Goodbyes are never easy, and leaving beloved programmes is especially painful.
Over the years, fan favourites have been mercilessly eliminated on the BBC, and if supporters had their way, they’d be back.
Nobody has been safe from being disconnected, from wonderful comedies like Motherland to funny reality series like Don’t Tell the Bride.
The broadcaster has been there for almost a century, so it would be difficult to keep every show running – it would be as crazy as the adolescents on Sun, Sex, and Suspicious Parents – but perhaps a handful should never have left and deserve a second chance.
Here are some concerts that remain memorable even years later…
Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents (2011-2015)
In this reality programme, teens will joyfully go on their first journey away from their parents to a party location. They’d be joyfully downing cocktails, snogging strangers, and getting into general trouble, unaware that their parents were nearby and observing their every move.
On the final day, the mum and dad would ambush them while they sat hungover at a cafe to tell them something along the lines of: ‘I saw you doing vodka shots off that lady’s body and I’m not happy. Also, your hotel room is so messy, I taught you better.’ It was silly, fun, and had a great gotcha moment.
By the fourth season, it was difficult to imagine that these kids weren’t sceptical about the show they were seeing, but viewers were willing to overlook it. If they brought it back a decade later, Gen Z is unlikely to be aware of the concept, therefore it’s great!
Don’t Tell the Bride (2007-2023)
While we’re discussing reality TV shows, let’s speak about Don’t Tell the Bride. The show ran on BBC from 2007 to 2015 before shifting to Channel 4 and being cancelled last year.
The groom had three weeks to organise the entire day on a £14,000 budget, and he had no communication with the bride, who would be entirely stunned on the big day. Typically, the lady might fantasise about a princess gown, a manor home setting, and exquisite furnishings. What she’d receive is a themed event and much too much money spent on the stag party.
The husband who hosted a pig-themed celebration for his angry partner, where he attempted but failed to achieve a Guinness World Record for herding pigs, was TV at its finest, and it’s past time for the BBC to act appropriately.
Let’s not forget the man who decided they should marry in Las Vegas but didn’t have the money to bring the partner’s family, resulting in an airport breakdown, or the bride who was forced to ride a Thorpe Park rollercoaster in her wedding gown.
Bloodlands (2021-2022)
The popular thriller series stars James Nesbitt as DCI Tom Brannick, a Northern Irish police detective.
Throughout the first series, Brannick is put to work when it is thought that the famed assassin Goliath is responsible for a fresh kidnapping. Despite the fact that he is in charge of the inquiry, everything is not as it appears.In an epic ending, Brannick is revealed to be Goliath, who killed two individuals in the 1990s to protect his wife Emma’s life. The story concluded with Brannick murdering the only individuals who could identify him as Goliath.
When the show returned for a second season in 2022, there were others working on his case, including the widow of one of his victims, Olivia Foyle, played by Victoria Smurfit.
Despite receiving an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, the first season did not warrant a third season, leaving many sad that Brannick would not face justice for his crimes.
The Hour (2011-2012)
The show, starring Dominic West, Ben Whishaw, and Romola Garai, took place during the birth of the TV news age and chronicled the fortunes of a team working on a BBC current affairs series – very meta!
Despite critical praise and four Golden Globe nominations, the BBC took the ‘painful choice’ to cancel it before the third season.
‘I love those characters and I’m really excited to create more characters, so fundamentally, I’d love to see it develop and grow,’ said creator Abi Morgan before its cancellation.
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001-2011)
It had a good run of a decade of episodes, but fans wanted it to last longer. The sitcom followed five working-class twenty-something friends, played by Sheridan Smith, Ralf Little, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey, and Kathryn Drysdale, all of whom have gone on to become television superstars. The comedy series found humour in the commonplace and was entertaining to watch.
Luckily, Will has revealed there is a script in existence for another series. He told the Daily Star: ‘We have got a script – Two Pints: Last Orders. If they wanted to make it I would do it just to say thank you for all the support to the people who loved the show.’
Holby City (1999-2022)
Despite high ratings and a 60,000-signature petition sent to the BBC, the long-running medical serial ended a few years ago. The Casualty spin-off, which chronicled the lives of workers at the fictitious Holby City Hospital, was cancelled to’make place for other opportunities,’ according to the BBC.
Throughout its run, the programme was unafraid to address difficult topics like as assisted suicide and a tragic shooting on the ward. Leslie Ash, Patsy Kensit, Jane Asher, Robert Powell, Adrian Edmondson, Alex Walkinshaw, and Jemma Redgrave are among the celebrities who have featured on the show throughout the years.
Lip Service (2010-2012)
The story revolved around a group of Glaswegian lesbian women and their intertwined love lives. It was praised for representing a population that was sometimes overlooked in television productions, as well as for its entertaining storytelling.
The first season revolved around a traditional will-they-won’t-they relationship between Cat (Laura Fraser) and Frankie (Ruta Gedmintas), but it was cut short before it ever began when the former was murdered off. The cult following stayed devoted, and there is yet more to discover. More LGBTQ+ programming is necessary, and Lip Service ended too soon.
Motherland (2016-2022)
In 2022, Sharon Horgan’s comedy series, starring Diane Morgan from Cunk On Earth, won a Bafta for best scripted comedy. The sitcom explored the challenges of middle-class parenthood and its competitive nature.
Diane just stated that it will not be returning for another series, although she did hint at a spin-off starring Lucy Punch’s character Amanda.
The Demon Headmaster (1996-1998)
With its bizarre stories, the children’s TV programme based on Gillian Cross’s novels captivated young audiences.
The difficulty begins when Dinah (Frances Amey) transfers to a new school and notices something isn’t quite right: the youngsters act robotically, and the headmaster is exceedingly weird. The fearless little girl investigates the unusual incidents. The viewers may have grown up, but they have not forgotten Dinah’s early departure from television.
The Demon Headmaster went away, allowing Stranger Things to escape.
Outnumbered (2007-2016)
In this classic comic series, we were inside the home of the Brockman family, with Hugh Dennis as the father, Claire Skinner as the mother, and their three children, Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche, and Ramona Marquez.
It, like Motherhood, depicted the turmoil that is sometimes associated with family life and was hailed for its mainly improvised moments with exceptionally excellent young performers. The fact that the children had grown up should not have been an obstacle; viewers would have enjoyed seeing how the family dealt with having adult children.
Hugh even expressed optimism that they will return for more one-time specials, but this did not happen.
Hotel Babylon (2006-2009)
Hotel Babylon tracked the personnel and visitors of a five-star hotel in London. It was flashy, tacky, and cheeky, reminiscent of Footballers’ Wives.
Series four concluded on a cliffhanger, adding to the anguish of termination. Is hotel owner Sam (Nigel Harman) rekindling his romance with general manager Juliet (Anna Wilson-Jones) or starting something fresh with PR Emily (Alexandra Moen)? The streets must know.
Torchwood (2006-2011)
After the success of the Doctor Who revival in 2005, showrunner Russell T Davies produced the spin-off Torchwood, starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness.
While Doctor Who is aimed for people of all ages, Torchwood is aimed at older audiences, allowing for a more adult tone. The film explored issues like nihilism and human corruption while maintaining its sci-fi motif of extraterrestrial hunters.
White Van Man (2011-2012)
Will Mellor‘s show got off to a great start, being the highest-rated debut for a sitcom on BBC Three.
The programme opens with Ollie (Will) inheriting his father’s handyman company, which consists of a van and an assistant named Darren (Joel Fry), who is allergic to labour. He sets aside his desire of creating a restaurant to attempt to make his father proud, with different degrees of success.
The BBC opted to shift its comedy production, resulting in the cancellation of the show.
Series creator Adrian Poynton said: ‘It’s a strange place to find ourselves really. We honestly believe we made a second series bigger, bolder and stronger than series one and audience reaction seemed to back that up.’
Mock the Week (2005-2022)
Panel programmes do not appear to be doing well right now, with shows such as A Question of Sport, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and Celebrity Juice being axed in recent years.
Mock the Week couldn’t escape the curse, and after 17 years of mocking the week’s news, programme was cancelled.
Presenter and comedian Dara O Briain, who fronted over 200 episodes of the programme, confirmed the news, sarcastically saying the ‘UK has finally run out of news’.
‘The storylines were getting crazier and crazier – global pandemics, divorce from Europe, novelty short-term prime ministers,’ he said. ‘It couldn’t go on.’
Everyone could do with some light relief from the doom and gloom, so it was a travesty to see it go.
Source My Celebrity Life.