Ward 31

Ward Thirty One is a bittersweet comedy that examines old age, dementia and the marginalisation of the elderly, providing a poignant look at four characters as they rebel against the pigeon holes they’ve been left in and build unlikely friendships along the way. The script is partly based on seeing my father in a Transitional Care ward, and observing what went on in and around the ward. The show doesn’t focus on the staff, though they do appear, as it is very much from the patient’s perspective and gives voice to their lives and dreams. The first episode sets up the characters and the basic premise of the show, namely Reg persuading Malky, Harold and Polish that the ward they are on is preparing to send them to Belvedere, an infamous nursing home, not back to their own homes... so he suggests breaking out, POW style. The next five episodes take each character in turn and look at their journey to Ward 31, revealing their lives, desires and motivations. Tonally I see the series in a similar vein to ‘The Detectorists’ and think that the disparate characters allow for the exploration of some very contemporary themes without resorting to maudlin melodrama, instead utilising intelligent humour to celebrate their lives.