'Axing Doctors after 24 years is the end of an era'

More than 4,500 episodes of the soap have been aired since it was launched in March 2000

As medical TV drama Doctors says farewell with its final episode later, a 9,000-signature petition to try to save it shows just how much it resonated with audiences.

The soap, which is set in the fictional town of Letherbridge, has followed the lives of staff and patients of a Midlands GP practice, for 24 years.

However, in October last year, the BBC said it would be cancelled, after "super inflation in drama production" led to costs significantly rising.

The announcement galvanised super-fan Carys Ashby to set up the petition to try to save it, but as the last of more than 4,500 episodes is broadcast, she has accepted defeat, saying its final bow represents the "end of an era".

Ms Ashby says simply accepting its cancellation was "not enough, so I felt like I had to try and do something".

She told the BBC that many, often older, viewers "set their whole day" around watching the episodes.

"I am only young, there will be new programmes for me to watch, but I worry about the older generation who depend on the familiarity of the show," said Ms Ashby.

Those who worked on the show have also expressed their sadness ahead of the soap coming to an end.

Previously, writer and director Joy Wilkinson wrote: "I'd have left TV drama if it wasn't for this wonderful, warm and creative show."

The show attracted many thousands of viewers, who avidly tuned in for the next instalment of events at the GP practice, set in fictional town Letherbridge

Last year, the BBC said it had faced a choice on whether to re-invest in the Birmingham site where the show was made, or finance new shows across the West Midlands region.

The daytime drama has featured households names, including Eddie Redmayne and Sheridan Smith, and it has won a total of 17 Baftas.

TV critic Scott Bryan, from the BBC's Must Watch podcast, has previously said on X the show had "been a training ground for many actors".

The corporation has thanked all the cast and crew, while stressing it remained "fully committed" to TV production in the West Midlands.

The final episode will be shown at 14:00 GMT on BBC One.