Doctors, the BBC's Birmingham-based afternoon soap opera, made its début in high definition today with an episode entitled 'Defining Happy', marking a first for the BBC, their first HD soap.

I already know what you're thinking... why Doctors?  Yes, there are far preferable and more deserving subjects of the HD treatment, for example, the BBC's HD sport output is woeful and a few more movies wouldn't hurt, but in reality Doctors has been produced in high definition for some time, it just hasn't been broadcast in HD – another one of those weird things the BBC do – so moving the programme onto the HD channel won't have had any real impact on the production budget.  Additional good news, as you can hopefully tell from our example clip, is that the image quality is actually of a really high standard with lots of bold, saturated colours and almost completely free of noise.  HD standards at the BBC are improving of late and this is a good illustration of that.

This is series ten of Doctors and the current cast includes veterans of the programme Stirling Gallacher and Diane Keen, but some return viewers hoping for a feast of high definition loveliness will be disappointed to learn that both Sarah Manners and Corrinne Wicks (aka Dr. Norks, currently touring in The Holly and The Ivy) have left the show - in 2001 and 2005 and respectively.

Doctors is often described as “comfort television”, the sort of thing you'd only usually watch if you're at home sick, unemployed or a student.  Because there are a couple of new stories every day and a lot of guest performers, the show doesn't have the greatest reputation for its acting, but in fairness some of the issues they tackle are sensitively treated and there's none of the gratuitous blood and guts you'll see in Holby City or Casualty.

Because the regular 1:45pm slot on BBC One is outside BBC HD's broadcasting hours, Doctors is being shown in HD at 6pm (with a late night repeat).  Whether it'll hold an early evening audience remains to be seen, although the HD showing of Hollyoaks on Channel 4 HD immediately after might help.

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Doctors, the BBC soap set in Birmingham, makes its début in high definition.