Doctors has been axed after 23 years, with the BBC blaming “super inflation” in drama production and “funding challenges”.
The series, about the doctors and staff at a busy Midlands GP practice, launched in 2000. Its final episode will air in December 2024 and the BBC said it will be working to give the show “the finale it deserves”.
The broadcaster said it has now become too expensive to make the show, which would need either investment to refurbish the sets or to be relocated. A statement from the BBC said: “We have taken the very difficult decision to bring daytime drama Doctors to an end after 23 years.
READ MORE: Want more showbiz? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
READ MORE: Want more TV? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
“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.
“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.”
Doctors offered some of the UK’s biggest celebrities their first acting breaks, and here, Daily Star takes a look at the huge celebrities that have appeared in the soap – from TV icons to Hollywood heartthrobs.
Lisa Riley
(Image: BBC)
While we may know Lisa as the lovable Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale, the actress has had multiple roles in other soaps including Doctors and Coronation Street. Her TV acting debut was as a retail worker in ITV soap Coronation Street in 1994, before she joined Emmerdale as Mandy Dingle one year later.
However, Lisa also appeared in Doctors as Laura Mowbray in 2003, before returning in 2012 to play the role of Sandra Reynolds. With all these roles, it is no wonder that Lisa has become one of the UK’s most beloved soap icons.
Eddie Redmayne
(Image: PA)
Long before Eddie Redmayne was casting a spell over audiences in the Fantastic Beasts film series, the actor has his beginnings on TV. Back in 2003 at the age of just 21 years old, Eddie had one of his first acting roles as Rob Huntley in Doctors.
It was not long before he made the leap from the TV to the silver screen though, becoming a Hollywood icon in films including Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Les Miserables and The Theory of Everything, where he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Sheridan Smith
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Sheridan Smith is one of TV’s most in demand performers at the moment – appearing in ITV competition Starstruck and dramas including The Teacher. However, many years before she became one of the biggest stars of stage and screen, Sheridan had roles in dramas including Holby City and The Royle Family, before making her first appearance on Doctors.
She has not just appeared in Doctors once however – she has multiple characters in the BBC daytime soap, including a patient called Claire in 2000 and Jackie Leavis in 2004. It was one year after her Doctors debut that Sheridan also landed her memorable role as Janet in Two Pints Of Lager and a Packet of Crisps – and the rest as they say, is history. A star was born.
Davood Ghadami
(Image: BBC)
EastEnders heartthrob Davood Ghadami won hearts as Kush Kazemi in the BBC soap, but he also had two roles in rival drama Doctors too. Over 15 episodes Kush made quite the impact on viewers as Tariq Kalbalsi in 2009, and returned for more four years later, as Aran Chandar in 2013.
Like many soap stars, it was not long before his acting talents were noticed, with Davood going on to land his iconic EastEnders role one year later in 2014. With Davood leaving Albert Square and making a name for himself in Holby City in 2021, which is due to come to an end later this year, you can be sure with his acting credentials that it won’t be long before we see him on our TV screens again.
Richard Armitage
(Image: BBC)
A few years before he rose to fame as Guy of Gisborne in BBC’s Robin Hood, Richard landed one of his first acting roles as hunky Dr. Tom Steele in Doctors. He played the role for two episodes, before going on to play ‘The Handsome Stranger’ in comedy The Vicar of Dibley, and appearing in hit TV series including Spooks.
Like his fellow Doctor’s star Eddie Redmayne however, he soon made the leap from TV to Hollywood, appearing in blockbuster films including Captain America and The Hobbit series. He has since returned back to TV in the hit series Stay Close in 2021 – leaving viewers in anticipation for what roles Richard may play next.
Tom Ellis
(Image: Getty Images)
Another Hollywood hunk to have graced our TV screens in Doctors before rising to worldwide fame was Lucifer actor Tom Ellis.mHe played Ricky Adams in the soap for one episode in 2005, before appearing in rival soap EastEnders as Dr. Oliver for 29 episodes in 2006.
However after making his name as the love of Miranda’s life in the self-titled hit BBC comedy, Tom appeared in Merlin before landing his famous role as Lucifer in the TV series of the name name. With Lucifer reaching its end last year however, Tom is sure to delight viewers once again when he appears in TV mini series Washington Black, which is currently in production.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
