8.2/1022 votes#1 - Safe As Houses
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 7/12/2009
Dr. Ormerod and Dr. Weatherill accompany Brigid back to Ireland for Moira's funeral, and uncover shocking family secrets in the process. Meanwhile, a new locum is thrown in at the deep end at the Royal.
Director: David Kester
Writer: Sarah Bagshaw
- 7.7/1020 votes
#2 - Counting Chickens
Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 7/19/2009
Dr Ellis confronts local prejudice when he discovers one of his patients has contracted a rare disease abroad. Jack and Alun begin a crackpot scheme to raise chickens, Brigid makes a decision about baby Aisling's future, while Jean becomes more frustrated with Lizzie's incompetence.
Director: David Kester
Writer: John Flanagan, Andrew McCulloch
- 7.5/1018 votes
#3 - These Foolish Things
Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 7/26/2009
Weatherill treats a schoolgirl whose crush on a teacher has spiralled out of control, while Ormerod and Ellis launch a daring cliff rescue when a family picnic goes awry. Jack and Alun use an old map to hunt for buried treasure underneath the hospital, and an old friend of Matron is taken ill.
Director: Ian Barber
Writer: Susan Wilkins
- 7.8/1016 votes
#4 - Any Old Iron
Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 6/5/2011
Mr Middleditch has come in to St Aidan's hospital, accompanied by his wife, for a routine operation. Noticing that Mrs Middleditch looks unwell, the hospital decides to give her a blood transfusion. Distracted by the attentions of a rich divorced playboy, who has promised to marry her, Susie Dixon administers the wrong blood, which later results in serious consequences for both her and the patient.
Director: Ian Barber
Writer: Mark Holloway
- 7.4/1019 votes
#5 - Should I Stay or Should I Go Now
Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 6/12/2011
A new student nurse arrives at the Royal. Lizzie falls for a motorcycle stunt rider who is convinced he’s destined to live fast, die young. But Dr Ormerod comes up with a different diagnosis.
Director: Neil Adams
Writer: Patrick Melanaphy
- 7.6/1017 votes
#6 - Please Release Me
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 6/11/2011
A patient with cancer dies unexpectedly after a visit from Dr Ormerod, and the grieving family point the finger at him. Dr Omerod is arrested on suspicion of murder – how will he prove his innocence? Dr Ralph Ellis holds a clinic at the local prison and is concerned about the mental health of one of his patients. When a full scale riot breaks out, Ralph’s trapped. Will he escape unscathed?
Director: Neil Adams
Writer: Jane Hollowood
- 7.7/1016 votes
#7 - Tutti Fritti
Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 6/26/2011
A secret from Jean’s past resurfaces when the wife of a former lover arrives at the Royal and accuses Jean of being up to her old tricks. When things take a shocking turn Jean is forced to reconsider her future as well as her past.
Director: Tim Dowd
Writer: Mark Holloway
- 7.6/1016 votes
#8 - Manoeuvres
Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 7/3/2011
A family outing causes trouble for the Ormerods and Lizzie attempts to improve her vocabulary.
Director: Tim Dowd
Writer: John Flanagan, Andrew McCulloch
- 7.2/1022 votes
#9 - Dead Air
Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 7/10/2011
A girls’ trip out on board a pirate radio ship ends badly when they are embroiled in a siege. And Drs Ormerod and Weatherill are mystified when a girl guide leader recovers miraculously from a stroke.
Director: David Kester
Writer: Dawn Harrison
- 7.4/1018 votes
#10 - A Hero for Our Time
Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 7/17/2011
There is a near crash on the road which involves a woman called Dolly and her daughter Alison and a rich aristocratic heir and his girlfriend. Ellis and Ormerod are called out to attend the scene of the accident. The car with Dolly and Alison in it ends up crashing into the lake to avoid the other car. With the car sinking Jack attempts to get them out. The other couple are taken to the hospital to be checked out where a water tank comes crashing through the ceiling and traps Tom the male driver. Suffering with a a ruptured spleen, Ormerod and Rose manage to free him and get him to theatre for surgery.
Director: David Kester
Writer: Susan Wilkins
- 7.9/1020 votes
#11 - Below the Surface
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 7/24/2011
The hospital’s future is in doubt following DHA's decision not to sanction a financial package to repair the Casualty department. The hospital is only offered an authorised high interest loan, that doesn’t cover all the costs of the everything that needs to be done. The hospital's budget for the year ahead has also been cut so that the Royal will need to dip into the Middleditch trust fund to keep the hospital open. Jean ends up announcing that the only way forward is to consider a a complete closure of Casualty. Ralph ends up taking some secret action to rectify the situation but also ends up bringing up some difficult issues in his past. Carol and Ralph finally end up getting together.
Director: Ian Barber
Writer: John Flanagan, Andrew McCulloch
- 7.6/1022 votes
#12 - The Enemy Within
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 7/31/2011
A can of worms is opened when Gordon attends to a local family's problems, and when violence spills onto the Royal's wards he gets caught up in the crossfire. Meanwhile, baby Aisling's adoption is final. However, Sister Brigid is confused by her feelings.
Director: Ian Barber
Writer: Sarah Bagshaw
The Best Episodes of The Royal Season 8
Every episode of The Royal Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Royal Season 8!
Follows the staff and patients of a Yorkshire cottage hospital in the 60s, embroiled in tangled love lives and bitter power struggles.
Genre:Drama
Network:ITV1
Season 8 Ratings Summary
"Safe As Houses" is the best rated episode of "The Royal" season 8. It scored 8.2/10 based on 22 votes. Directed by David Kester and written by Sarah Bagshaw, it aired on 7/12/2009. This episode is rated 0.5 points higher than the second-best, "Counting Chickens".