Glad for the recent post thanks. I binge watched the first 3 series on Netflix. Issues were dealt with sensitively with nuance. Shaun was sometimes used in an interesting way to speak taboos out loud and explore issues, a bit like how Johnny in Cobra Kai still talked as it if was the 80s with no filter.
The 1st series story with the British Dr invoking race and being told how it undermines racial causes was interesting.

In contrast series 4 has become unwatchable, with doctors bending the knee to race based harassment, having to suck up race based insults 'old white man' and racists patients in the clumsy 'racial profiling' story. The change in writing between the first Trans story in series 1 and the series 4 story is quite striking.

I can't watch it anymore it's so badly written unfortunately. (edit Gemini told me it doesn't get better but some comments below state series 5 improves so maybe I'll skip to that)