Surgical Spirit - The Complete Series

A good laugh 😃

I watched a few episodes of this series as a little girl when it was first on air and although some of the jokes were inevitably lost on me at the time due to being so young, I never forgot how funny the characters were, particularly Sheila Sabatini. Cue to recent months when, after a bereavement and serious need for cheering up, I first borrowed seasons one and two from a family member before purchasing the whole boxset myself. Before long I was laughing out loud and as a seasoned adult I got it, oh I got it. What a treat.Whilst every character is brilliantly written and played, the on screen chemistry between the three stars of the show - Nichola McAuliffe, Duncan Preston and Marji Campi - is a real joy to watch. In case you haven't guessed, the show is set in a hospital, where Sheila Sabatini (Nichola McAuliffe) is the surgeon, Jonathan Haslem (Duncan Preston) her anaesthetist and eventual love interest ,and Joyce (Marji Campi) the administrator who is Sheila's best friend and serial gossiper (and has a really beautiful smile :)) Much of the humour comes from Sheila's razor sharp wit and creative put downs involving all the other members of staff as she asserts herself in a male dominated profession. The fact everyone is pretty much controlled by Sheila's moods paves the way for some extremely funny scenes and interactions in the hospital, including during the operations themselves.Also, if you enjoy classic romcom style will they/won't they romantic sexual tension then you will love this show, as the developing relationship between Sheila and Jonathan is a major theme which both the writers and actors use to good effect, often keeping viewers painfully hanging on at the end of episodes or between seasons to find out if they finally will. The subtle changes of expression, body language and tone of voice between the two actors can be as funny as the occasional use of blatant sexual innuendo but are often very moving too and show emotional depth to Sheila's character.. In my opinion some of the funniest and best scenes come from Sheila's and Jonathan's attempts to work out how they feel about one another, usually tearing strips off each other in the process. What I love about Sheila is that although she is undeniably a very powerful and intelligent woman who most of the male staff in the hospital are scared of, deep down she's very insecure and in fact quite lonely. She long hours to avoid going home to an empty house (although of course it's for the good of the patients), and fires out very funny insults left right and centre to keep people at bay. Her vulnerability shows more and more as the series goes on, particularly in relation to her growing feelings for Jonathan and deep need for closeness with another person. Jonathan, in contrast, is a (generally) patient, kind and understanding man who accepts Sheila for who she is; however, as much as he cares about Sheila and takes a large brunt of her moods, he's certainly not a pushover and he often plays Sheila at her own game. The scene in Jonathan's car after the evening meal in season 4 episode 1: The Mating Game, is a classic (as well as hysterically funny) example. The fact he can handle her whereas everyone else can’t, contributes to the growing closeness between the two.On the downside, i felt the series lost its way a bit after season 5, with certain themes dragged out longer than they needed to be and in some cases characters' reactions and situations became less plausible too. The latter seasons weren't bad as there were still plenty of laugh out loud moments, but they had lost their sparkle for me whereas seasons 1-4 were quite simply brilliant. If it had finished at the end of season 5 with a different (better) version of what actually happened at the end of season 6 then I'd have been a happy bunny...but then comedy isn't like that!!Despite my little gripe I loved the show and its worth seeing simply for the great acting and funny memorable lines; the interactions between the male hospital staff are just pure class and even the minor characters who appear relatively infrequently (Sheila's 16 year old son; her mother; the nurses) give a huge amount to their roles. It wouldn’t be the same without each one of them.I totally recommend buying this boxset. I wish I had done sooner. I won't be able to watch Duncan Preston in Dinnerladies now without expecting to see Sheila somewhere in the canteen!

I have only just discovered this show. I somehow missed this when it first appeared on television. It is wonderfully funny. Sheila Sabatini has become one of my favourite tv characters along with Margot Leadbetter (The Good Life), Niles Crane (Frasier), Cleggy, (Last of the Summer Wine) and Grandad (Only Fools & Horses). The script is wonderful. Every character is a joy to watch and listen to. Dr George Hope-Wynn's face is a picture. The cast work perfectly together. Nicola McAuliffe is brilliant....perfect comic timing. It was lovely to see Duncan Preston too. I am a big fan of dinner ladies. When I finished watching the final episode I immediately wanted to watch them all again. But I will wait a few weeks I think! I wish Nicola had made more comedies. Her comic delivery is perfect. The same goes for all the actors in the show. Another wonderful show from the past to add to my DVD library when I want to laugh out loud. Somehow none of the comedies made today are quite as funny.

To say that Sheila is annoying is a major understatement. How in the hell this show got seven series made is beyond me. It came from a time when sitcoms were still being made. So there's no excuse for the "not much else on" argument. I can't bring myself to watch anymore. I'm only on disc one. Which is basically series one. Episode one had me wishing someone in the show would lay her out good and proper. Oh don't worry that isn't a harsh judgement on my part. Nope. In fact it's good judgement because by episode 3 I was ready to quit the show. Episode 4 I'm on now of series one. I just can't go on. Sheila is possibly the most annoying female character in sitcom history. Yes even more annoying than the domestic violence loving Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond. She physically and mentally abuses her husband Ray in every single episode. It ran for 9 seasons. If a guy did that to a woman on a show. The show would be cancelled after one episode. Her antics lasted 9 seasons. 9. Let that sink in. And Sheila's argumentative and very often passive aggressive attitude in this show lasted too long as well. People who write female characters like these should be blackballed for as long as they choose to write scripts. There is no need to make women annoying to the point you want to rage quit a show. It's a show for goodness sake. You want to invest your time in something you've parted ways with cash for. It's a sitcom which is meant for escapism. Not rage quitting.Surgical SpiritEverybody Loves RaymondThat's My BoyThese three shows need to be avoided like you would avoid a plague pit.

This sparkling comedy series was first shown on ITV in the early '90s. It's sharply observed, exquisitely written and - as with all medical comedies - scripted intelligently. As with all UK shows, the number of episodes in each series varies: series 1 and 4 have 6 episodes, 2,3,5 & 7 each have 7 episodes whilst series 6 inexplicably has 10. The differing numbers on each disc means somewhat uneven visual quality, but you'll be hard pressed to discern the differences.The story lines revolve around the female head of surgery - a scalpel-wielding, mayhem-creating harpy played to perfection by RSC player Nichola McAuliffe - and her long-suffering anaesthetist, played by Duncan Preston. This tormentedly becomes a romantic comedy, but not before painting some nice topical images of the NHS and satirising the sorts of stereotypical surgeons so beloved of Ealing comedies.The cost per episode is pretty reasonable, and it'll take a churl of significant proportions not to laugh out loud at some parts. Curiously, the image of the hospital isn't a million miles away from now, and most of the jokes have worn well. Twenty-five hours of laughter; who could want more?

I thought Sheila was very funny but the other actors try to hard and I didn’t really find them funny. The dvd was of a good standard so no problems there.