Quacks
- TV sitcom
- BBC Two
- 2017
- 6 episodes (1 series)
Sitcom about Victorian medical pioneers, created by Rev writer James Wood. Also features Rory Kinnear, Mathew Baynton, Tom Basden, Lydia Leonard, Rupert Everett and more.
Episode menu
Series 1, Episode 2 - Second. The Lady's Abscess
Further details
Caroline bags an invitation to meet her hero, Charles Dickens. William finds himself in an awkward position when he exaggerates how much of a fan he is, when he hasn't read a single page of Dickens. An excruciating evening ensues when William escorts Caroline to a dinner party at Dickens's house.
Meanwhile, John finds himself with a new protégé when he takes an orphan under his wing, and Robert meets his match when a forthright, uppity young volunteer called Florence Nightingale arrives at the hospital and starts interfering in his work. With Dr Hendrick keen to curry favour with Nightingale and her influential family, Robert has to work out how to get rid of her.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Tuesday 22nd August 2017
- Time
- 10pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
| Rory Kinnear | Robert |
| Mathew Baynton | William |
| Tom Basden | John |
| Lydia Leonard | Caroline |
| Rupert Everett | Dr. Hendrick |
| Geoffrey McGivern | Landlord |
| Andrew Scott | Charles Dickens |
| Matt Harrop | Condemned Man |
| Milly Thomas | Florence Nightingale |
| Austin Taylor | Little Ollie |
| Elizabeth Counsell | Lady Neilson-Toy |
| Robin Hooper | Mr Bradbury |
| Michael Mears | Robert's Staff |
| James Wood | Writer |
| Andy de Emmony | Director |
| Imogen Cooper | Producer |
| Justin Davies | Executive Producer |
| James Wood | Executive Producer |
| Rachel Hillman | Executive Producer |
| Ben Worsfield | Co-producer |
| Robin Peters | Editor |
| Lucy Spink | Production Designer |
| Rachel Freck | Casting Director |
| Richard Cooke | Costume Designer |
| Ed Rutherford | Director of Photography |
| Niamh Morrison | Make-up Designer |
| Ian Arber | Composer |
| Matthew Scrivener | 1st Assistant Director |
Video
William meets Charles Dickens
William is put in an awkward situation by Charles Dickens.
Featuring: Mathew Baynton (William), Lydia Leonard (Caroline), Andrew Scott (Charles Dickens) & Robin Hooper (Mr Bradbury).
Press
When Caroline blags an invite to her hero Charles Dickens's dinner party, William also pretends to be a fan and goes along, too. Andrew Scott plays Dickens brilliantly as a doom-filled fop lapping up compliments while knocking back the sauce. Elsewhere, Florence Nightingale wants the surgeons to clean their instruments as she assists in the case of a woman with a haemorrhoid "perhaps the size of a Christmas walnut". Excellent fun.
Hannah Verdier, The Guardian, 22nd August 2017