SURGERY CLOSED
Why is Doctors not on today? Plus month BBC drama series will be back on air revealed
It was announced that Doctors will come to an end forever at the end of the year
FANS of BBC's Doctors are used to tuning into their favourite soap every day.
However, any viewers hoping to get their daily fix of the soap will be left disappointed as the soap is currently off air.
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Why is Doctors not on today?
Doctors is off air as the soap typically takes a break over the summer months.
This is so the cast and crew enjoy downtime after a busy year filming
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When will Doctors be back on TV?
Doctors announced it would be taking a break in a social media post on June 6, 2024.
A spokesperson said the show would be off air until the end of August 2024.
They said: "Doctors will be off-air for the summer break but will return on Monday, August 26th.
"In the meantime, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer."
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How long has Doctors been on BBC?
Doctors has traditionally occupied the lunchtime slot on BBC One since it first aired in 2000.
Set in the fictional West Midlands town of Letherbridge, the soap follows the lives of the staff of both an NHS doctor's surgery and a university campus surgery, as well as the lives of their families and friends.
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Initially, only 41 episodes of the programme were ordered, but due to the positive reception, the BBC ordered it as a continuing soap opera.
It was originally filmed at the legendary Pebble Mill Studios until 2004 when it was relocated to the BBC Drama Village in Birmingham.
The longest serving cast member is Adrian Lewis Morgan, who was cast in the role of Jimmi Clay in 2005.
However, in October 2023, The Sun exclusively revealed that Doctors had been cancelled by the BBC.
We have taken the very difficult decision to bring daytime drama Doctors to an end after 23 years. We would like to thank all the Doctors cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 2000.
BBC
The soap is being taken off air following falling ratings and rising costs.
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.
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“While the impact on viewers might not seem huge, in terms of the industry this is seismic.”
Show runner Kate Oates confirmed that the show is no longer affordable within the broadcaster's daytime budget.
Filming for the last batch of episodes has now concluded, with the final episode set to air in December 2024.
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How to watch Doctors
Doctors airs four times a week at 2pm on BBC One.
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Each episode lasts for an half an hour and can be watched Monday to Thursday.
But if you miss any episodes you can catch up with them on the BBC iPlayer.
BBC statement on Doctors being axed
After The Sun broke the news the BBC issued this statement on why they had axed Doctors.
It read: "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.
The statement concluded: "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."
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