Doctors writer on "disastrous" show axe as filming ends: "TV industry is contracting"
Today is the last day of filming for the BBC medical soap.
It's the end of an era and according to screenwriter Philip Ralph, today is the last day of filming for BBC's Doctors.
While it is the last day of production on the medical soap, episodes of Doctors will continue airing throughout the year, with the final episode set to air in December 2024.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his thoughts on the sad occasion, Ralph wrote: "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."
Ralph continued: "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. So, on this day when the show ceases production (though it will remain on screen until November) here is a [thread] into why I believe it matters that it’s been cancelled, who is ultimately responsible, and what comes next…"
The thread continued: "Doctors filmed 200+ episodes every year, each one starring the regular cast plus up to 3 guest actors, each one written by a writer , each one made by a full production crew. Each one produced, shot, and edited in Birmingham. In one fell swoop, from today, all of that is gone.
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"From its very inception, Doctors was a show that offered two crucial things that help to sustain a thriving industry: OPPORTUNITY and EXPERIENCE. 200+ episodes every year where new and seasoned creatives got the opportunity to work, learn, fail, experiment and play."
He added: "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."
In the thread, Ralph said: "The TV industry is contracting. Production across the board is way down. BECTU recently surveyed its members and found 68% of them are currently out of work. Doctors was a much-needed ‘finger in the dam’ of this terrible situation. And now it’s gone with nothing to replace it."
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The full thread goes into detail about Ralph's own thoughts about the industry, cuts to funding and more, but he concludes by saying: "I believe every crisis is an opportunity.
"Times of change are times of renewal. Every storyteller knows that endings are just beginnings in disguise. The loss of @BBCDoctors is an unnecessary tragedy, yes. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the story."
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Ralph, whose most recent credit includes Netflix's Einstein and the Bomb, wrote on the long-running soap, which was announced to be axed back in October 2023.
After 23 years on the BBC, the decision to end the soap was made due to "super inflation" and rising costs in producing the programme. The BBC did also state that the broadcaster remained "fully committed to the West Midlands and all of the funding for Doctors will be reinvested into new programming in the region".
Doctors continues on BBC One every Monday to Thursday at 1:45pm. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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