Heartbeat CANCELLED! But not really!

[SiHart]

Sunday night cosy TV viewers are in for a shock as ITV has cancelled Heartbeat after 17 years!

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.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Simon's Dad will be hit hard! It's the only thing on TV he still watches!

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

The loss of these dramas looks set to pave the way for even more reality TV shows in prime-time.

Oh, so at least it's for a good reason.

[Paul Monk]

I was always confused that after 17 years Heart beat was still set in the 60's. They should be in about 1981 by now.

[Rob McCow]

According to the BBC, Heartbeat has been SUSPENDED while they broadcast a backlog of episodes.

I don't know which of these is true, but either way Nick Berry left the show ages ago. Is Mr.Popplewick still in it?

[Dino]

I'm sorry for fans of the show but even when it started I found it hard to stomach. I'm suprised it carried on after Nick Berry left and for a while admired it's "show must go on" attitude after Life on Mars finished.
There is a show that could take a less than rosy-coloured glasses view of 60's policing and social attitudes but sadly... Heartbeat wasn't it!
That said it was miles better than Mersey Beat, that crap not even all that scouse policemen in speedboats nonsense!

R.I.P. Heartbeat.

[Larry]

I'm sad at this news if it's true although not a regular watcher i've always enjoyed heartbeat but the truth is it has become a bit stale and I think they should of moved it into the 1970's just to threashen things up a bit.

[Wayne]

Even my Mum & Dad stopping watching this tat about 10yrs ago.

[Dirk Gently]

What's Heartbeat?

[P-Bal]

Re-issue the Berry sung theme tune with a kickin' dance mix.

[Simon R]

I bought my Da' a Heartbeat magazine for christmas.

It's full of adverts for B&Bs and shops and museums and things of that nature in the area where it's filmed. North Yorkshire's tourism trade will die if Heartbeat gets axed!

Poor Tisha Penrose.

[Thasc]

I haven't watched Heartbeat for years, it just got a bit same old same old

[Larry]

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

it's ridiculous to compare the viewing figures Heartbeat gets today with 17 years ago back in 1992 Sky was still in it's infacy so the vast majority of households still only had 4 channels to view from. So viewing figures are inevitably going to be very different and in this multi channel tv we have today 5 million for a sunday night is still pretty reasonable.

I was reading in todays Mirror, and it appears itvs decision to axe both shows is all down to saving money rather then viewing figures.