The BBC has confirmed that the long-running series Casualty will be put out to competitive tender. The medical drama will undergo the same process as its sister show, Holby City, which was axed in 2022. The BBC will retain all rights for the programme, and viewers will be glad to hear that it will continue to be shown on the same channel. However, the new process means that a new producer will make Casualty, with BBC Commissioning now inviting pitches from producers. The broadcaster said on their website that the drama will continue to be filmed in Cardiff and ‘play an important role in the production ecology in Wales.’
David Pembrey, Chief Operating Officer, BBC Content, said: “The award-winning Casualty is a hugely important continuing drama which has been on our screens since 1986. We are opening it to competition as part of our ongoing commitment to delivering the very best value for audiences.”
In 2023, it was announced that the medical drama series would take an extended break from television schedules. On September 23rd, the BBC show announced: “#Casualty will return. Casualty is on a break and will be back on your screens later this year.”
According to WhatToWatch, an official spokesperson confirmed that the show would return later this year. It recently had a Christmas special and resumed on the BBC in March.
Fans have reacted with mixed comments to the enormous change. One person said on X, “They should have done this for Holby City instead of axing it outright, Holby was way better than Casualty.”
Another person also said, “All this reminds me of when ITV decided to axe The Bill. Apparently these domestic workplace dramas must be more expensive to produce than they look.”
A third person similarly commented, “An odd move, I doubt Casualty is an expensive show to make. And if that’s the case where is the money going to come from for Doccy Who? You could probably make a season of Casualty for what one episode would cost.”
In November 2024, the BBC cancelled the medical soap Doctors after 24 years. The broadcaster cited “super inflation in drama production,” which significantly increased prices.
The BBC’s decision to put Casualty out to competitive tender has sparked mixed reactions from fans, as the long-running medical drama enters a new phase. This move follows the axing of Holby City in 2022 and will see the beloved show undergo a similar process, with new pitches being invited from potential producers. However, the BBC has confirmed that the show will continue to air on the same channel, and it will retain all rights to the programme. Fans can also take comfort in knowing that Casualty will remain filmed in Cardiff and continue to play an important role in the production industry in Wales.
David Pembrey, Chief Operating Officer of BBC Content, emphasized that Casualty is a hugely important drama that has been on the air since 1986. He described the move as part of the broadcaster’s commitment to delivering value for its audience. The new producer will take over Casualty‘s production, with the BBC Commissioning team now inviting pitches from interested producers.
This decision comes after Casualty took an extended break in 2023, with a return to the screen in March after a Christmas special. The news about the tender process has sparked varying opinions from fans. Some feel that Casualty should have followed in Holby City‘s footsteps, while others are concerned about the financial aspects of the move, especially following the cancellation of Doctors by the BBC in November 2024 due to rising production costs.
The future of Casualty now lies in the hands of new production companies, but it remains to be seen how this change will affect the show’s beloved characters and the gripping storylines that have kept fans hooked for decades. Will the new direction reinvigorate the drama or prove to be a difficult transition? Only time will tell.
