The British hospital soap is set to end after 23 series. End of an era
It might not have had the same pull as other soap opera equivalents like
Coronation Street,
Eastenders or other notable British dramas, but
Holby City is still a national institution in so many ways. It is a show that multiple generations have been exposed to - some have even grown up with it - and it garnered around four million regular viewers every week.
Nevertheless, this
BBC One production, beloved by many die-hard fans, is set to end in March 2022 after more than 23 years on the air. The official announcement came from the show's Twitter account.
https://twitter.com/BBCHolbyCity/status/1400032690620018688?s=20
The thread goes on to say how the "tough decision reflects the BBC’s commitment to make more programmes across the UK and to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country". The show itself was spun-off from its parent show,
Casualty, set in the same hospital which has been running for 35 seasons and, as far as we know, looks set to continue without its younger sibling.
They also included the
broadcaster's official statement on the cancellation of the show, which will no doubt come as a surprise to long-time viewers of what has been, without question a staple of British terrestrial TV for more than two decades.
https://twitter.com/BBCHolbyCity/status/1400032693795106821?s=20
They ended the statement by saying "We look forward to working with the team over the coming months to ensure that when it ends,
Holby goes out on a high."
For soaps that are not only serialised but syndicated and omnibussed for what seems like forever, writing a finale seems slightly strange and out of character. We've seen characters be written out of shows and storylines run their course, but the nature of these shows is that they typically go on indefinitely.
