The BBC has confirmed the release date for Casualty‘s Christmas special.
The anticipated festive episode, titled ‘All I Want for Christmas’ will air on Saturday, December 21 at 9.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Viewers can expect a chaotic Christmas for the doctors and nurses, with the Emergency Department experiencing an emergency blood shortage at the hospital, making it even harder to treat patients.
Related: Casualty shares first-look images of “emotional” Christmas special
In a similar format to the Casualty special celebrating the NHS’s 75th anniversary, this year’s Christmas special will feature real-life testimonies from contributors who have been directly impacted by UK blood donation.
The episode will also include interviews with key workers who help run the country’s blood service.
The 2024 special sees former Coronation Street and Hollyoaks actor Lucy-Jo Hudson in a guest star role, in addition to Tristan Sturrock of Poldark and The Crown fame. Other guest stars includes Waterloo Road‘s Katy Carmichael, Breathtaking‘s Joseph Charles, and DI Ray‘s Valerie Antiwi.
Related: Casualty’s finale puts women’s relationships at its centre
Casualty fans won’t have long to wait for new episodes following the 2024 Christmas special, with the BBC additionally confirming the date and time of the first episode in the new series.
‘Off Duty’ is the name of the new 10-part boxset which kicks off in December. The premiere episode, titled ‘Public Property’ will air on Saturday, December 28 at 9.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The episode synopsis teases: “Jodie’s actions causes a disastrous ripple effect, Stevie faces hostility when she puts her personal issues with Siobhan aside, and trainee Indie and Jan collide.”
To find out more about blood donation, visit blood.co.uk or the NHS Blood and Transplant website.
