Heartbeat

Heartbeat was based on the Constable series of novels written by Nicholas Rhea, the pen-name of former policeman Peter Walker, and the show's plots and characters were developed under Rhea's guidance.

The title 'Heartbeat' was chosen to reflect the series' two key professions: 'heart' for the medical storylines and 'beat' for a policeman's patrol area.

The series was originally created as a launch platform for Nick Berry following his time on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Derek Fowlds (as Oscar Blaketon) and William Simons (as Alf Ventress) were the only actors to appear in Heartbeat for its entire 18-series run.

Exterior scenes representing the fictional village of Aidensfield were filmed in the real village of Goathland in North Yorkshire, while interior scenes were shot at The Leeds Studios.

A one-off special, 'Heartbeat: Changing Places', was filmed on location in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, showing Nick Rowan's new life and job with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

In series 18, two episodes were filmed on location in Queensland, Australia.

Sixties pop music, notably from the Beatles and Chuck Berry, formed the backbone of the show's soundtrack, though some anachronistic 1970s and 1980s songs like Led Zeppelin's 'Black Dog' and the Flying Pickets' 'Only You' also appeared.

Although broadcast from 1992 to 2010, the show's internal timeline never moved past 1969, with the story appearing to remain frozen in that year from around series 8 until the finale in series 18.

Heartbeat's success led to the spin-off medical drama The Royal, which was introduced via the series 12 Heartbeat episode 'Out of the Blue' before developing its own separate identity.

Heartbeat regularly drew over 10 million viewers, peaking at 13.82 million in 2001, making it one of ITV's top-rated dramas of its era.

News of Heartbeat's possible cancellation in 2009 prompted fan protests worldwide and concern from Yorkshire communities, where the show's tourist trade was economically significant.