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BBC soap Doctors, which has been running for 23 years, has run its course and is being axed from the schedule due to falling ratings and rising costs to keep it a float.
The cast and full crew of the lunchtime drama were today called to a full meeting where the news was broken, leaving some of them heartbroken.
Doctors traditionally occupied the lunchtime slot on BBC One since it first aired in 2000, and was promoted to a primetime slot of 7pm on BBC Two after Holby City was axed.
However, their joy has been short-lived as ratings significantly fell after eight weeks and it was returned to its lunchtime schedule, with the show being dropped entirely.
Showrunner Kate Oates confirmed the latest batch of episodes to be filmed are the last as the show is no longer affordable within the broadcaster’s daytime budget.
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Kate promised fans that the show wil be given the send off it deserves, as filming will continue through to March 2024 with the final episode set to air in December.
A source told The Sun: “Doctors has ticked along fairly quietly around the 1.3million viewers mark for years now without any word of cancellation, but the news will still come as a shock.
A full cast and crew meeting was held today where the news was shared and then a lunch was laid on in the Drama Village cafe.
“Some of the cast and crew have been there since the soap first began and it really felt like a job for life, plus the soap is such a central pillar for the entire community – it employs so many contractors and freelance and is known to be a real rung on the ladders for British acting talent.
“While the impact on viewers might not seem huge, in terms of the industry this is seismic.”
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A BBC statement added: “We have taken the very difficult decision to bring daytime drama Doctors to an end after 23 years. With super inflation in drama production, the cost of the programme has increased significantly, and further investment is also now required to refurbish the site where the show is made, or to relocate it to another home.
“With a flat licence-fee, the BBC’s funding challenges mean we have to make tough choices in order to deliver greater value to audiences.
“We remain fully committed to the West Midlands and all of the funding for Doctors will be reinvested into new programming in the region.
“We would like to thank all the Doctors cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 2000. We know the crucial role Doctors has played in nurturing talent, and we will work to develop new opportunities to support skills in scripted programming.
“The final episode will screen in December 2024 and we are working closely with BBC Studios to give it the finale it deserves.”
Doctors airs weekdays from 1:45pm on BBC One.
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