BBC Axing One Of Its Longest-Running Shows But Ploughing More Money Into Scottish Drama
One of the BBC's longest-running shows is being axed in Scotland but nearly £100M ($130M) will be spent on drama in the nation over the next three years, an increase of around 25%.
Soap River City, which has aired since 2002, will end next fall, the BBC has just announced, with actors union Equity and Directors UK reacting angrily to the news.
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But with the criticism that canceling long-running shows attracts front and center of its mind, the corporation has already said that its investment in Scottish drama will rise to more than £95M cumulatively between 2026 and 2028, an average of at least £30M per year. A spokeswoman for BBC Scotland said this figure has been around the £25M mark for the past five years.
BBC Scotland content boss Louise Thornton has already unveiled three new dramas: darkly comic thriller Grams from Line of Duty producer World Productions, The Young Team adapted from Scottish author Graeme Armstrong's debut novel and Counsels, which is being co-created by Skins creator Bryan Elsley.
'River City has been a wonderful adventure and of course we'll all be sad to see it go,' said BBC Scotland Director Hayley Valentine. 'The team have done a brilliant job and I know they have some big plans for the finale next year. But as viewing patterns change and competition intensifies, this is the right time to invest in the next generation of high-impact drama series from across Scotland showcasing storytelling across the UK.'
Created by Stephen Greenhorn and produced by BBC Studios, Scottish soap River City has aired since 2002 and is set in the West End of Glasgow, following a cast of entertaining characters and winning a wealth of awards down the years.
'A disaster for Scottish television'
The move to axe River City follows recent cancelations of long-running BBC dramas Holby City and Doctors, both of which attracted criticism.
Regardless of the BBC's rising Scottish drama spend, Equity and Directors UK reacted immediately with annoyance.
Equity General Secretary Paul Fleming called the cancelation 'short sighted' and 'a disaster for Scottish television.'
'Axing River City would have a devastating effect on acting and production roles for Scottish talent,' he said. 'There is simply no equivalent to a regular soap for getting your foot in the door of this notoriously cutthroat industry, especially for the many aspiring actors from working class backgrounds. The regular opportunities and wages simply do not exist in other show formats.'
Directors UK boss Andy Harrower said the move is a 'killer blow to our members based in Scotland for whom the last couple of years have been really challenging in terms of having enough work to sustain a living.' 'The BBC has indicated that the money saved will be reallocated to other Scottish production,' he added. 'This must happen, and it must translate into work opportunities for Scottish talent. We will hold the BBC to account on this.'
Scottish TV production has been in the spotlight of late over The Traitors, after the BBC and producer Studio Lambert were accused of painting a 'truly shocking picture' when it comes to the number of people working on the show who are based in Scotland. The accusation from a local director sparked a major debate.
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