> Order Frankie on DVD on Amazon.
Eve Myles (Torchwood) plays the title role and is joined by Dean Lennox Kelly (Shameless) as Frankie’s long term boyfriend Ian, and Derek Riddell (Garrow’s Law) as her confidante and team member Andy.
Episode 1
Tuesday 14 May 2013, 9pm
As Frankie (Eve Myles) approaches her 36th birthday, she guesses that as well as the surprise party he always plans, her boyfriend Ian (Dean Lennox Kelly) has a bigger surprise in store.
Frankie is fond of her entertaining elderly patient Mr Thomas (Michael Byrne), but his daughter Jean (Barbara Marten) is struggling to care for both him and her terminally ill husband. When Frankie realises that Mr Thomas is showing signs of dementia, she tries to encourage Jean to get help but meets with resistance. Jean is frightened that her father will be taken into care, like her mother was. With Frankie’s reassurance, Jean reluctantly agrees to an assessment but Mr Thomas’ condition is far more serious than either of them had realised…
Frankie’s attention is also on Heather (Amy Strange), a young mum who has an eight-year-old daughter Ruby (Hannah Jean-Baptiste) and is heavily pregnant. Heather has high blood pressure and is worried she’ll go into labour before her husband returns from Afghanistan. Frankie does her best to keep her calm but they soon both find themselves dealing with an unexpected emergency.
As Ian plans his big surprise, Frankie decides to stick with Heather, unaware of the impact this one decision will have on her life.
Episode 2
Tuesday 21 May 2013, 9pm
Frankie’s world is shattered by Ian’s revelation of what he did on her birthday.
Frankie ploughs herself into her work, visiting Liana, a terminally ill patient, who is dying of Motor Neurone Disease. When the time comes, Liana has always wanted to die at home with her husband Joseph and their dog, listening to John Martyn and drinking champagne. Things take an unexpected turn when Joseph has a heart attack and needs to be taken into hospital. Joseph is reluctant to leave his wife for fear she’ll be taken into a hospice, so Frankie arranges for him to return home that night. Despite her best intentions, Frankie sets in motion a series of events that have serious repercussions for everyone involved.
Meanwhile, Andy is called out to visit Max, an oil worker with an infected amputated leg. He’s been refusing to go to his dressing clinics, to leave the flat, to do anything really. His girlfriend Melly is sick of looking after him, but they both feel trapped. Andy does his best to encourage Max to reconnect with life but Max’s frustrations boil over and the police are called, bringing Frankie and Ian face to face…
Mary is busy trying to convince one of her patients, Mrs Khan, to stop working so hard at home. She’s convinced that she’s exacerbating her diabetes by cooking rich food all day and night for the men of the house. Frustrated by what appears to be a language barrier, Mary brings in an interpreter and discovers that she has misread the situation entirely.
Through it all, Frankie realises she can rely on the friendship and support of her team to see her through difficult times… but is everyone really on her side?
Episode 3
Wednesday 29 May 2013, 9pm
Frankie is determined to take charge of her personal life, repainting her house, changing her locks and throwing out Ian’s stuff. Her professional life, however, is under strain as the circumstances of Liana Corden’s death are investigated. Frankie finds herself in need of the support of her team more than ever…
Frankie also has a new patient – eight year-old Robbie, who has a cancerous tumour and is scheduled to go to America for proton therapy. As his parents struggle to take on board the size of what’s to come, Frankie puts them at ease and earns their trust. While everyone is concerned with Robbie, his teenage brother Richard begins to feel rejected and in the way. A crisis ensues and while Frankie works to put things right, she doesn’t do much to help her case as Dr Evans tries to bring her down.
Meanwhile, Andy finds himself in a delicate situation with a young mother, Kelly, who has recently returned home from hospital after suffering a stroke. Andy comes under scrutiny from her jealous husband Dan who objects to what he sees as Andy’s flirty manner… Has he played this one wrong?
Episode 4
Tuesday 4 June 2013, 9pm
Rachel and Toby have overhauled their lifestyle to try and have a child, moving house to a good catchment area and leaving behind their partying days. Their previous two attempts at IVF failed and this is their last chance. Their relationship is struggling under the strain and now Rachel has developed ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome which Frankie is monitoring. As Rachel’s scan approaches, Toby buckles under the pressure and Frankie is left to pick up the pieces.
Rachel’s situation resonates with Frankie and she starts to consider taking Ian back and getting her life back on track… But then Paula delivers some news that blows everything up all over again.
Andy finds himself reluctantly dragged into a mother and daughter conflict when the home situation of one of his patients starts to exacerbate her condition. Cheryl, who suffers from a chronic lung condition, is dead set against the idea of her daughter, Beatrice, who has Down’s syndrome, moving in with her boyfriend. As Cheryl’s condition worsens with the stress of arguing with her determined daughter, Andy is forced to confront the situation head on.
Meanwhile, Karen struggles to get her new patient to even let her in the front door. Clive is suffering from senile squalor syndrome and has been hoarding for years. To make matters worse, he’s also got a kidney infection and leg ulcer that need treating. Despite her own problems at home, Karen perseveres with Clive and eventually makes a breakthrough. After Paula’s bombshell, Frankie is determined not to let Ian get to her, but then she receives a strange message which she finds hard to ignore.
Episode 5
Tuesday 11 June 2013, 9pm
Shane, an MS patient of Frankie’s has stopped taking his medication, choosing instead a healthy regime that he believes has greater positive effects. Even though he hasn’t had any recent relapses, Shane’s wife Orla is worried about him and privately contacts Frankie to persuade him to get checked out..
Frankie sets up an MRI scan, but when Shane fails to attend without telling his wife, there’s little more she can do. She can’t force a patient to have treatment, but she can force a couple to be honest with each other. However, in doing so, Frankie oversteps the boundaries of patient confidentiality, bringing her into conflict with Dr Evans once again
Meanwhile as Mary tries her best to help a surrogate mother who is suffering from what she thinks is postpartum depression, her rebellious daughter Hope goes to extreme lengths to get her attention.
Paula visits feisty Dee who, despite having terminal cancer, is determined to enjoy the year she has left behaving exactly as she pleases. However, when it turns out her prognosis is less than expected, it’s up to Paula to deliver the news. Despite having her own personal crisis to deal with, Paula offers solace to Dee who is grateful for her honesty. But will Paula be able to offer the same honesty to Ian?
As Frankie becomes increasingly concerned about the mysterious messages, she finds herself relying more and more on Andy. They each have their own views on who could be behind the campaign to frighten Frankie, but which of them is right?
Episode 6
Tuesday 18 June 2013, 9pm
Frankie is frustrated when a patient of hers is deemed fit to work and has her benefits cut. Nicky has Systemic Lupus but Dr Evans has prescribed her steroids and she’s now working in a supermarket.
Nicky’s appealing the decision, but in the meantime she’s working and making her condition worse. Frankie goes head to head with Dr Evans and persuades her to support Nicky in her appeal. When it all gets too much, Frankie helps Nicky come to terms with her decision to quit her job and move home with her parents.
Karen is called out to visit Tim, an attractive university student who has just been discharged from hospital after a knee operation. When they bump into each other in a bar and hit it off, Karen abandons professionalism and accepts his offer of a drink – but when Tim suddenly rushes home without her, she’s hurt and confused. However, when she checks up on him the next day, she realises why…
Meanwhile, Ian is determined to do the right thing by Paula, but when she confesses the truth, his relief is clear. Frankie is finally confronted by her stalker at home, while a vicious dog attack brings Andy and Ian together, and they cement their rivalry for Frankie’s heart. As they both rush to her aide, it’s ultimately Frankie, as always, who saves the day…
> Order Frankie on DVD on Amazon.
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