The long-running BBC show Holby City will end for good tonight when its final ever episode airs on BBC One. The hospital drama was first broadcast in 1999 but will be no more after the final episode tonight (Tuesday, March 29).
It will be replaced by the returning school drama, Waterloo Road and will sees another TV mainstay leaving the screens after the recent announcement of the Australian soap Neighbours also ceasing production this summer.
The final ever episode of Holby City will be airing at 7.50pm on BBC and will be the 50th episode in the 23rd series of the programme. The show will run for 45 minutes and mark the end of an era for the drama.
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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."
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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."
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