Is Bloods Based on a True Story?

‘Bloods’ follows the unlikely pairing of paramedic partners Wendy and Maleek as they make their rounds in South London and attend to crisis after crisis. The comedy series revolves around the two central paramedics and their quirky ambulance station colleagues, focussing on the comedic sides of their jobs even as they go about saving lives. The show features just the right amount of dark humor, making the narrative entertaining and funny while also seeming authentic. So, just how much of ‘Bloods’ is based on a true story? We decided to find out.

Is Bloods Based on a True Story?

No, ‘Bloods’ is not based on a true story. The show initially started as a Sky comedy short created by lead cast member Samson Kayo in 2018, with himself and Jane Horrocks in the lead. The original 10-minute short centered on an overenthusiastic paramedic-cum-YouTuber (Kayo) and his quirky new partner (Horrocks) and was initially not envisioned as a series.

However, Kayo then heard from its producer, Ash Atalla, that his short had the potential to become a series. The series employed a team of writers who reportedly spent five weeks generating ideas before Paul Doolan and Nathan Bryon penned the scripts, the latter having co-written the short as well.

Despite its fictional roots, the show also draws its central plot from a “What if?” moment that Kayo had. Before his acting and writing career took off, the lead actor was actually on his way to becoming an ambulance support driver. He even did the training for it and was soon to start work driving paramedics to 999 calls. He planned on becoming a paramedic until he “stumbled” into acting and decided to stick with it.

However, the idea of being a paramedic seemingly stuck with Kayo. So when Seb Barwell, a producer on ‘Bloods,’ initially asked if he would like to make a short, the comedic lead actor decided to go back and explore what would have happened if he had continued being a support driver and, eventually, a paramedic. Thus, ‘Bloods,’ in a way, is a fictional (and comedic) alternate reality that Kayo envisions himself in had he not discovered acting. So involved was he in the role that he actually drove around in an ambulance while filming the short. However, Kayo was disappointed to learn that he would not be allowed the same driving freedom while filming the series due to insurance liabilities.

The actor-writer also explained how ‘Bloods’ takes a comedic approach, but that it is also important for them to showcase the seriousness of the work being carried out by emergency response paramedics. Thus, we get to see both sides of the characters on the series, making it a well-balanced combination of quirky humor and “behind-the-scenes” paramedic stories that give it the feeling of being based on real life.

Read More: Where is Bloods Filmed?

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