The series differed from most other archetypal British hospital dramas, in that the surgical scenes were notable for their graphic nature, offering intimate detail of various procedures, and the operational complications dealt with in explicit detail. As a result, the themes were also often dark and depressing, including negligence, manipulation and death. "Bodies" has been described as a "dark, sometimes funny" take on a genre that had been made popular through shows such as "Casualty" and "Holby City". In December 2009, "The Times" ranked "Bodies" in ninth place in its list of "Shows of the Decade", and in January 2010, "The Guardian" ranked "Bodies" number twenty of "The Greatest Television Dramas of All Time".