Our fine romance

On location in Sri Lanka, Amanda Redman and Neil Morrissey tell TV Times how they’re inspired by a certain classic sitcom

- Ian MacEwan

THE GOOD KARMA HOSPITAL

NEW SUNDAY / ITV / 8PM / EP 1 of 6 / DRAMA

From all the hospital beds, cots and posters advising on pregnancy nutrition that we can see, we’re clearly on a maternity ward.

But it’s not just any maternity ward! Lucky TV Times is back on set for ITV’s hit Sunday-night medical drama The Good Karma Hospital, which follows the lives and loves of the overstretched staff of a medical facility in southern India.

Outside the ‘hospital’ – which is actually a teacher training college in Sri Lanka – stray dogs doze on the veranda, a cow and calf graze in the garden while a monkey gorges on bananas high up in a nearby tree.

Back inside, ceiling fans move the humid air around to little effect and another poster, worryingly, tells us about the ‘Dos and don’ts of snake bites’ (rule one, in case you’re wondering, is ‘Stay calm’).

Fortunately, TV Times has been installed in the building’s one airconditioned room, into which the show’s overheated stars Amanda Redman, 62, and Neil Morrissey, 57, who play no-nonsense doctor Lydia and her carefree barman partner, Greg, arrive to cool down and tell us all about series three…

Greg’s daughter, Tommy, who he hasn’t seen for three years, turns up in episode one. How do he and Lydia react?