There is no cure for “Doctors,” the long-running soap that has been canceled by the BBC after 23 years for financial reasons.
Created by Chris Murray, “Doctors” debuted in 2000 and followed the lives of the staff of a National Health Service doctor’s surgery and and a university campus surgery and the lives of their families and friends in the fictional town of Letherbridge in the U.K.’s West Midlands. It has featured the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Eddie Redmayne, Sheridan Smith and Nicholas Hoult.
“Doctors” stands canceled after 23 years, 24 seasons and 4,389 episodes. It scored four BAFTA nominations, had numerous wins at the British Soap Awards and has also won gongs at the Royal Television Society and Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) awards.
The BBC said in a statement: “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 program 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.
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“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.”
Lisa Holdsworth, chair of the WGGB, said she was “shocked and saddened” by the news. “I know that the ‘Doctors’ writing team boasts some of the most passionate and dedicated writers working in U.K. television,” she said. “Over the years they’ve generated thousands of inventive and impactful stories, often reflecting the realities of modern British life whilst still remaining entertaining and accessible to the audience. I hope the BBC and the wider industry appreciates their talent going forward.”
Another long-running medical drama, “Holby City,” was canceled by the BBC in 2021 after 23 years.
