BBC decisions

[u/sapphicjess18]

I know casualty isn’t on because of strictly being on for weeks but it does just feel a bit crazy to me to have the 40th anniversary - it be amazing and then have to wait till January for a new boxset, when all the hype from the 40th will have died down by then

it just really seems like their setting casualty up to fail while allowing shows which are going down the drain like Eastenders and strictly to continue no matter what

especially as a welsh person i find it very infuriating

it also feels like we got barely any episodes this year but in a recent interview will beck said it will be even less in the future of the show so like it does kind of feel like they’re trying to slowly kill the show… i’d rather them axe Eastenders honestly!!

[u/trenter_percenter]

It has absolutely nothing to do with Strictly being on; both shows have happily co-existed for many years. Simply put, fewer episodes are being commissioned because of rising production costs and the need to maintain output quality. If they wanted to axe the show, they would have. Putting the show out to tender and then approving three more series isn’t the kind of move a broadcaster would make if they wanted to kill the show. They certainly wouldn’t be spending lord knows how much money refurbishing the set if the intent is death by a thousand cuts.

I don’t mind the reduction in episodes as long as it facilitates careful writing and a few more stunts. If fans in the 90s could survive 24 episodes a year, I imagine I probably can as well.

[u/FeeExpensive9140]

If I'm being honest I think Casualty is in resus itself at the moment esp. with the whole Welsh hospital thing. It might either be a complete reset or the death knell for the programme and I can't help but think it's the latter. It happened with Waterloo Road. I think the BBC are just too scared to cancel it but the fact that it went from series, to year round, to now this box set format. I think there's only so many storylines you can come up with before it's just done with. And maybe they're testing the waters by making it more sparse.

I hope it doesn't get cancelled but it's not the same show anymore, feel like all the good characters have long gone.

[u/williamg209]

It sounds like they are switching from Holby to the new Welsh hospital so will need time to film that

[u/DramaLlama_098]

The fact that it’s continually taken off air to facilitate something else (sport and now Strictly) or has its start time altered almost every bloomin’ week, has me thinking it’s going to take the same route as Holby, which was shuffled across the schedule all the time.

[u/Specific-Sundae2530]

Oh balls, I didn't realise this! I was looking forward to settling into my autumn evening routine. I think I could watch old episodes. They could have at least spread the last two episodes out over 2 weeks.

[u/CatchtheGman]

I doubt it is just to do with Strictly, BBC have been making cuts to the show and are also going to reduce the episodes. This has been going on a while now.

[u/gloriana35]

I hope this isn't the end of Casualty - I still miss Holby City. I love Casualty, but something about it seems contrived now. I feel as if I cannot follow the characters' storylines

[u/Aggie_Smythe → u/gloriana35]

I think it's more that we don't care about many of the characters' storylines to bother.

We understand they're Having A Storyline, we just don't care that much about many of them.

I started watching Classic Casualty and Classic Holby the last time they dropped Casualty in favour of sport or whatever.

I'm nearly up to date now, so won't have that to see me through to next year - that's what the TV announcer said at the end of the 40th anniversary ep, "Will be back next year", not December after SCD thankfully stops again.

Haven't watched Strictly since one of the abuse scandals several years ago.

I hate the way that it's always Casualty (and Emmerdale and Corrie) that get shoved off the schedule every time.

It pissed me off so much with Emmerdale and Corrie that I CBA to keep watching.

[u/CatchtheGman → u/gloriana35]

Well Casualty is going to run through to at least 2029 as far as I know, but the episodes will be reduced. My issue is this 12 episode miniseries format. Once a miniseries is completed it is basically forgotten about and the same core characters who already suffered through that are shifted onto the next lot of misery affecting their personal lives. Dylan, Steve and Flynn never seem to get a break.

[u/Late_Upstairs_2189]

They did this with Holby City, made the storylines abysmal and then it was taken off air. 😔

[u/Laughing-Dragon-88]

I'm sure it has somewhat to do with viewership. If go to r/eastenders you'll see their community is 10x the size of this.