The BBC’s abrupt decision to terminate one of its most iconic daytime dramas, “Doctors,” after a staggering 24 years on air, has unleashed a wave of dismay and been slammed as a “disaster” by insiders.
The medical soap opera, cherished by viewers for its gripping narratives and character development, is set to vanish from our screens in December, a casualty of ballooning production costs and the broadcaster’s pivot towards alternative programming investments.
In an impassioned outcry on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Philip Ralph, a distinguished writer for “Doctors,” laid bare his distress as the show concluded its final production week.
Check out the entire thread here:
🧵Today is the last day of filming @BBCDoctors A show that has run for 24 years, employed thousands of people, produced more than 4,500 episodes, will call ‘cut’ for the final time. As a writer on the show for the past 19 years I’m personally impacted along with hundreds 1/ pic.twitter.com/3kMcvirTIf
— Philip Ralph (@PhilipRalph9) March 1, 2024
I am just as unimpressed by this decision as the actual writers and actors. The fact of the matter is that stopping “Doctors” feels unfair to the fans. It’s clear that TV shows often end because of money issues, not because people don’t love them. This show was special because it mixed medical stories with everyday British life, making it a unique offering that will be missed.
The series, renowned for its role as a veritable “actors’ training ground,” has been pivotal in the early careers of now-celebrated stars like Eddie Redmayne, Nicholas Hoult, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, cementing its legacy within the UK’s Midlands and beyond. Philip went on to add that:
“As a writer on the show for the past 19 years I’m personally impacted along with hundreds by the disastrous decision to axe it.
There is no other show in the UK industry that offers such variety of storytelling – everything from high drama and tragedy, to farce, dream sequences, stand-alone single plays, themed weeks on important subjects, you name it, we wrote it.”
Ralph’s fervent thread on social media highlighted a dire portrait of the television industry’s contraction, with production plummeting across the board. Citing a recent BECTU survey that found a staggering 68% of its members jobless, Ralph underscored “Doctors'” vital role in stemming the tide of this industry crisis—a role now unceremoniously cut short.
Doctors was my first TV job. A way in. Experience. Ending it is the wrong move. UK talent will continue to leave the country if we don’t have homegrown outlets for actors, writers, directors and crew.
Please address this @lucyfrazermp @RishiSunak @BBC #doctors #bbc #arts #TV— Sam Benjamin (@SamBenjaminNow) March 1, 2024
The BBC, citing financial pressures and the necessity of tough choices in a landscape of static license fees, aims to reallocate resources, leaving a gaping hole in the fabric of British television and the hearts of its audience.
This abrupt end not only marks the loss of a beloved show but also ignites anxieties about the future landscape of television, the careers it nurtures, and the stories it tells.
It is hard to believe that `Doctors’ has now stopped filming and that wonderful cast and crew will no longer be working together. I have written for @BBCDoctors 20+ years. It has been a pleasure and a privilege.
— Linda Thompson (@LindaThoMiller) March 3, 2024
As Doctors prepares to take its final bow, the shockwaves of its departure reverberate, prompting a profound reflection on the evolving priorities of public broadcasting and the unforeseen casualties in its wake.
The decision to end Doctors seems to focus more on making money than on the creative and important impact of the show, which is a sad sign for the future of TV.
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Chris Mack
