Doctors to mark 'Midlands boy' William Shakespeare's anniversary
BBC drama Doctors is to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of "Midlands boy" William Shakespeare with a week of episodes inspired by his work.
Five special instalments of the soap will include a Shakespearean sonnet in the run-up to Saturday's anniversary.
Series producer Peter Lloyd said as the show was filmed in the region Shakespeare was from, "we wanted to play a part in the BBC's celebrations".
He said the sonnets were "a bit more digestible than entire plays".
He added that the episodes, which will see a guest appearance from Birmingham-born singer Jamelia, would not just be about romance but also tackle "themes of death, lust, nightmares, loss and ageing".
The shows will precede the launch of the BBC's Shakespeare Festival, a month-long event which will see special programmes shown across the broadcaster's television channels.
These will include an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream on BBC One starring Maxine Peake, Matt Lucas and Elaine Paige, and three more episodes of the 2012 series, The Hollow Crown, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Dame Judi Dench.