Holby City: When will the final episode of the BBC series air, why has the show been cancelled and which characters will return to the show for the final time?

The Casualty spin-off has been a fixture on Tuesday night TV for more than two decades but now the show is coming to an end.

Holby City was axed by the BBC in June 2021, leaving many fans of the show devastated to see the end of the medical drama.

But when will the final episode air?

Here's everything you need to know:

When will the final episode of Holby City air?

The final episode of Holby City is scheduled to air on Tuesday, March 29.

When it was announced that the show was coming to an end back in June 2021, the Holby City Twitter page confirmed the news.

The account tweeted: ‘We’re very sorry to bring you the sad news that Holby City will come to an end in March next year, after 23 amazing years.

‘We are so very grateful to all of Holby’s wonderful cast, crew, writers, producers - and to our millions of loyal viewers and fans for being part of our show.’

Why has Holby City been axed?

The BBC has said that it has decided to remove the much-loved hospital show to make way for ‘new opportunities’.

Holby City reaches an audience in the millions each week but that was not enough to save it.

The BBC said in a statement: '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.'

How will the medical drama end?

The characters on the show were told in January that they had three months to save the hospital, which had been placed into special measures.

This means that the show will come to a natural end as it wraps up storylines and bids farewell to much-loved characters.

Most of the cast has remained tight-lipped on how the medical drama will end.

However, Holby City star Rosie Marcel recently told Digital Spy: 'I can't say a lot without giving too much away, but what I will say is that the finale is going to be amazing. We're bringing back loads of old characters, which is going to be really exciting for everyone.'

Which characters will return to the show?

Holby City has revealed which characters are set to return for the final episode of the show.

Returning cast members include Chizzy Akudolu as Mo Effanga, Luke Roberts as Joseph Byrne, Hugh Quarshie as Ric Griffin, Catharine Russell as Serena Campbell, and Jemma Redgrave as Bernie Wolfe.

What will replace Holby City?

The BBC has stated that it is exploring new shows set in the north of England.

It is thought that the broadcaster wants to rival ITV's Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

SEE ALSO: Who is in the cast of the new Waterloo Road?

The BBC is also hoping to expand into settings across Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

In a statement, the broadcaster said: ‘Our mission must be to deliver for the whole of the UK and ensure every household gets value from the BBC.

‘These plans will get us closer to audiences, create jobs and investment and nurture new talent.’

The news comes following the announcement of the return of BBC favourite, Waterloo Road.

The school drama is set to return this year and will be filmed in Manchester.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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