Heartbeat - the TV series

What is Heartbeat?

Heartbeat is a long-running and highly popular TV series produced originally by Yorkshire Television, more recently by ITV, in the UK: since its first screening on Friday 10th April 1992, the show has run to over 350 hour-long episodes, in 18 series. In December 2009, viewing figures reported by the Times Online placed it in the top ten most watched programmes of the decade. And it all began with Nicholas Rhea's books.

Heartbeat's setting, some of the early storylines, and many of the characters, were taken from the Constable novels by Nicholas Rhea. The stories feature an English policeman in a rural village in North Yorkshire during the 1960's, although cast changes and story developments have resulted in group of village characters sharing the attention with the local village bobby. The Heartbeat title refers to an English bobby 'on the beat', the medical stories that are woven into each episode, and the way each programme puts a finger on the pulse of the rural community of Aidensfield.

Heartbeat Farewell

As all fans will be aware, at the end of filming the current series of Heartbeat, the cast were released to other projects, and it now seems unlikely that the show will continue. The final episode was completed in May 2009, and was marked by a grand party for all those who have been part of the series over the years. Rhoda Walker (Mrs Nicholas Rhea) was there, and sent us this description:

As the partner of Nicholas Rhea, I get invited to certain events and last Friday I went with him to a Heartbeat party in Leeds. It was a glittering occasion held in the stunning Corn Exchange building, with over 200 people; Heartbeat actors, scriptwriters, lighting technicians, make-up girls - in fact all the numerous people who have been involved in the making of Heartbeat for the past 17 years. This event was billed as a 'Farewell Party' and I thought it might be a sombre occasion but, on the contrary, everyone looked relaxed and happy in their party frocks and dinner jackets. We were all there to celebrate Heartbeat, say goodbye to friends and colleagues and talk about hopes for the future.

I'm sure we'll soon be seeing many of the actors in new roles. I chatted to Steven Blakely, who joined Heartbeat straight from drama school to play the loveable rookie constable, Geoff Younger. He said how much he'd enjoyed working on the series and later this year expects to be touring Europe with a theatre group putting on Shakespeare plays. Rupert Ward-Lewis (Don Wetherby) is going back to London and William Simons (Alf Ventress) has already moved back there. Some of the production staff are going to work on Emmerdale and others are taking time out for a while. But everyone I spoke to said they were very sad to be leaving and would miss Aidensfield and the North Yorkshire moors.

We watched some nostalgic clips from the series and there were a few misty eyes when the scene came up where a bereft Nick Rowan stood in the moonlight at the door of the police house on the night Kate died (sniff, sniff). Finally, Keith Richardson, head of YTV drama, made a speech, thanking everyone and saying that the Heartbeat team had been like a big extended family.

Nicholas Rhea adds:

For me, personally, it has been a delight to have my stories and characters portrayed in such a successful television series and I have been involved right from the start. Heartbeat filming is finished but the screening will go on, so keep watching and I will keep writing my Constable books.

In a recent article, he told the Yorkshire Post: "Although production of Heartbeat has ended there remain some episodes for screening early next year and there will be many repeats. The name of Heartbeat will live for a long time..."

Britain's Best Drives

Heartbeat fans all know that the period motor cars which appear in the series are a major part of its charm; so naturally Peter Walker (Nicholas Rhea) was invited to participate in a TV documentary series in which Richard Wilson (Victor Meldrew of One foot in the Grave) retraced the routes of motorcar rides from a guide book published in the 1950's. In the course of the series, Wilson was seen driving several different models of 1950s cars through Snowdonia, the Lake District, Scarborough, Whitby, the Trossachs and Loch Lomond - in Scotland, for example, drives a Bentley.

Rhoda Walker told us:"I think the idea is to contrast pleasure driving in the 50's with driving today. Richard Wilson talked to Peter about policing in the 50's. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of him in the Morris Traveller as they had taken it off on a low loader before we got there!" The first - Yorksire - episode of Britain's Best Drives was shown on Thursday 19th February on BBC4; you can read more about it on the BBC web site.

More about the the cars of Heartbeat  »

A national treasure

Whatever happens, nothing can change the place of Heartbeat in the affections of viewers in the UK and around the world; Nicholas Rhea was delighted to receive this cutting from Woman magazine from a fan, and was tickled to see the series described as "a national treasure"! We constantly receive enquiries about whether the series is available on DVD. Nicholas Rhea points out that this up to ITV, not him! But he explains that among the things which make Heartbeat so special are the use of original sixties records, and the frequent appearances of guest stars. Both of these factors would involve ITV in obtaining clearances before they could authorise DVDs of the series - something that could not have been foreseen when the original contracts were drawn up, long before DVDs were invented.

If you want to see Heartbeat issued on DVD, the best we can suggest is that you write to ITV and tell them so. Perhaps they can be persuaded that there will be enough sales to justify the effort!

You may also be interested to know that this subject is discussed in a forum on TV.com, and that there is also a petition to persuade ITV to release Heartbeat on DVD. (Please note that Nicholas Rhea has no direct contact with, or responsibility for, either of these sites).

Behind the scenes of Heartbeat

However, Nicholas Rhea has written a book, lavishly illustrated and with input from the makers and stars of the show, as well as his own unique inside information about the making of Heartbeat. The Yorkshire Post secured a web exclusive, interviewing Nicholas Rhea on the Heartbeat set about the book, and the show in general: watch a short video of the interview on the Yorkshire Post web site. Or visit the book's dedicated web site, where you can see some of its many pictures, read extracts from the text and order a copy direct from the publishers, Mortons of Horncastle.

Heartbeat - The Story behind the Series was launched with a Sixties-themed party in York. Tricia Penrose was there, and so was Nicholas Rhea, who sent us this personal report of the day:

'"I enjoyed a wonderful day at WH Smiths bookshop in York to launch Heartbeat - The Story behind the Series. Coney Street was packed with fans as The Summits, a local band, performed 1960s hits. Tricia Penrose, who plays Gina, the genial barmaid in the Aidensfield Arms, attracted a huge crowd as she posed with a classic police motorcycle. The queue of fans waiting to have their books signed stretched right out into street. Several young people from Mortons, the publishers, looked very 'with it' in their mini skirts, whilst the bookshop staff also got into the mood in their 60's gear and Beatles haircuts.

Tricia's fans were much in evidence and I was delighted to see that lots of my own readers there, too. We both signed about 150 books and the atmosphere was great. I'd like to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who made it such a memorable occasion."

Heartbeat International

The fame of the little village of Aidensfield spreads way beyond Yorkshire, all round the world. We receive enquiries from fans in Canada and Australia; and we have recently heard that the show is a favourite with the police force of the Pacific island of Vanuatu. Heartbeat is popular throughout Scandinavia: we receive messages from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland (and even Estonia, where they watch it on Finnish television!).

A new page on this site tracks Heartbeat's progress worldwide; it lists the countries in which the series has been shown, and passes on messages with an international flavour!

Read more about Heartbeat round the world »

Heartbeat in Bloom

Heartbeat was really winning bouquets in 2005: Scarborough Borough Council chose "Heartbeat" as the theme of their entry to the RHS National Flower Bed Competition (between 20^th and 24^th July). The design, entitled Only a Heartbeat Away depicts the wild beauty of the Yorkshire Moors and the fact that they are only a step away from the superb Yorkshire coastline. The flower bed shows typical features of the Yorkshire countryside, with a stile, carpet bedded stonewalling and carpet bedded figures, leading down towards the Yorkshire coastline's golden sands.

"I was impressed by the realistic portrayal of aspects of Heartbeat Country, in particular the sheep, authentic dry stone walling, smout-hole, and stile. Scarborough Borough Council is to be congratulated and the gold medal is thoroughly deserved."

The characters of Heartbeat

Nicholas Rhea dreamed up most of the original Heartbeat characters in his Constable books. The series introduced a number of new characters, and adapted some of the books' stories and characters for the benefit of screen serialisation.

More about the key characters in Heartbeat with comments from Rhea and the actors »

Interview with Carol Williams

Ever wondered how it all started, and why Yorkshire Television thought a series about a Yorkshire bobby could be a success?  How do they keep up with the enormous success, and will Greengrass continue to be the local rogue? Carol Williams was been part of the production team from the beginning. Susie Holland interviewed her exclusively for this website.