seventeenth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 14 September 2002 and finished on 21 June 2003.
Richard Handford takes over from Mervyn Watson as series producer, having previously worked on Emmerdale and The Bill. Watson became executive producer alongside Mal Young. Once again, 40 episodes were commissioned.
Public support for Casualty remained high, achieving on average 9 million viewers each week in the previous series. Co-executive producer Mal Young was keen to reward loyal fans this series, by promising that "the pace and intensity of the show will stay high."
The opening episode "DéjàVu", features a major incident after an air ambulance helicopter crashes at a fairground. Handford advises "Part of the crash was filmed in a London studio and the rest on location in Wiltshire". The episode was technically challenging, taking 6 months to film at Grittleton House, with around 800 extras used for the fairground scenes.
Part way through the series, the production moved to a new location for exterior shots of the hospital building and A&E entrance. Allen House, part of the Ashley Down Centre campus at City of Bristol College, served as the location for most exterior shots of the hospital's A&E entrance from series 1 until episode 15 where a car crashes into the canopy. From episode 16, scenes were shot on a new exterior set constructed at Lawrence Hill Industrial Park, Bristol.
The series finale and 400th episode "A Special Day", features a large-scale stunt coinciding with the wedding of characters Jack and Nikki. Filmed at Mardyke Wharf in Bristol, the production involved the controlled explosion of a canal barge, with an estimated cost of ã70,000. Preparation for the stunt took approximately four weeks, and the detonation was reportedly audible two miles away.
The seventeenth series of Casualty features a cast of characters working in the emergency department of Holby City Hospital and Holby Ambulance Service. Fifteen cast members from the previous series reprise their roles in this series.
Simon MacCorkindale stars as emergency medicine consultant and clinical director Harry Harper, Christopher Colquhoun as specialist registrar in emergency medicine Simon Kaminski and Christine Stephen-Daly as senior house officer Lara Stone.
Derek Thompson continues his role as clinical nurse manager Charlie Fairhead, Cathy Shipton as sister Lisa "Duffy" Duffin, and Adjoa Andoh as senior staff nurse Colette Kierney. Zita Sattar, Dan Rymer and Louise Brealey continue as staff nurses Anna Paul, Dillon Cahill and Roxanne "Roxy" Bird.
Ian Bleasdale, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Martina Laird continue their roles as paramedics Josh Griffiths, Finlay Newton and Comfort Jones with Kelly Harrison as ambulance technician Nikki Marshall. Will Mellor stars as receptionist Jack Vincent and Lee Warburton continues as his brother and emergency department assistant Tony Vincent.
Russell Boulter joins in episode 2 as security guard Ryan Johnson with Sarah Manners arriving as receptionist Bex Reynolds in episode 22. Matthew Wait arrives in episode 32 as Bex's ex-husband and paramedic Luke Warren. Shipton along with Boulter depart in episode 31. Shipton on leaving the show for a second time commented "I will definitely miss Casualty. I feel really proud to have contributed to the show." Andoh leaves the series in episode 38, with Mellor, Rymer and Warburton all leaving at the conclusion of the series.
The series features several recurring characters. Nicole Faraday stars as locum senior house officer Heather Lincoln. Liz Carling first appears as neurologist Selena Donovan with Bob Mason reprising his role as paramedic duty officer Jeff McGuire. N'deaya Baa Clements stars as Simon's girlfriend Jane Winters, Philip Martin Brown as Jack and Tony's father Eddie Vincent and Orlando Seale as house officer Merlin Jameson. Francesca Isherwood portrays Harry's daughter Kizzy Harper.
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