Holby City to end after 23 years

Holby City, the long-running BBC medical drama, is to end after 23 years, producers have confirmed.

The series, created by Tony McHale and Mal Young, first aired in 1999 as a spin-off from another show, Casualty.

The BBC announced on Wednesday that the drama will broadcast its final series in March 2022.

The corporation said it was "incredibly proud" of the show but said it "had to make difficult decisions to make room for new opportunities".

Around 250 people who work on the show - including actors, camera operators, engineers and hair and make-up professionals - will be affected by the decision.

Holby City won a Bafta for best continuing drama in 2008 and still regularly attracts more than 3 million viewers.

"We are incredibly proud of Holby City but it's with great sadness that we are announcing that after 23 years, the show will end on screen in March of next year," the BBC said in a statement.

"We sometimes have to make difficult decisions to make room for new opportunities and as part of the BBC's commitment to make more programmes across the UK, we have taken the difficult decision to bring the show to a close in order to reshape the BBC's drama slate to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country."

It added: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank the amazing team at BBC Studios and all the cast and crew who have been involved in the show since 1999.

"Holby has been a stalwart with audiences, delighting millions of viewers each week and winning hundreds of awards with a compelling mix of cutting edge medical stories and explosive personal stories.

"We look forward to working with the team over the coming months to ensure that when it ends, Holby goes out on a high."

Both Holby City, and Casualty are based in the fictional county of Wyvern, South West England.

But the bulk of the on-set filming for Holby takes place at the BBC's Elstree Centre in Hertfordshire, as well as shots from around Bristol.

In March, the BBC announced its plan to move some of its key departments and staff around the country in order to make the corporation more reflective of the UK as a whole. 

"Our mission must be to deliver for the whole of the UK and ensure every household gets value from the BBC," said director general Tim Davie.

"These plans will get us closer to audiences, create jobs and investment, and develop and nurture new talent."