Jayne Grayson
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| Jayne Grayson | |
|---|---|
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| First appearance | 9x39, Under the Radar, 2007- |
| Portrayed by | Stella Gonet |
| Information | |
| Date of birth | Scotland |
| Occupation | Chief Executive Officer |
| Spouse(s) | Nick Grayson |
| Children | Three |
Jayne Grayson is the name of a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Stella Gonet.[1] The character first appeared on-screen on 10 July 2007 in episode Under the Radar - Series 9, Episode 39 of the programme.[2] Her role in the show is that of upper management, and is the only regular character who is not a medic by profession.[3]
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[edit] Creation
[edit] Background
From mid-Series 8 to Series 9, Episode 37, the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Holby City Hospital PCT was filled by character Christopher Sutherland. One Series 9 plot strand saw Sutherland refuse to hire Agency nursing staff for budgetary reasons.[4] This caused senior nursing staff Mark and Chrissie Williams to instigate union action, leading the hospital's nursing staff in a work to rule day. As a result of this action, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Elliot Hope called the hospital's Board of Directors to take a vote of no confidence in Sutherland, leading to his dismissal from the hospital.[5] The vacant CEO position was filled two episodes later with the arrival of the character Jayne.[2]
[edit] Casting
It was first announced on 15 June 2007 that Stella Gonet had been cast in the new role of Jayne.[6] Gonet had made a previous appearance in the first series of sister show Casualty, playing a Dr Clare Wainright,[7] which she compared to her new role, saying:
- "It was 21 years ago and all I remember was a lot of people telling us what to do and where to put things because of all the medical jargon. I was only in it for two episodes and that's all it was ever going to be. I was off to join the Royal Shakespeare Company for the first time and Casualty didn't seem that interested in asking me to stay and do any more.
- I suppose the big difference is that I'm not playing a doctor but playing management, which is a huge thing in hospitals now. The writers work really hard to make the show viable, as well as upping the drama, which is what people want to watch. That hasn't changed."[8]
Gonet has been acting in British television for over two decades,[7] and is perhaps "best known for being the authoritative Beatrice Eliott in the 1990s BBC series House Of Eliott".[9] Her casting follows a recent trend of Holby City executives in hiring established British actors - with Gonet now working alongside former film star Patsy Kensit,[10] and comedian Adrian Edmondson.[11] She said of joining the cast of Holby City: "I am absolutely delighted to be hiring and firing at Holby. I am loving working with the cast - they are so warm and welcoming and committed."[12]
[edit] Development
Upon announcing the addition to the cast of the new character Jayne, the BBC described her as "a witty and ambitious go-getter who strives relentlessly to achieve her aims",[1] but who "thinks of herself as Solomon."[6] In a detailed character summary, it was stated:
- "In spite of her lack of experience within the NHS, Jayne has belief she can turn around the fortunes of the hospital. She is a force to be reckoned with, doesn't suffer fools lightly and has the confidence to face all the problems thrown at her whether a top consultant, student nurses or aggrieved patient relative, and does it with a good sense of humour.
- She is compassionate when necessary, able to deal fairly with people, she is reasonable and will listen to everyone. Jayne is diplomatic, a good manager and relies on her own judgement and making her own decisions."[13]
Many of these character traits have already made themselves obvious on-screen. Jayne's first official act as Holby City Hospital's new CEO was to investigate a racial discrimination allegation made against Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Elliot Hope by Staff Surgeon Thandie Abebe - demonstrating a determination to uphold procedure in the fact of hospital hierarchy.[2] A somewhat ruthless nature to the character was revealed in episode The Q Word, by means of staff gossip.[14] It was said that prior to arriving at Holby, the character worked as a Management Consultant, and that when asked for help by her own father with his struggling business, she dismissed him from his position and took control of the company herself in a hostile takeover.[15] As this information was presented as hearsay, its validity is technically unknown. What it does reveal, however, is that much like her predecessor, Jayne has quickly become unpopular amongst her fellow characters.
The BBC have stated that the character is married and a mother of three, however her husband and children have yet to be referenced or seen on-screen.[1]
[edit] Storylines
Jayne takes over from Christopher Sutherland as the new Chief Executive Officer of Holby City Hospital's Primary Care Trust in episode Under the Radar. She immediately makes a poor impression on several staff members by upholding Thandie Abebe's racial discrimination complaint against Elliot Hope, and making plain to Connie Beauchamp that she intends to bring about change within the hospital, welcome or not.[2]
In episode The Q Word, she spends the day on the hospital's AAU, shadowing Abra Durant. She halts his plans to perform charity operations at night, and later discovers that Maddy Young has taken Elliot's place on the racial awareness course she enrolled him on.[14] She suspends both characters from work pending a tribunal in episode Temporary Insanity.[16] Two episodes later, she furthers her growing unpopularity amongst the staff by again turning down Abra and Ric Griffin's renewed proposals for charity operations at night, explaining there will be no room in her budget for at least a year.[16]
Jayne has also appeared in a cross-over with sister show Casualty on 8th March 2008, when long serving character Harry Harper decided to quit. She also appeared on 15th March 2008 to choose the replacement for Harry's job.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b c BBC - Holby City - Characters. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ a b c d "Episode Update Tuesday 10th July 2007", BBC.co.uk, 10 July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ Holby City - Characters. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ S9 E36 Something's Gotta Give by Matthew Evans - 21/6/07. Holby.tv Database. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ Episode Update Tursday 28th June 2007. BBC.co.uk (10 July 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ a b "New 'Chief Executive' for 'Holby City'", Digital Spy, 15 June 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ a b Stella Gonet. IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ "MY SISTERS ARE NURSES..THEY THINK MY TOP JOB AT HOLBY IS HILARIOUS", Sunday Mail, 29 July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ Stella Gonet Biography. TV.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ "Patsy Kensit to join Holby cast", BBC.co.uk, 14 December 2005. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ "Familiar face returns to 'Holby City'", Digital Spy, 10 April 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
- ^ "Stella Gonet joins Holby City", Virgin Media, 22 June 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ Stella Gonet joins Holby City. Holby.tv Database (18 June 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^ a b "Episode Update Tuesday 24th July 2007", BBC.co.uk, 24 July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
- ^
“ It was a family firm; she'd been to business school, he asked for her help. So darling Jayne restructured, and decided Daddy was the weakest link... I think it was what they call a hostile takeover. ” - ^ a b "Episode Update Tuesday 31st July 2007", BBC.co.uk, 31 July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
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