BBC announces final episode of much-loved series ending after 23 years

After 23 years on the BBC, medical drama Doctors will air its final episode next month. The broadcaster has confirmed that the last ever episode will be shown on Thursday, November 14.

Despite wrapping up filming months ago, fans hoped that Doctors would continue until the end of this year after showrunners hinted that the finale was slated for a festive Christmas broadcast.

However, in an unexpected turn, the BBC has now announced that the series conclusion is just five weeks away, marking the end for Letherbridge's dedicated medics, reports the Mirror.

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The BBC first made public their decision to axe Doctors back in October last year. At the time, the broadcaster explained: "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.

"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."

Primarily shot in Birmingham, the much-loved soap finished filming its final scenes back in March. The day-time show, traditionally broadcast on BBC One after the lunchtime news, made a temporary switch to prime time with an 8-week evening run at 7pm on BBC Two in 2022.

The shows journey began with just 41 episodes commissioned for its debut in March 2000. However, due to its instant hit status among viewers, BBC swiftly turned it into an ongoing series.

Doctors is the second medical drama to have been axed by the BBC in recent years, following the decision to scrap Holby City in 2022. Just like Doctors, it ran for 23 years before BBC bosses decided to make the difficult decision to end the series.