Melanie Hill credits relatability for Casualty's ongoing appeal
Casualty star Melanie Hill thinks that the BBC medical drama has remained on air for almost 40 years because its stories focus on "normal people".
Melanie Hill thinks that Casualty is so successful because it tells stories "about normal people".
The 64-year-old actress plays Siobhan McKenzie in the BBC medical drama – which will celebrate its 40th anniversary later this year – and thinks that it continues to draw in viewers because audiences can connect to what they are watching.
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, Melanie said: "I think it tells really good, rich stories about normal people.
"It gets fantastic guest stars; we're really blessed to have brilliant people who come in and do one or two episodes. It's very fast-paced and is about people trying to do their best.
"Patients in the ED are having the worst day of their lives, and it shows a bunch of people trying to help them when they might be going through the worst day of their lives, too."
Melanie's alter ego is currently at the centre of a harrowing storyline after being sexually assaulted as she made her way home from work - and she was determined to tackle the plot "with integrity".
She said: "First of all, as an actress, it's an amazing story to be given an opportunity to play.
"But with that comes a lot of responsibility, because I am telling a story of these horrible things that unfortunately happen to people. I wanted to make sure it was done with integrity and sensitively."
Hill is proud that Casualty decided to put an older character at the heart of the storyline to demonstrate that sexual assault "happens to all age groups".
The former Coronation Street star said: "I think because out of all the characters, Siobhan is not the first person you'd think that it could happen to.
"I'm proud of telling the story of sexual assault as an older person, because it happens to all age groups, and I'm proud of the fact that it was addressed by the show."
Melanie explained that viewers will see Siobhan trying to "protect herself" following the ordeal in upcoming episodes.
She said: "It's up and down for Siobhan. Some days she fails miserably and she goes through a phase of really shutting down.
"She's not as compassionate as she normally is at work as she tries to protect herself after what she's been through.
"But then she tries to fight through that, with the help of all her ED colleagues, to get through, to keep hold of the job she loves and to not go under."
