It’s been off our screens since September, but award-winning drama Casualty returns for a brand new series later this December, kicking off with an emotional Christmas special last Saturday (21st December).

Titled All I Want for Christmas, the 50-minute long episode was centred around the miracle of giving blood, and whilst the usual characters were involved, the special also featured real-life interviews from people who have lived through the impact of giving and receiving blood.

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After watching the emotional episode, viewers took to social media to express their feelings, with many being moved to tears, and others rushing to sign up to give blood.

One wrote: ‘Once again, @BBCCasualty breaking boundaries of drama and delivering a damn good documentary simultaneously. Take a bow, all of you. If you need a reason to Give Blood, watch that!’

Another added: ‘This episode will go down in #Casualty history, along with the Covid ep and for all the right reasons. A tough watch for me, with a storyline close to home, but a truly powerful piece of television. Congratulations to the whole team ’. (sic)

Another viewer wrote: ‘Really enjoyed this episode and it has really made me think about donating blood ’, with somebody else writing: ‘I was brought to tears watching this with the real life stories. Giving blood is so important’. (sic)

You can find out more about Giving Blood right here.

If you’ve not watched the Casualty Christmas special yet, here’s all the details you need to know about the episode.

What happens in the episode?

Revealing the plot for the festive episode, BBC said: ‘This innovative new special is a tribute to the miracle of blood, brought to life with all the tension and emotional depth that Casualty delivers so well.

‘It’s Christmas Day in the ED and the team are faced with an emergency blood shortage. Whilst Stevie fights to save lives, Iain risks his own to ensure the hospital doesn’t go without’.