BBC Axes One Of Its Longest-Running Series Due To “Super Inflation In Drama Production”

Max Goldbart
·2 min read

The BBC has canceled Doctors, one of its longest-running dramas of all time.

A statement from the pubcaster said the “difficult decision” to end Doctors after 23 years had been made due to “super inflation in drama production” along with the need to refurbish the site where Doctors is made. The final episode will air in December 2024 with “the finale it deserves,” said the BBC.

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“With a flat license-fee, the BBC’s funding challenges mean we have to make tough choices in order to deliver greater value to audiences,” said the statement. “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.”

The BBC thanked “all the Doctors cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 2000,” adding: “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.”

Airing in the daytime and produced by BBC Studios out of Birmingham, Doctors follows the goings-on of a fictional hospital and university campus surgery in the West Midlands. It has aired for 23 years and nearly 4,500 episodes, nurturing a reputation for blooding new talent and writing diverse storylines.

The news comes a year after the BBC canceled Holby City, another continuing drama set in a hospital.

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain was quick to respond. General Secretary Ellie Peers said the Doctors-Holby double cancelation is “of real concern.”

The closure of another drama series leaves a big hole in the drama slate, and in the pockets of Doctors writers, many of whom have written for the show for years,” she added. “We will be continuing our conversations with the BBC on this and providing support for our members who are affected.”

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