Stories in TV drama series about psychiatry were researched in detail

Editor—Persaud complains that Channel 4’s drama series Psychos “does not hit a realistic note”; he goes on to comment that “the respect accorded to the senior doctors made me wonder where in the NHS the series had been researched.”¹ As a psychiatric “consultant” to Psychos I know that the writer of the series shadowed several psychiatrists, including one working in Persaud’s own unit. Perhaps Persaud was away at the time making his own contribution to quality television on ITV’s midday show Richard and Judy.

Persaud finds himself “intrigued that no users of mental health services were consulted for the series”; they were, frequently. He goes on to complain that “none of the psychiatrists in the series is the least bit likeable” and, as a solution, suggests that “script writers and programme makers should be more closely supervised by their psychiatric consultants.” To my mind this suggests a misunderstanding both of the television drama genre and of the role of the professional adviser in the making of a television programme.

A television drama series must be dramatic if it is to attract viewers. Psychos makes for compulsive viewing, is a gripping drama, and from a programme maker’s perspective is a run-away success. The psychiatric consultants employed by the production company have done their job by ensuring that the storylines fall within the bounds of possibility and that technical details such as the indications for and doses of particular drugs are accurate.

As a doctor I welcome programmes that “portray the practice of medicine” and “show how treatments actually work”; I recognise, however, that this is not the job of a fictional drama series. Perhaps the success of Psychos will encourage programme makers to produce a psychiatric documentary designed to inform rather than entertain. I trust that such a programme would be more to Persaud’s taste.