However, Digital Spy's Dek Hogan was more positive about the plot strand, and especially the role of Abra therein, stating: "It’s been a cracking take this, another example of the excellent form that medical drama has been in this year, thanks in no small part to Adrian Edmondson marvellous turn as maverick surgeon Abra." Jim Shelley again commented on the outlandishness of the character's storylines following Abra's next return to the show, in 2007. He wrote: "Ric and Ade Edmondson had been conducting secret operations on orphans smuggled in from Africa (as you do). [...] It's TV crack—instant, mind-altering, utterly addictive." He also dubbed the line "I don't know why people complain about the NHS." his 'Naive statement of the week', with the explanation: "Hmmmm let's see. Abra covering up that he was operating on his arms-dealer father. Maddy hiding the fact she killed her junkie sister's daughter. And secret cokehead Jesus Of Nazareth (Robert Powell) keeping quiet about counselling Elliot's son for heroin addiction. Oh yeah, and in Casualty, in Holby's A&E department, nurse Ruth Winters secretly fixed her dad's breathalyser test. Anyone detect a theme emerging?" Abra proved a popular character amongst fans of the show, and in the 2007 official fans awards, was voted fifth favourite male character of series 9, and his relationship with Kyla voted fifth favourite coupling of the series. When Edmondson took time out from Holby City to work on his ITV sitcom Teenage Kicks, Mark Wright of The Stage reviewed the show poorly, urging him to "go back to Holby City, you were good in that". Announcing that the role of Abra was indeed going to be reprised a sixth time, the Mirror described his return storyline as "sizzling". References External links Character page at BBC's Holby City homepage Profile at Holby.tv Database Holby City characters Television characters introduced in 2005 Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder Fictional surgeons Self-harm in fiction Male characters in television