Summary
"Heartbeat" is an ITV police drama set in a corner of Yorkshire where it is always the 1960s. It follows a group of police officers in the fictional town of Ashfordly in the North Riding of Yorkshire. It begins with the adventures of London policeman Nick Rowan (Nick Berry) and his doctor wife Kate (Niamh Cusack) after they arrive in the close-knit rural community. Although their big-city ways initially invite the suspicions of the local folk, the couple soon set about winning the hearts of the villagers. Inspired by Peter Walker's Constable books, the gentle drama features an ensemble cast that also includes Sgt Oscar Blaketon (Derek Fowlds), PC Alf Ventress (William Simons), PC Bellamy (Mark Jordon), barmaid Gina (Tricia Penrose) and lovable rogue Claude Greengrass (Bill Maynard). After Cusack and Berry left for pastures new, Jason Durr joined the cast as PC Mike Dunstan and Gwen Taylor later delighted audiences as battleaxe Peggy Armstrong. It premiered in 1992 and inspired the medical spin-off "The Royal". "Heartbeat" ran for 18 series, clocking up 372 episodes.
