Oliver Valentine

Oliver Valentine
Holby City character
First appearance"Proceed With Caution"
9 June 2009
Last appearanceEpisode 1089
14 December 2021
Portrayed byJames Anderson
In-universe information
OccupationSpecialist registrar, cardiothoracic surgery
(prev. F1, F2, CT1 doctor)
Family
SpouseTara Lo (2013)
Zosia March (2017–)
ChildrenArthur Valentine-Self

Oliver "Ollie" Valentine is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor James Anderson. He first appeared in the eleventh series episode "Proceed With Caution", broadcast on 9 June 2009. Oliver was introduced alongside his older sister, Penny (Emma Catherwood), as a Foundation House Officer 1 (F1) on rotation at Holby City Hospital. Series producer Diana Kyle intended their inclusion to have an "instant impact on the wards." Anderson was selected to play Oliver; he spent time with a real F1 doctor and trained with the programme's medical advisors to prepare for the part. It took him around six months to ease into the role, and a further six to feel comfortable in it.

Oliver was initially portrayed as "the golden boy" compared to his sister. Boyishly charming and medically talented, he nonetheless lacked confidence in his ability.[2] When Oliver reached his F2 training, the series formed an on-screen duo by pairing him with registrar Greg Douglas (Edward MacLiam). Oliver's lack of competency was highlighted – he endangered patients and landed his colleagues in trouble. In a prominent storyline, Oliver made a series of medical errors, which forced him to admit that he cheated on an exam at medical school. He began a downward spiral, and reached "rock bottom" when Penny was killed off. He was then central to a special flashback episode, which depicted his battle to cope with her death. Though he confessed to Director of Surgery Henrik Hanssen (Guy Henry) that he was not truly qualified, Hanssen allowed Oliver to continue practising medicine.[3]

Branded a Lothario-type character, Oliver has been involved in several romantic storylines during his tenure; Anderson has called him "the hospital bike".[4] In a toy boy storyline with ward sister Chrissie Williams (Tina Hobley), Oliver was seen to compromise his career. He went on to date ward sister Daisha Anderson (Rebecca Grant), kiss registrar Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel), and earn the unreciprocated affection of ward sister Frieda Petrenko (Olga Fedori), and marry F1 doctor Tara Lo (Jing Lusi). Anderson decided to leave the series in 2012 and filmed his final scenes in March 2013. Oliver departed in the episode "Mens Sana In Corpore Sano", dated 9 July 2013. He returned on 23 December 2014, for one episode, before making a full-time return on 5 May 2015. Anderson opted to leave the series again in 2017 and Oliver departed in the episode "No Matter Where You Go, There You Are – Part Two", broadcast on 27 March 2018. Anderson returned for a two-month stint in 2021.

Responses to the character have generally been negative, with particular criticism for his poor treatment of Penny. Bree Treacy of RTÉ Ten disliked both Valentines. Many have questioned Oliver's medical skills and labelled him an incompetent doctor – as Daniel Maier of The Guardian put it, he is "a doctor with the blue eyes of Fonda and the medical competence of fondue".[5]

  1. ^ "Veil of Tears, Part One". BBC. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Oliver Valentine". BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference guyhenry was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference RC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference DM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).