George Woodson
Dr. Georgina "George" Woodson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Stirling Gallacher. She first appeared during the episode broadcast on 7 January 2003, and departed on 27 March 2009. George is introduced alongside husband Ronnie Woodson (Seán Gleeson), and together the pair have a daughter, Bracken (Jessica Gallagher).
| George Woodson | |||||||||
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| Doctors character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Stirling Gallacher | ||||||||
| Duration | 2003–2009 | ||||||||
| First appearance | "All in Vein" 7 January 2003 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | "The Right Time" 27 March 2009 | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Mal Young | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||
| Occupation | General practitioner | ||||||||
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Development
Shortly after joining the cast, Gallacher fell pregnant.[1] The producers decided against writing in her pregnancy, as they felt that George and her husband Ronnie Woodson (Seán Gleeson) were not ready for it. The couple were seen discussing the issue of having children, but the storyline led to the revelation that Ronnie is "frightened" about having a child.[1] Gallacher explained, "When a child of one of the other characters is snatched, Ronnie thinks its too great a responsibility to take on and he cant cope with all the worry."[1] The producer informed Gallacher that they would film around her bump and she expected to be hiding behind filing cabinets and carrying large bags.[1]
In 2008, the script writers plotted a love triangle storyline for Georgie, Ronnie and Dr Nick West (Michael McKell) that tested the Woodson's marriage. Series producer Peter Lloyd told Kris Green of Digital Spy that things would "quiet down" for the couple, as he was keen not to exhaust them and Gleeson was planning to direct future episodes. Lloyd also said that he wanted the characters to be seen having fun, as they both turned 40 and continued to repair their marriage.[2]
Gallacher decided to leave Doctors in 2009 to pursue other roles. Her departure aired alongside Gleeson's.[3]
Storylines
George is married to Ronnie Woodson (Seán Gleeson) whom she met at university. Ronnie does not want children, but George stopped taking the pill, so they had a baby called Bracken. In March 2009, Ronnie tells George about a job he has been offered in Shanghai; Ronnie declines the offer but George convinces him to accept it. However, just before their departure they learn that George is pregnant. This leads to a fight between the pair as George wants to remain in Letherbridge, but Ronnie wants to leave. Eventually, George relents and leaves with her husband and daughter, Bracken, with the staff at The Mill throwing a surprise leaving party beforehand. Julia Parsons (Diane Keen) gives Georgina a DVD to remember them all by, which includes a message from Bermuda from former colleague Vivien March (Anita Carey). When leaving, George says goodbye to everybody, and George and Julia agree they would stay in touch.
Reception
In 2007, Gallacher and Gleeson won Best On-Screen Partnership at the British Soap Awards.[4] The following year, their character's car crash and the aftermath was nominated for Spectacular Scene of the Year and Best Storyline.[5] Gallacher also received a nomination for Best Actress.[5]
The Guardian's Gareth McLean made a case for Doctors replacing Neighbours on the BBC schedule because it "features the sterling Stirling Gallacher, who any sane primetime soap producer would be madly courting to join their cast."[6]
References
- "Prime Time: The Bump and Grind". The News Letter. 19 August 2003. Retrieved 18 December 2019 – via Questia.
- Green, Kris (6 May 2008). "Peter Lloyd (Series Producer, 'Doctors')". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- Green, Kris (14 May 2009). "Peter Lloyd (Series Producer, 'Doctors')". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- "Street wins seven at soap awards". BBC News. 26 May 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- Hilton, Beth; Green, Kris (3 May 2008). "The British Soap Awards 2008: The Winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- McLean, Gareth (11 July 2007). "Why Doctors should replace Neighbours as BBC1's teatime soap". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2019.