Long-running BBC hospital drama Holby City will end for good at the end of March, the BBC has confirmed. The Casualty spin-off was first broadcast in 1999 and will be replaced by the returning school drama Waterloo Road.
The last episode of the medical show will be on BBC One on Tuesday, March 29, BirminghamLive reports. The ending of Holby City sees another TV mainstay leaving the screens as Australian soap Neighbours is also to cease production.
A statement from the BBC said: "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.
"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. 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."
Piers Wenger, who is Director of BBC Drama said: "It was an incredibly difficult decision that took time to come to. We had clear direction on wanting to make more drama across the UK. We had EastEnders, Holby in the south and Casualty in Wales. We need dramas to better reflect life in the north of England which is why we've chosen to bring back Waterloo Road."
