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The news that no fan wanted to hear arrived back in October last year when it was announced by the BBC that the daytime soap would be ending after nearly 25 years on our screens. The BAFTA-winning show, which is loved by fans around the country, first aired in 2000, but in 2023 it was revealed that the soap was no longer affordable within the broadcaster's daytime budget. The British medical soap, set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, follows the lives of NHS staff at a doctor's surgery, bringing us drama not only from their time at work but also their personal lives.
Over the years writers for the soap have been praised for tackling tricky topics and the show has seen a huge number of familiar faces coming and going from the cast. But, what is there to know about the soap as it comes to a close? Here's everything we know about coming to an end..
. When is Doctors' last ever episode? Filming for the final batch of episodes ended in March 2024, with the last ever episode set to air later this year, likely in November or December depending on TV schedules. As soon as we get a confirmed date for the final episode we will update this page.
Why has Doctors been taken off BBC One? The soap has been cancelled following rising costs in TV production. Get the What to Watch Newsletter The latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more! Fans were thrilled in February 2022 when BBC bosses announced that the soap would be moving to a 7pm primetime slot on BBC2 after came to an end. However, the show didn't bring in the viewers the BBC had hoped for and it returned to its daytime slot just weeks later.
It was announced in October 2023 that the soap would be axed. A BBC statement said at the time: "We have taken the very difficult decision to bring daytime drama to an end. 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 would like to thank all the cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 2000. We know the crucial role has played in nurturing talent.
We will work to develop new opportunities to support skills in scripted programming and we are working closely with BBC Studios to give it the finale it deserves." How long has Doctors been on the BBC? first aired on the BBC on March 26, 2000 and we have been treated to 24 series of the soap and more than 4,500 episodes over the years. Initially, only 41 episodes of the soap were ordered, but due to the positive reception, the BBC ordered it as a continuing drama.
What days does Doctors air? airs Monday to Thursday at 2.00pm on BBC One..
