ITV are cancelling heartbeat (about time too) because of funding issues, yet commission

[Saltire]

programmes such as Paris Hiltons New British Best Friend, and pay loads of celebrites huge amounts of money togo on the ice skating thing or I'm a celebrity.
They are also reduing The Bill to one episode a week - I will admit to a soft spot for Smithy!. Apparently advertisers aren't coughing up as much!
I do wonder if having 4 ITV channels is too much for them? I rarely watch ITV now, apart fromt eh BIll, and Midsomer Murders!

oh i love watching heartbeat watched it since day 1.takes me back to living at home.

I used to, then got a bit fed up with it, however it does apparently attract 5-7 million viewers on a Sunday night, and the core audience is 45-70 year olds apparently.
(do you fit in that age group) but the figures alone aren't enough to warrant a place on ITV!

Oh, I've just got into Heartbeat. Bad decision, bad, bad decision

Don't care for Heartbeat but would rather have the option to watch that than ANY of the others you mention.

saltire i don't fit into that age group although somedays i do feel 70.

I detest Heartbeat, but why the arse don't they cancel that shitty Wild at Heart programme - filmed in flaming AFRICA, which must be more expensive than... thingy, wherever Heartbeat is filmed.

If Heartbeat were running in real time it'd be the early 80s by now!

The BBC say it's not being axed, merely suspended

Don't think its being axed is it? I heard filming was being put on hold as they have loads of eps already in the can so to speak.

putting a production 'on hold' is ITV spin for axing one of its most popular shows because financially it's in the shit and would rather clog up SUnday nights with cheap dross like celebrity dancing jesus christ superstar on ice. they can't really expect cast and crew to sit around for 2 years or however long it takes for them to make their minds up whether they want to make any more or not!