The BBC has announced that daytime soap Doctors is to end after 24 years on the air.
The show, set in the fictional Midlands town of Letherbridge, follows the staff and patients working at a GP surgery and has been a staple of BBC One's lunchtime schedule since March 2000.
The BBC said that increased costs led to the decision but added that the show will remain on air throughout 2024, with a big finale planned for next December.
A statement said: "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."
The news comes two years after long-running Casualty spinoff Holby City was dropped by the corporation to make way for more regional drama, including a revival of Waterloo Road.
Doctors remains a solid performer for BBC One in the ratings, with September's episodes pulling in an average overnight audience of 1.48m (23.8%).
Neil Wilkes
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