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BBC set to slash 100 hours worth of TV shows this year as top drama is axed from the broadcaster

The corporation's Annual Plan shows that in the next 12 months viewers will be getting fewer new shows, due to 'ongoing pressure on the BBC's finances and the increasing cost of programming'.

The BBC is to slash about 100 hours' worth of new TV shows in the coming year, with original dramas and entertainment bearing the brunt. The Annual Plan for 2024/25, released yesterday, revealed that the 'commitment' to 'first-run original drama' will dip by 13 per cent to 350 hours, in part reflecting the broadcaster's decision to axe BBC1 daytime soap Doctors. 'This is 13 per cent fewer hours than last year's commitment, largely reflecting the cancellation of Doctors, itself a result of changes in viewing patterns, ongoing pressure on the BBC's finances and the increasing cost of programming.'

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