'TV Doctors a training ground for crew and actors'

Actor and comedian Janice Connolly plays receptionist Rosie Colton

The end of BBC medical drama Doctors after 23 years marks a sad day for the industry, actors have said.

Janice Connolly, who plays receptionist Rosie Colton on the daytime soap, said it was a fantastic training ground, including for new actors and directors.

And Lorna Laidlaw, who played Mrs Tembe for eight years, said it was a massive loss for those starting out and for Birmingham, where it is made.

The BBC said the show had been hit by "super inflation in drama production".

The corporation announced on Monday significant cost rises meant it faced a choice between whether to re-invest in the site or finance new shows in the West Midlands.

The final episode will air in December 2024.

For Donnaleigh Bailey, who portrayed Michelle Corrigan for about four years, the show was the best years of her life and her first role out of drama school.

"I remember watching and learning from some of the greats, sitting and watching Brian Blessed do his scene or Christopher Timothy or the amazing Diane Keen," she said.

"I made fantastic friends that I still have today, cast and crew. I got to have my dream job, I am going to miss it so much."

Lorna Laidlaw (seated) played Mrs Tembe for eight years

Ms Connolly also said it was a special place.

"Everybody is so friendly and so experienced and the unique thing about Doctors I think is it's a fantastic training ground for new directors; writers are being commissioned; people coming out of drama school are being given their first job," she said.

Many stars had roles in the drama early in their careers, including Sheridan Smith, Eddie Redmayne and Jodie Comer.

More than 4,500 episodes of the show have been made

And Ms Laidlaw said people in Birmingham were proud of it: "Actually if you think about it there are very few programmes that you watch on TV where somebody's got a Birmingham accent".

Actor and comedian Ms Connolly added she liked how it told a complete story every lunchtime.

"Everything is in bits these days," she said. "It gives people a feeling of safety actually when a story is resolved."

The BBC said it remained "fully committed" to TV production in the West Midlands.

It highlighted announcements Silent Witness will move to the region in 2024 and MasterChef will be made at the new studios in Digbeth, Birmingham, which open next year.

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