Nick Jordan
Encyclopedia
Niccolo "Nick" Jordan is a fictional character
from the BBC
medical drama
s Casualty
and Holby City
, portrayed by actor Michael French. Jordan first appeared in two episodes of Casualty in 1998, before becoming a main character in spin-off
show Holby City from its 1999 conception, in the role of Cardiothoracic Surgical
Registrar
. He departed from the show in its second series, returning in for a 2005 Christmas crossover special between the two series, styled Casualty@Holby City
. He returned again to Holby City in 2006, taking on the role of General Surgical
Consultant
, departing a few months later in order to pursue a transfer back to cardiothoracics. In 2008, he rejoined the cast of Casualty, becoming Clinical Lead of the show's Emergency Department
.
executives Mal Young
and Tony McHale
. He was conceived as a Cardiothoracic Surgical Registrar who would become a main character in new medical drama
Holby City
- a spin-off
of the station's long-running Casualty
. Unlike Casualty, which focused on the Emergency Department
of the fictional Holby City Hospital, Holby City would centre around the hospital's cardiothoracic surgical ward, Darwin. The main characters were all staff on the ward, with Nick Jordan working on the surgical firm of lead Consultant Anton Meyer
. Discussing the show's conception as a spin-off, Young has explained: "Like most people I’ve often wondered what happens next to those patients who come in after accidents. Where do they go when you see them disappearing upstairs on a trolley at the end of an episode? As I thought about this, it struck me – why start afresh when you’ve got the basis of a series already? People have busy lives and if they already follow a number of soaps, they take to a new drama series when they make sense quickly. This could be a way of helping that to happen."
The original cast of Holby City featured a number of established actors. Michael French, cast as Nick Jordan, was already well known for his role as David Wicks
in EastEnders
. French's cast-mates included George Irving
, Angela Griffin
, Lisa Faulkner
and Nicola Stephenson
. This propensity towards famous names was explained by Young, who commented: "Soap actors are the best actors. There’s been so much snobbery before. The whole thing about typecasting was probably invented by actors who couldn’t get other work. From day one I knew I wanted to put on screen people that viewers want to watch. There’s no downside to that."
In preparation for assuming the role of Nick, French undertook research at the Papworth Hospital
in Cambridge
, observing heart surgery performed. He said of the experience: "These guys are on their feet for hours on end. If the operation demands it, they’ll be there from eight in the morning until nine at night. I was there observing the intricate work they were doing, and my back started to hurt long before one operation was over, so goodness how they must feel doing it, day in, day out."
character David Wicks
, Michael French assessed that Nick was the more compassionate of the two. Following Nick's 2006 departure from Holby City
, the series' official website described him as: "decisive, confident, charismatic and passionate. He was constantly striving for the top and wanted to emulate Meyer
. Six years after resigning, he returned with more arrogance and ruthlessness." Announcing the character's transfer to sister show Casualty
, the BBC revealed that upon returning, Nick would have undergone another change of character, stating: "[Nick] created waves when he worked at Holby
before. [But] the emergency department
[will] be in for a shock when they discover he's not quite as hard-hearted and ruthless as they expected. But what, or who, could have caused this and how long will it last?" French says of Nick on returning to Holby
; "He's still arrogant. [...] He gets a kick out of running the department. He's learnt from his past mistakes and is keen to start afresh. [...] He demands respect, but not everyone likes his manner. [...] His attitude towards his work has changed [...] He's a very misunderstood character."
Kirstie Collins, and Registrars
Diane Lloyd and Jac Naylor
. The series homepage assesses that: "He had tremendous pulling power with women, but commitment was not his strong point." Michael French, discussing his character shortly after the show's 1999 conception, asserted that: "Like most blokes, he sometimes treats women as playthings – if they’re willing. A little bit of hanky panky is part of the human condition, after all!" Sarah Preston
, who played Nick's ex-wife Karen in the first two series of the show, stated of her most memorable moments filming: "I loved my scenes with Michael, he was great to work with. Confrontation scenes give you something to get your teeth into and we had plenty of those!" Similarly, Rosie Marcel
who plays Jac commented that her character and Nick "have some really bad history between them. [...] They've worked together before and Jac knows Nick will tread on anyone's toes to get to the top. It makes for some great fight scenes." Nick's series eight relationship with Diane ended, again acrimoniously, when she was blamed for a mistake he had made in theatre and refused to own up. Patricia Potter
, who plays Diane, explained that when confronted; "[Nick] violently pins her against the wall and warns her never to cross him. She finally sees his other side and is devestated [sic]. Her dreams come falling down around her ears."
Upon transferring from Holby City to sister show Casualty, Nick became the object of affection of junior doctor Ruth Winters. French has commented: "Ruth is in awe of him, but he doesn't notice at the start. He doesn't bring his personal life to work. She is like putty in his hands because she's willing to learn. But [...] they start to stray a little beyond their professional boundaries..."
. Series producer Emma Turner stated that: "We are delighted to be welcoming back a fantastic, original character to the wards of Holby City and are thrilled to be working with Michael French." Explaining how the character had changed in his five year absence from the show, she explained: "Nick Jordan was forced to find work wherever he could, and after stepping out of line again he realised the door to his dream job in cardio-thoracic surgery was closed and locked. He is now a general surgeon with a chip on his shoulder and a past he is desperate to keep hidden. He doesn't care who gets in his way."
The character returned to Holby City proper in February 2006, accepting the General Surgical Consultancy that his old flame Jac Naylor
had been hoping to be appointed to. Rosie Marcel
, who plays Jac, described the characters' reunion: "She bumps into Nick outside the hospital and the look of disgust on her face says it all. It's clear they have some really bad history between them. And then to her fury, Nick announces that he's back to stay and has been offered Jac's coveted consultant post. They've worked together before and Jac knows Nick will tread on anyones toes to get to the top. It makes for some great fight scenes." When the character departed from the show again several months later, the situation was manipulated by Cardiothoracic Consultant Connie Beauchamp
(Amanda Mealing
). Mealing commented: "Connie takes Nick along to [a] charity evening so that he can scmooze [sic] Lord Byrne. She knows Nick might try to worm his way into her medical department and she won't play second fiddle to him. So she's hoping Lord Byrne will take him on at his hospital, St Luke's." During the course of the evening, a bomb was detonated by Derek, a deceased patient's relative. "Connie and Nick are unharmed in the blast, but Derek's badly hurt - so they have to treat him using kitchen utensils. They employ tea towels, kitchen knives, scissors and even tongs. It's all quite ingenious! Lord Byrne is outside the kitchen. So to get his attention, she asks Nick to perform heart surgery - which is something she would normally do. Her idea works a treat. That's why I love Connie. She's always got an agenda!"
was first reported on 13 May 2008, although initial reports erroneously stated that French would be returning to Holby City. A Casualty source told Digital Spy
: "Nick's back and he's more focussed than ever. He's still striving for the top, while his arrogant and ruthless nature remains. It'll be interesting to see the dynamic he creates when he turns up at Holby ED - Casualty's emergency department. A lot's happened since Nick's been away and it's not long before his past catches up with him again..." Casualty' s series producer Oliver Kent commented: "I'm really excited that Michael French will be joining us. He's a fantastic actor and Nick Jordan is an iconic character. Nick Jordan will put a few noses out of joint, most notably Adam's. Adam knows Nick Jordan's reputation of old, and finds it hard to believe that Nick is a good guy. Nick Jordan causes ripples wherever he goes, and it's great that he'll be causing ripples in Holby City's Emergency Department. The ED gang are astonished he is joining them, they certainly didn't see it coming. Some of them know him of old, whereas some of the others have just heard of his reputation - either way, his arrival certainly puts the cat among the pigeons." Michael French has stated of the transfer: "The BBC came up with the idea of Nick Jordan coming back to head up Casualty. At first, I wasn't sure about him moving away from heart surgery, but we soon thrashed some ideas around and I realised it would work. It's certainly great to play Nick again and I'm having a fantastic time on the show."
On the 27th of June he collapsed and had a fit. Zoe discovered he had a brain tumour. After an operation Nick returned to the ED as a Consultant.
of being arrogant, and exhibited a refusal to accept when he was doing more harm than good. On one occasion, he saved a young girl by forcing open her car door before the vehicle exploded, but slit his wrists on the car's broken window in the process. After a long period of rehabilitation he was able to return to work, but came close to being invalided out of the service, as the loss of blood from the injury nearly left permanent damage which would have made it impossible for him to operate.
Nick's private and working lives frequently overlapped, as his estranged wife Karen Newburn was a Ward Sister at the hospital. A reconciliation with her caused him to respond to an emergency too late, costing a patient her life. Nick faced a tribunal, and pleaded guilty. Although the tribunal ruled not to discipline him, he decided to resign.
Nick returned for a Casualty@Holby City
Christmas crossover special in 2005. He interviewed for a General Surgical
Locum
Consultancy
post, but although he was later offered it, after demonstrating his medical skills by rescuing civilians from a collapsed tunnel, he turned the position down, stating that he would not accept anything less than a full Consultancy.
In 2006, Nick returned again to Holby City
, having been offered a full Consultancy post. It was revealed that he had once had a relationship with colleague Jac Naylor
, which dissolved after he blamed her for his own surgical error. He engaged in a short-lived flirtation with Registrar
Diane Lloyd, but this too ended with him allowing Diane to take the blame for his own mistake - accidentally nicking a patient's urethra while in surgery. After expressing a desire to return to cardiothoracics, Nick impressed Lord Byrne - cardiothoracic head of Holby General's neighbouring hospital St Luke's - with his handling of a suicide bomb attack at a charity dinner. He was offered a Consultancy in his preferred specialty, and departed from Holby once more.
Nick returned to Holby City Hospital for a third time in 2008, this time in Holby City' s sister show Casualty, as Clinical Lead of the hospital's Emergency Department
. He soon began to clash with Adam Trueman about how to run the department. His experience and skill impressed junior doctor Ruth Winters and they ended up spending the night together which Nick instantly regretted and despite Ruth's attempts for it to continue he dumped her. Nick later developed a friendship with Adam Trueman's brother Alex and confided to him that he had a degenerative illness. Against Alex's advice he continued his medical practice, hiding his illness. He later signed an advance directive for Alex but was initially appalled when Alex took an overdose. However, he was true to the advance directive which he signed and temporarily made an enemy of Adam. Jordan found it harder to hide his illness, though Ruth innocently helped him when he forgot a term. Adam confronted Jordan over a lapse of concentration in the ED so in a panic, Jordan had Adam transferred to cubicles in case he suspected anything.
Jordan started to self medicate. On April 4, he took a double dose of medication. This made him dizzy and sick throughout the day. He was understanding when dealing with a pregnant woman who was in denial that her baby had died before her accident because he could relate. However, he was forced to abandon resus when he was unable to handle the scissors for an operation. He explained this away by pretending he was tired but lost his temper with a hypochondriac and rushed off to throw up. Zoe thought it was due to excessive drinking the previous night but Ruth was not so sure. Concerned, she visited Jordan in his office to check he was ok. He admitted there was a problem but as clinical lead he knew how to deal with it. Later, in his flat, he finally faced up to his problem and made an appointment with a neurosurgeon.
On April 11, Jordan was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He wanted to have it cut out rather than go through radio or chemo therapy but the neurosurgeon told him gently that it was too dangerous to remove it completely. Later, the neurosurgeon was shocked to learn Jordan was still practising medicine but Jordan assured her that anything he found too difficult he delegated to his colleagues. He wanted to make a difference while he could and would be careful not to endanger anyone. The neurosurgeon refused to allow Jordan to carry out a complicated operation so he got Ruth Winters to do it under his instructions. Later, Adam cornered Jordan, having discovered evidence of his recent mistakes. Adam, thinking that Jordan's handwriting illegibility, tremors and freezes were due to a drinking problem told him it was nothing to be ashamed of and offered to cover for him while he sorted himself out but Jordan laughed and denied that he had a drinking problem. Jordan then advised his boss to give Adam three months compassionate leave, supposedly because Adam was unfit to work but in reality out of fear that Adam would discover the truth about Jordan's illness.
Jordan had Henry observe Adam in resus for the day. He then stitched Adam up by withholding the news of Jessica giving birth and telling Adam just before their meeting with Henry. This resulted in Henry misinterpreting Adam's distress and giving him compassionate leave. An angry Adam confronted Jordan over stitching him up and through interrogation when Jordan forgot a medical term, realised there was something wrong with Jordan and that he would go to any lengths to hide it, including sacrifice Adam. Adam decided to resign rather than be pushed out but cited his concerns about Jordan in his resignation letter. Jordan happened to read it and gave Adam an alternative resignation letter he had written, asking him to sign it. Later, Jordan froze midway through a life saving operation and Adam alone was able to come to his rescue because Adam knew of Jordan's problems. Realising he had a hold over Jordan, Adam decided against resigning and sent Jordan to his office to wait for him.
Jordan confided his condition to Adam who concealed it from their boss and suggested working side by side in ED. He also suggested Jordan enjoy his last few months and offered to ease some of the workload. Jordan grew close to Zoe and a concerned Adam asked him to confide in her. He wrote a letter, leaving it in her pigeonhole but she never got round to reading it so he retrieved it. Jordan and Zoe got into a relationship and later on, midway through examining a patient, Jordan collapsed and had a seizure. Charlie called Zoe who tried to deal with Jordan in a professional manner despite her feelings for him. From an MRI scan, Charlie and Zoe discovered the truth but concealed Jordan's fit from the rest of the staff. Finding out from Adam that Jordan knew he was dying, Zoe asked why he never told her and said she couldn't cope with death in her personal life as well as her professional life. Jordan then took leave off, and spent his time living in a hotel near the sea, where he go in a strong relationship with an Italian woman, who was a cleaner at his hotel, and helped to look after him. Zoe, becoming increasingly worried, tries to track down Jordan, finding his hotel when Jordan nearly exposes himself saving a man's life at a party at the hotel. Jordan starts to have suicidal thoughts, but then decides against it. When Zoe does actually meet him, Jordan does not want to have anything to do with her.
Eventually Jordan's condition detoriates to the point where he has to be hospitilised, causing a very worried Zoe to start bunking off her hospital duties to be at his bedside. Eventually Jordan has to have a life-saving operation, but he wants to die, and his consent has to be given. With him falling into unconsciousness, Zoe forges his signature. This saves his life, but temporarily damages their relationship.
Jordan, no longer able to actively practice, becomes a consultant at the ED.
After doing a major operation to save Jessica, Jordan is allowed to practice again in the ED.
Jordan's confidence soars when he learns that the Board want him to take over as Clinical Lead, and makes arrangements to attend a meeting with them later in the day. But new F2 Kieron Fletcher overhears and, anxious to get Jordan alone, cancels Jordan's lift to the meeting and offers to take him himself.
When Kieron drives Jordan to the middle of nowhere and tries to speak to him about a woman named Christine Fletcher, Jordan is furious and dismisses the name as a former patient.
Jordan is livid at Kieron's behaviour at the scene and, back at the ED, orders him out of resus. With Kieron absent, Jordan coaxes a board member to the ED and impresses her with his handling of a patient, securing the job.
At the end of the night, Jordan warns Kieron that he was unimpressed with his actions that day, but is floored when Kieron reveals that he has been trying to tell him that he is Jordan's son.
Kieron tells Jordan he was wrong about his parentage - Jordan's not his father. Jordan is relieved that the matter is settled. After Keiron has a motorbike accident Jordan agrees to have a DNA test and he begins to bond with Keiron and Jordan tells Keiron he has five years left to live. Noel then gives the result of the DNA test to Jordan in his office, Jordan smiles as he is sure that Keiron is his son. He reads the test results which turn out to be negative.
for his portrayal of the character. Both The Guardian
and the Sunday Mirror
have likened Nick to George Clooney
's ER
character Doug Ross
- "the one everyone fancies" - with the Sunday Mirror deeming him "Handsome, talented, hot-headed and passionate. [...] Dark, brooding, sexy. If your heart needs attention Nick Jordan's the man. 8/10." Andrew Billen for the New Statesman
agrees that Nick is "good-looking", but suggests French's playing another "love rat" character after his EastEnders role to be type casting
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
s Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
and Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, portrayed by actor Michael French. Jordan first appeared in two episodes of Casualty in 1998, before becoming a main character in spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
show Holby City from its 1999 conception, in the role of Cardiothoracic Surgical
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax —generally treatment of conditions of the heart and lungs .-Cardiac / Thoracic:...
Registrar
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
. He departed from the show in its second series, returning in for a 2005 Christmas crossover special between the two series, styled Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City is the name given to special crossover episodes of BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City. While Casualty was launched on 6 September 1986, and its spin-off Holby City was first aired on 12 January 1999, the first full crossover episode between the two programmes was not...
. He returned again to Holby City in 2006, taking on the role of General Surgical
General surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
Consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
, departing a few months later in order to pursue a transfer back to cardiothoracics. In 2008, he rejoined the cast of Casualty, becoming Clinical Lead of the show's Emergency Department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
.
Creation
Nick Jordan was created in 1998 by BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
executives Mal Young
Mal Young
Mal Young is a British television producer and executive producer.-Background:His initial career was in the Graphic Design industry, and it was not until the age of 27 that he began working in television, on the acclaimed Channel 4 soap opera Brookside.Working on the show for nearly a decade, he...
and Tony McHale
Tony McHale
Tony McHale is a British actor, writer and director who has the dubious honour of being best known as a "stooge" to Jeremy Beadle on Game For A Laugh and later, Beadle's About. He trained at Rose Bruford College. He also enjoyed a long stint as a writer/director on the top rated BBC1 soap opera...
. He was conceived as a Cardiothoracic Surgical Registrar who would become a main character in new medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
- a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the station's long-running Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
. Unlike Casualty, which focused on the Emergency Department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
of the fictional Holby City Hospital, Holby City would centre around the hospital's cardiothoracic surgical ward, Darwin. The main characters were all staff on the ward, with Nick Jordan working on the surgical firm of lead Consultant Anton Meyer
Anton Meyer
Anton Meyer is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor George Irving. He appeared in the series from its first episode, broadcast on 12 January 1999, until series four, episode 46, broadcast on 20 August 2002. His role in the show is that of consultant...
. Discussing the show's conception as a spin-off, Young has explained: "Like most people I’ve often wondered what happens next to those patients who come in after accidents. Where do they go when you see them disappearing upstairs on a trolley at the end of an episode? As I thought about this, it struck me – why start afresh when you’ve got the basis of a series already? People have busy lives and if they already follow a number of soaps, they take to a new drama series when they make sense quickly. This could be a way of helping that to happen."
The original cast of Holby City featured a number of established actors. Michael French, cast as Nick Jordan, was already well known for his role as David Wicks
David Wicks
David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael French. He originally appeared between 1993 to 1996...
in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. French's cast-mates included George Irving
George Irving (English actor)
George Irving is a British actor who is probably most famous for playing Anton Meyer in Holby City from 1999 to 2002...
, Angela Griffin
Angela Griffin
Angela Griffin is a British actress and television presenter.-Acting career:She appeared in the popular long-running British soap operas Emmerdale and most famously in Coronation Street as Fiona Middleton from 1993 to 1998...
, Lisa Faulkner
Lisa Faulkner
Lisa Tamsin Faulkner is an English actress and television personality.-Early life:Faulkner was educated at Tiffin Girls' School, Kingston upon Thames.When Faulkner was 16, her mother, Julie, died of cancer...
and Nicola Stephenson
Nicola Stephenson
Nicola Stephenson is an English actress. She is known mainly for her roles in television, which include Margaret Clemence in Brookside, Julie Fitzjohn/Bradford in Holby City, Suzie Davidson in Clocking Off, Jackie in ITV's Christmas Lights/Northern Lights/City Lights, and Sarah Williams in BBC's...
. This propensity towards famous names was explained by Young, who commented: "Soap actors are the best actors. There’s been so much snobbery before. The whole thing about typecasting was probably invented by actors who couldn’t get other work. From day one I knew I wanted to put on screen people that viewers want to watch. There’s no downside to that."
In preparation for assuming the role of Nick, French undertook research at the Papworth Hospital
Papworth Hospital
Papworth Hospital is a heart and lung hospital in Cambridgeshire, England. It was home to the first successful heart transplant in the UK and one of the world's first beating-heart transplants.-History:...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, observing heart surgery performed. He said of the experience: "These guys are on their feet for hours on end. If the operation demands it, they’ll be there from eight in the morning until nine at night. I was there observing the intricate work they were doing, and my back started to hurt long before one operation was over, so goodness how they must feel doing it, day in, day out."
Personality
Asked to compare Nick Jordan to his EastEndersEastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
character David Wicks
David Wicks
David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael French. He originally appeared between 1993 to 1996...
, Michael French assessed that Nick was the more compassionate of the two. Following Nick's 2006 departure from Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, the series' official website described him as: "decisive, confident, charismatic and passionate. He was constantly striving for the top and wanted to emulate Meyer
Anton Meyer
Anton Meyer is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor George Irving. He appeared in the series from its first episode, broadcast on 12 January 1999, until series four, episode 46, broadcast on 20 August 2002. His role in the show is that of consultant...
. Six years after resigning, he returned with more arrogance and ruthlessness." Announcing the character's transfer to sister show Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, the BBC revealed that upon returning, Nick would have undergone another change of character, stating: "[Nick] created waves when he worked at Holby
Holby
Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, in which BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, and police drama HolbyBlue are set. It is based upon the city of Bristol, and is located in the fictional county of Wyvern in the South-West of England, not far from the Welsh border...
before. [But] the emergency department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
[will] be in for a shock when they discover he's not quite as hard-hearted and ruthless as they expected. But what, or who, could have caused this and how long will it last?" French says of Nick on returning to Holby
Holby
Holby is a fictional city in the United Kingdom, in which BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, and police drama HolbyBlue are set. It is based upon the city of Bristol, and is located in the fictional county of Wyvern in the South-West of England, not far from the Welsh border...
; "He's still arrogant. [...] He gets a kick out of running the department. He's learnt from his past mistakes and is keen to start afresh. [...] He demands respect, but not everyone likes his manner. [...] His attitude towards his work has changed [...] He's a very misunderstood character."
Relationships
During his time on Holby City, Nick had several romantic interests, including ex-wife and Ward Sister Karen Newburn, Theatre Sister Ellie Sharpe, SHOSenior house officer
A senior house officer is a junior doctor undergoing training within a certain speciality in the British National Health Service or in the Republic of Ireland. SHOs are supervised by consultants and registrars, who oversee their training and are their designated clinical supervisors...
Kirstie Collins, and Registrars
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
Diane Lloyd and Jac Naylor
Jac Naylor
Jacqueline "Jac" Naylor MBBS MS FRCS FRCSTh is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rosie Marcel. She first appeared in the series eight episode "Bird on a Wire", originally broadcast on 22 November 2005....
. The series homepage assesses that: "He had tremendous pulling power with women, but commitment was not his strong point." Michael French, discussing his character shortly after the show's 1999 conception, asserted that: "Like most blokes, he sometimes treats women as playthings – if they’re willing. A little bit of hanky panky is part of the human condition, after all!" Sarah Preston
Sarah Preston
Sarah Preston , is an English actress, who is best known for playing Karen Newburn in Holby City, Celia Cobb in Doctors, and Amanda Parry in EastEnders....
, who played Nick's ex-wife Karen in the first two series of the show, stated of her most memorable moments filming: "I loved my scenes with Michael, he was great to work with. Confrontation scenes give you something to get your teeth into and we had plenty of those!" Similarly, Rosie Marcel
Rosie Marcel
Rosie Marcel is an English actress best known for her role as Jac Naylor, consultant in Holby City.She is the daughter of television director Terry Marcel and sister of writer and actress Kelly Marcel.-Career:...
who plays Jac commented that her character and Nick "have some really bad history between them. [...] They've worked together before and Jac knows Nick will tread on anyone's toes to get to the top. It makes for some great fight scenes." Nick's series eight relationship with Diane ended, again acrimoniously, when she was blamed for a mistake he had made in theatre and refused to own up. Patricia Potter
Patricia Potter
Patricia Caroline Potter is an English actress. Best known for her role as Diane Lloyd in the popular BBC medical drama Holby City, Potter has acted on stage, television, and in film. She married her partner, doctor Jim Down, in May 2007.- Personal life :Potter grew up on a farm in Kent with her...
, who plays Diane, explained that when confronted; "[Nick] violently pins her against the wall and warns her never to cross him. She finally sees his other side and is devestated [sic]. Her dreams come falling down around her ears."
Upon transferring from Holby City to sister show Casualty, Nick became the object of affection of junior doctor Ruth Winters. French has commented: "Ruth is in awe of him, but he doesn't notice at the start. He doesn't bring his personal life to work. She is like putty in his hands because she's willing to learn. But [...] they start to stray a little beyond their professional boundaries..."
Holby City
Nick's first return to the Holby franchise was for a 2005 Christmas crossover styled Casualty@Holby CityCasualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City is the name given to special crossover episodes of BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City. While Casualty was launched on 6 September 1986, and its spin-off Holby City was first aired on 12 January 1999, the first full crossover episode between the two programmes was not...
. Series producer Emma Turner stated that: "We are delighted to be welcoming back a fantastic, original character to the wards of Holby City and are thrilled to be working with Michael French." Explaining how the character had changed in his five year absence from the show, she explained: "Nick Jordan was forced to find work wherever he could, and after stepping out of line again he realised the door to his dream job in cardio-thoracic surgery was closed and locked. He is now a general surgeon with a chip on his shoulder and a past he is desperate to keep hidden. He doesn't care who gets in his way."
The character returned to Holby City proper in February 2006, accepting the General Surgical Consultancy that his old flame Jac Naylor
Jac Naylor
Jacqueline "Jac" Naylor MBBS MS FRCS FRCSTh is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rosie Marcel. She first appeared in the series eight episode "Bird on a Wire", originally broadcast on 22 November 2005....
had been hoping to be appointed to. Rosie Marcel
Rosie Marcel
Rosie Marcel is an English actress best known for her role as Jac Naylor, consultant in Holby City.She is the daughter of television director Terry Marcel and sister of writer and actress Kelly Marcel.-Career:...
, who plays Jac, described the characters' reunion: "She bumps into Nick outside the hospital and the look of disgust on her face says it all. It's clear they have some really bad history between them. And then to her fury, Nick announces that he's back to stay and has been offered Jac's coveted consultant post. They've worked together before and Jac knows Nick will tread on anyones toes to get to the top. It makes for some great fight scenes." When the character departed from the show again several months later, the situation was manipulated by Cardiothoracic Consultant Connie Beauchamp
Connie Beauchamp
Constance "Connie" Beauchamp is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Amanda Mealing. She first appeared in the series six episode "In at the Deep End", broadcast on 1 June 2004, and remained in the programme until its thirteenth series, departing in the...
(Amanda Mealing
Amanda Mealing
Amanda Jane Mealing is a British actress best known for playing Connie Beauchamp in the BBC One medical drama series Holby City.-Early life:...
). Mealing commented: "Connie takes Nick along to [a] charity evening so that he can scmooze [sic] Lord Byrne. She knows Nick might try to worm his way into her medical department and she won't play second fiddle to him. So she's hoping Lord Byrne will take him on at his hospital, St Luke's." During the course of the evening, a bomb was detonated by Derek, a deceased patient's relative. "Connie and Nick are unharmed in the blast, but Derek's badly hurt - so they have to treat him using kitchen utensils. They employ tea towels, kitchen knives, scissors and even tongs. It's all quite ingenious! Lord Byrne is outside the kitchen. So to get his attention, she asks Nick to perform heart surgery - which is something she would normally do. Her idea works a treat. That's why I love Connie. She's always got an agenda!"
Casualty
News of the character's transfer to sister show CasualtyCasualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
was first reported on 13 May 2008, although initial reports erroneously stated that French would be returning to Holby City. A Casualty source told Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
: "Nick's back and he's more focussed than ever. He's still striving for the top, while his arrogant and ruthless nature remains. It'll be interesting to see the dynamic he creates when he turns up at Holby ED - Casualty's emergency department. A lot's happened since Nick's been away and it's not long before his past catches up with him again..." Casualty
On the 27th of June he collapsed and had a fit. Zoe discovered he had a brain tumour. After an operation Nick returned to the ED as a Consultant.
Storylines
During his first tenure at Holby City Hospital, Nick's inability to remain calm under pressure hindered his surgical performance. He was accused by his boss and mentor Anton MeyerAnton Meyer
Anton Meyer is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor George Irving. He appeared in the series from its first episode, broadcast on 12 January 1999, until series four, episode 46, broadcast on 20 August 2002. His role in the show is that of consultant...
of being arrogant, and exhibited a refusal to accept when he was doing more harm than good. On one occasion, he saved a young girl by forcing open her car door before the vehicle exploded, but slit his wrists on the car's broken window in the process. After a long period of rehabilitation he was able to return to work, but came close to being invalided out of the service, as the loss of blood from the injury nearly left permanent damage which would have made it impossible for him to operate.
Nick's private and working lives frequently overlapped, as his estranged wife Karen Newburn was a Ward Sister at the hospital. A reconciliation with her caused him to respond to an emergency too late, costing a patient her life. Nick faced a tribunal, and pleaded guilty. Although the tribunal ruled not to discipline him, he decided to resign.
Nick returned for a Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City
Casualty@Holby City is the name given to special crossover episodes of BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City. While Casualty was launched on 6 September 1986, and its spin-off Holby City was first aired on 12 January 1999, the first full crossover episode between the two programmes was not...
Christmas crossover special in 2005. He interviewed for a General Surgical
General surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
Locum
Locum
Locum, short for the Latin phrase locum tenens , is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another. For example, a locum doctor is a doctor who works in the place of the regular doctor when that doctor is absent, or when a hospital/practice is short-staffed...
Consultancy
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
post, but although he was later offered it, after demonstrating his medical skills by rescuing civilians from a collapsed tunnel, he turned the position down, stating that he would not accept anything less than a full Consultancy.
In 2006, Nick returned again to Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, having been offered a full Consultancy post. It was revealed that he had once had a relationship with colleague Jac Naylor
Jac Naylor
Jacqueline "Jac" Naylor MBBS MS FRCS FRCSTh is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rosie Marcel. She first appeared in the series eight episode "Bird on a Wire", originally broadcast on 22 November 2005....
, which dissolved after he blamed her for his own surgical error. He engaged in a short-lived flirtation with Registrar
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
Diane Lloyd, but this too ended with him allowing Diane to take the blame for his own mistake - accidentally nicking a patient's urethra while in surgery. After expressing a desire to return to cardiothoracics, Nick impressed Lord Byrne - cardiothoracic head of Holby General's neighbouring hospital St Luke's - with his handling of a suicide bomb attack at a charity dinner. He was offered a Consultancy in his preferred specialty, and departed from Holby once more.
Nick returned to Holby City Hospital for a third time in 2008, this time in Holby City
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
. He soon began to clash with Adam Trueman about how to run the department. His experience and skill impressed junior doctor Ruth Winters and they ended up spending the night together which Nick instantly regretted and despite Ruth's attempts for it to continue he dumped her. Nick later developed a friendship with Adam Trueman's brother Alex and confided to him that he had a degenerative illness. Against Alex's advice he continued his medical practice, hiding his illness. He later signed an advance directive for Alex but was initially appalled when Alex took an overdose. However, he was true to the advance directive which he signed and temporarily made an enemy of Adam. Jordan found it harder to hide his illness, though Ruth innocently helped him when he forgot a term. Adam confronted Jordan over a lapse of concentration in the ED so in a panic, Jordan had Adam transferred to cubicles in case he suspected anything.
Jordan started to self medicate. On April 4, he took a double dose of medication. This made him dizzy and sick throughout the day. He was understanding when dealing with a pregnant woman who was in denial that her baby had died before her accident because he could relate. However, he was forced to abandon resus when he was unable to handle the scissors for an operation. He explained this away by pretending he was tired but lost his temper with a hypochondriac and rushed off to throw up. Zoe thought it was due to excessive drinking the previous night but Ruth was not so sure. Concerned, she visited Jordan in his office to check he was ok. He admitted there was a problem but as clinical lead he knew how to deal with it. Later, in his flat, he finally faced up to his problem and made an appointment with a neurosurgeon.
On April 11, Jordan was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He wanted to have it cut out rather than go through radio or chemo therapy but the neurosurgeon told him gently that it was too dangerous to remove it completely. Later, the neurosurgeon was shocked to learn Jordan was still practising medicine but Jordan assured her that anything he found too difficult he delegated to his colleagues. He wanted to make a difference while he could and would be careful not to endanger anyone. The neurosurgeon refused to allow Jordan to carry out a complicated operation so he got Ruth Winters to do it under his instructions. Later, Adam cornered Jordan, having discovered evidence of his recent mistakes. Adam, thinking that Jordan's handwriting illegibility, tremors and freezes were due to a drinking problem told him it was nothing to be ashamed of and offered to cover for him while he sorted himself out but Jordan laughed and denied that he had a drinking problem. Jordan then advised his boss to give Adam three months compassionate leave, supposedly because Adam was unfit to work but in reality out of fear that Adam would discover the truth about Jordan's illness.
Jordan had Henry observe Adam in resus for the day. He then stitched Adam up by withholding the news of Jessica giving birth and telling Adam just before their meeting with Henry. This resulted in Henry misinterpreting Adam's distress and giving him compassionate leave. An angry Adam confronted Jordan over stitching him up and through interrogation when Jordan forgot a medical term, realised there was something wrong with Jordan and that he would go to any lengths to hide it, including sacrifice Adam. Adam decided to resign rather than be pushed out but cited his concerns about Jordan in his resignation letter. Jordan happened to read it and gave Adam an alternative resignation letter he had written, asking him to sign it. Later, Jordan froze midway through a life saving operation and Adam alone was able to come to his rescue because Adam knew of Jordan's problems. Realising he had a hold over Jordan, Adam decided against resigning and sent Jordan to his office to wait for him.
Jordan confided his condition to Adam who concealed it from their boss and suggested working side by side in ED. He also suggested Jordan enjoy his last few months and offered to ease some of the workload. Jordan grew close to Zoe and a concerned Adam asked him to confide in her. He wrote a letter, leaving it in her pigeonhole but she never got round to reading it so he retrieved it. Jordan and Zoe got into a relationship and later on, midway through examining a patient, Jordan collapsed and had a seizure. Charlie called Zoe who tried to deal with Jordan in a professional manner despite her feelings for him. From an MRI scan, Charlie and Zoe discovered the truth but concealed Jordan's fit from the rest of the staff. Finding out from Adam that Jordan knew he was dying, Zoe asked why he never told her and said she couldn't cope with death in her personal life as well as her professional life. Jordan then took leave off, and spent his time living in a hotel near the sea, where he go in a strong relationship with an Italian woman, who was a cleaner at his hotel, and helped to look after him. Zoe, becoming increasingly worried, tries to track down Jordan, finding his hotel when Jordan nearly exposes himself saving a man's life at a party at the hotel. Jordan starts to have suicidal thoughts, but then decides against it. When Zoe does actually meet him, Jordan does not want to have anything to do with her.
Eventually Jordan's condition detoriates to the point where he has to be hospitilised, causing a very worried Zoe to start bunking off her hospital duties to be at his bedside. Eventually Jordan has to have a life-saving operation, but he wants to die, and his consent has to be given. With him falling into unconsciousness, Zoe forges his signature. This saves his life, but temporarily damages their relationship.
Jordan, no longer able to actively practice, becomes a consultant at the ED.
After doing a major operation to save Jessica, Jordan is allowed to practice again in the ED.
Jordan's confidence soars when he learns that the Board want him to take over as Clinical Lead, and makes arrangements to attend a meeting with them later in the day. But new F2 Kieron Fletcher overhears and, anxious to get Jordan alone, cancels Jordan's lift to the meeting and offers to take him himself.
When Kieron drives Jordan to the middle of nowhere and tries to speak to him about a woman named Christine Fletcher, Jordan is furious and dismisses the name as a former patient.
Jordan is livid at Kieron's behaviour at the scene and, back at the ED, orders him out of resus. With Kieron absent, Jordan coaxes a board member to the ED and impresses her with his handling of a patient, securing the job.
At the end of the night, Jordan warns Kieron that he was unimpressed with his actions that day, but is floored when Kieron reveals that he has been trying to tell him that he is Jordan's son.
Kieron tells Jordan he was wrong about his parentage - Jordan's not his father. Jordan is relieved that the matter is settled. After Keiron has a motorbike accident Jordan agrees to have a DNA test and he begins to bond with Keiron and Jordan tells Keiron he has five years left to live. Noel then gives the result of the DNA test to Jordan in his office, Jordan smiles as he is sure that Keiron is his son. He reads the test results which turn out to be negative.
Reception
Michael French was nominated for the 'Most Popular Actor' award in the 2006 National Television AwardsNational Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
for his portrayal of the character. Both The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and the Sunday Mirror
Sunday Mirror
The Sunday Mirror is the Sunday sister paper of the Daily Mirror. It began life in 1915 as the Sunday Pictorial and was renamed the Sunday Mirror in 1963. Trinity Mirror also owns The People...
have likened Nick to George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
's ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
character Doug Ross
Doug Ross
Dr. Douglas "Doug" Ross is a fictional character from the television series ER, portrayed by George Clooney. George Clooney's removal from the main cast opening credits was in the 16th episode of season 5.-Plot details:...
- "the one everyone fancies" - with the Sunday Mirror deeming him "Handsome, talented, hot-headed and passionate. [...] Dark, brooding, sexy. If your heart needs attention Nick Jordan's the man. 8/10." Andrew Billen for the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
agrees that Nick is "good-looking", but suggests French's playing another "love rat" character after his EastEnders role to be type casting
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
.