BBC Doctors. Hands off! It might be rubbish, but it’s OUR rubbish!

[MadisonAvenue]

New thread to have a moan in.

I’m really sad. I don’t watch any other soaps anymore as they are all too serious and miserable, this one had just the right mix of funny, serious and happy.
I literally plan my lunch break around it.

maybe they ran out of houses in the local area to rent for filming??!

Coincidentally, and quite sadly, a couple of days ago was reading that Diane Keen had a stroke acouple of months- so it is unlikely she will return to the show for a finale (and she did for the anniversary special/Jimmi clink stuff). But it would be nice if she did.

Vegetables all the characters do seem to have 'moved' recently, so maybe the contracts on renting the houses for filming or whatever were up. It might be getting more expensive to pay for filming use.

I can't imagine Doctors is that expensive to produce though- and making the show must create a lot of jobs in the area (and gives work to retired 70s sitcom actors - where will they go now?).

yes I thought the same, it must be cheaper to produce than some of the other shows.
i live in an area that has a lot of filming work, the knock on industry’s it supports is huge, and things you never think about or knew.

as you say, where will the likes of Sheridan smith start and finish her career in 30 - 40 years?!?

That’s very sad about Diane keen, be nice to have some of the old faces back.

i am a new(ish) viewer (thanks to home working) so am enjoying watching the classic ones, luckily for me I’ve got 20 odd years to catch up on assuming they keep showing them.

They could do a 'Waterloo Road' and relocate-like the series they all - bizarrely- went to Scotland.

The entire Mill could relocate toMedia City Salford- half the supporting cast (usually the baddies) are from around the North West/Manchester anyway

Maybe that's another coincidence, that they decided to show the old ones just as they decided to ditch it.
But yes-years worth to catch up on .

It is also where new writers train before moving on to likes of Casualty and Dr Who, so that opportunity will also be lost.

I can’t imagine my early afternoon without Doctors. We have lunch, then I shoo DH to his shed and I put my feet up to watch Doctors and an episode of Escape to the Country.

My life will never be the same. How can the BBC do this to us?

The BBC have made a big thing about investing in Birmingham (which makes this even more annoying) and are actually spending a fortune moving the news and radio studios from the Mailbox to a state of the art new centre in Digbeth, and are relocating Masterchef to there too.

It’s not that long since they relocated from Pebble Mill to the Mailbox (which was forced to due to Pebble Mill closing but still) and now that’s not good enough and more money is being thrown at another move.

It’s not like The Mill and The Campus are big sets. Maybe return to more surgery based appointments rather than hiring houses for patient dramas and vpas visits as a way of cutting costs.

The BBC have totally lost their way, they either don’t know or don’t care what their audiences want. They’ve shown that with Holby, local radio and now this.

I'm really sad. I'm pretending I don't care but I really do. I've been watching since dd21 was a baby and I don't think I've missed an episode.

I'm so disappointed with this news. Was an avid viewer during my university years and then again during my maternity leaves- including this time after a long gap for my third who's 8 weeks now.

First the BBC came for my wonderful local radio station, ripping its heart out and now this. Yet Mrs Brown's Boys continues?! I'd rather they axe Strictly quite frankly.

I'm quite surprised at how gutted I am by the news! I have watched it for most of it's 23 years and will really miss it.

Where can I find the old episodes to watch? Are they all available or just the special ones?

There are some on YouTube. I've been trying to trace the ones I've missed.

Old episodes are on Drama channel at 8 am or probably via UktvPlay app.

Marking my spot for a binge catch-up tonight.

I am really pissed off about this decision. It is very obviously made on a shoestring budget and is a launchpad for so many young actors, who get to work alongside very experienced ones, the POTD format is unique amongst soaps in that respect, you are either a long term character or an extra in all the others.

@Seeline @ageingdisgracefully Classic Doctors is being shown on UKTV Play (I watch it through the app so not sure of the channel name). They started showing them a couple of months ago from the very first episode and all that have been screened so far are on the app for streaming, there are two new ones each weekday. A few have been missed out and it seems to be an issue where they’ve been written by certain writers.

This has made me strangely happy! I shall track them down - thankyou!

My fave era was definitely when the woman that was in the Office was in it as a partner I think, there was a doctor husband too, and there was some kind of affair, and he yelled in the rain if I remember correctly. I must try and find it. Circa 2006/7 I think.

I shall really miss our daily chats here. Mumbling along about nothing, picking holes in the plot line, smirking at the outfits...and all of it done with no unpleasantness or bitchery. And where else on MN can you say that? ( Oh OK, maybe the Litter Tray)

Wasn’t that George? Can’t think of her husband’s name though but he was a doctor too.

She’s in Casualty now.

Me too @FuzzyPuffling I don't watch live all that often because of work but I love chatting here when I do and catching up at other times.

George and Ronnie Woodson .

(Stirling Gallagher and sean Gleeson are married in rl, iirc).
They had a daughter called Bracken.