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ITV has confirmed that it has axed long-running drama Heartbeat and its spin-off show The Royal.
Heartbeat, which was first screened by ITV back in 1992, once attracted audiences of up to 10 million viewers, however, ratings have recently fallen as low as 5.5 million.
Ratings for The Royal, which first hit screens in 2003, have fallen to four million and a spin-off from that series, The Royal Today, has already been axed.
A show insider told the Daily Mail: "Staff have been kept holding on for another series of Heartbeat, but there has been nothing. People on the show have been told at the moment that there is no recommission."
Another source said: "Heartbeat has been there for years. This is a big deal. I would have to say even if ITV was not in trouble, you would have to admit this is a series that is at the tail-end of its career."
The news comes just a week after ITV announced it was cutting The Bill back to one episode a week and there are rumours that Emmerdale will be the next series to be cut back.
The loss of these dramas looks set to pave the way for even more reality TV shows in prime-time. Do you think this is a good thing? Will you miss Heartbeat and The Royal? Let us know what you think...
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why dont you get rid of some of the cooking series and homes under the hammer and shows such as these and leave the series that the general public enjoy on a weekend since there is a lot of rubbish on every weekend
Posted by: driley651 on Wed Jan 28 11:10AM | Report abusenot before time Terry
Posted by: settrenda666 on Wed Jan 28 11:35AM | Report abuseThis is DREADFUL news! Two lovely interesting programmes, Heartbeat and The Royal, which depicted life as it was. I so enjoyed them, and watched them avidly every time they were on. PLEASE don't replace them with the horrible sordid "Reality" programmes. People live near enough to the gutter asit is, without being dragged further down by the influence of these rubbish programmes. For Heavens sake!!!!
Posted by: janette112 on Wed Jan 28 11:39AM | Report abuseyet more of these programmes, we all like, on the way out, only to be replaced by rubbish like football and realilty programmes. it's because itv think's it can make more money on the adverts, but it only means that many viewers will be using the off button or switching to other channels.
Posted by: a.joiner965 on Wed Jan 28 12:05PM | Report abuseWhy do they have to ax the likes of Heartbeat and the Royal in favour of the rubbish reality shows. At least you can sit and watch those programmes as a family as there is very little bad language and sex
Posted by: janet.scarfe on Wed Jan 28 12:33PM | Report abuseSo, the accountants win again! Rubbish reality and cookery programmes (and even too much sport) survives whilst enjoyable quality decent family entertainment is dumped. The old trick still works. Air these programmes at a time when only a few people can watch, then claim that they have become less popular because viewing figures have dropped.
Posted by: keith344 on Wed Jan 28 12:34PM | Report abuseLets face it, reality programmes are cheap and easy and, in many cases, incredibly boring; e.g. big brother, celebrity get me out of here, and many more. The T V moguls have very little idea of publc taste and certainly don't care as long as the money rolls in
Posted by: godfrey.hand on Wed Jan 28 12:43PM | Report abuseI will miss Heartbeat but not The Royal
Posted by: barbarabritton on Wed Jan 28 12:44PM | Report abuseWho the heck wants more reality tv? Voyeurs with no life of their own that need to watch someone elses life to fill that void. Utter drivel. At least though, ITV funds itself, whereas the BBC churns out this rubbish at my expense.
Posted by: jgsmuzzy on Wed Jan 28 12:52PM | Report abuseInfoip_address
Posted by: gemma526 on Wed Jan 28 12:53PM | Report abuse