#BerenaDeservedBetter

#BerenaDeservedBetter was born out of anger and rage at a storyline that promised representation and degenerated into… Well, we all saw the result. We thought Berena deserved better than it got. Looking back, we were probably quite bloody-minded about it. It mattered. It still does. We needed to take that hurt and harm and redirect it away from ourselves rather than internalise it. That way leads to so many of our LGBTQIA+ community taking their own lives. But sometimes the reasons we do things, or why an idea takes hold in us, are complicated and ill-defined and we cannot articulate them or understand them. But these reasons are still important. They are still our reasons...” https://berena.writeside.net/the-space-in-my-heart/

Four years ago today (February 23, 2016), All Fall Down aired – the 807th episode of Holby City and the 20th of series 18, directed by Dermot Boyd, written by Patrick Homes, watched by 4.77 million viewers and, of course, when this happened...

Two years ago today (February 7, 2018), Not Your Home Now aired – the 909th episode of Holby City and the sixth of series 20, directed by Baff Akoto, written by Patrick Homes, and watched by 4.02 million viewers.

“ So then, let’s talk about Silent Witness instead, and everything we loved about DI Raymond. That scene where she is in scrubs (definitely a coincidence, right?). Then, the wardrobe—the waistcoats and long jackets, and the dress shirts with cufflinks, the specs, the somewhat girly shoes adding a dash of unpredictability. Finally, the mannerisms—the strut, the hands-in-pockets, the body language, um, the fingernails. DI Raymond screamed “gay” in rainbow highlights. And this was significant because her sexuality, either way, was of no consequence to the story.”

Four years ago today (February 2, 2016), Serenity aired – the 804th episode of Holby City and the 17th of series 18, directed by Claire Winyard, written by Michelle Lipton, watched by 4.63 million viewers and the first appearance of Jemma Redgrave as Bernie Wolfe.

“What is left to say, other than my heart is still broken? And a little bit of it even breaks for the loss of Serena – a double loss, the first one 14 months ago when she lost sight of the lion within, and the other on 21 January 2020, when she walked away physically. “For some reason I expected 21 January to magically afford some closure for the butchery of #Berena and death of Bernie Wolfe (and in a way Serena Campbell too), but closure remains elusive. Instead, what I’m left with is the crushing knowledge that Holby City’s producers never really understood anything about the politics of representation.”

Sounds like @bbcone and @BBCHolbyCity responses to #Berena fans' complaints

One year ago today (11 December, 2018), The Right Sort of Animal aired – the 953rd episode of Holby City and the 50th of series 20, directed by Tracey Larcombe, written by Ed Sellek, and voted second favourite episode of series 20 in this year’s Holby.tv Awards. (Official viewing figures unavailable.)

One year ago today (4 December, 2018), Love Is aired – the 952nd episode of Holby City and the 49th of series 20. It was directed by Tracey Larcombe, and written by Michelle Lipton. Viewing figures are still unavailable.

Three years ago today (22 November, 2016), The Kill List aired – the 846th episode of Holby City and the 7th of series 19, directed by Toby Frow, written by Jeff Povey, watched by 4.81 million viewers, and voted second favourite all-time episode in this year’s Holby.tv Awards.

“In a masterclass hosted by the inimitable Sue Perkins, multi-award-winning writer Russell T Davies, and founder of Red Production Company and CEO of StudioCanal UK, Nicola Shindler, will discuss their collaboration on Queer as Folk; the genesis of the show; what it meant to them; and the worldwide impact the series had. The panel will consider how, and more importantly, if, the television landscape has changed in terms of LGBTQ+ representation over the last two decades and how an unassuming eight-part drama became a global phenomenon.”