It's been axed!

[Treacle]

It's been axed

[Treacle]

FAMILY IN MOURNING

Soap Killed Off

Telly soap Family Affairs has been sensationally axed the Sun can reveal. Bosses at Five left cast stunned as they called time on the show after 7 years. Producers broke the news at the show's studioes in Merton, South London.

The soap - first screened on Fives launch night in march 1997 - has been suffering as its ratings plummeted. An insider at the Talkback Thames studios said: " Everyone is gobsmacked and disapointed."

Family Affairs is famous for launching the carrers of Footballers Wives beauty Laila Rouass and Corrie hunk Rupert Hill. Formner Eastenders hearthtrob, Jack Ryder recently signed to make his TV comeback on the show. The final scenes are to be shown at the end of the year

[Jojo]

Thats a shame - I've never watched it but after 7 years I thought it was going pretty well for them! Mind you, bad luck and Jack Ryder seem to go together - he was killed in EE, killed in MIT and the new show he signs for is killed too.

[$sTaCeY$]

never watched the program so i don't really mind if it has been axed

[Treacle]

I didn't watch it either because it clashes with 'Hollyoaks' which I watch instead.

[Jojo]

From the BBC:

Five has axed Family Affairs after more than eight years and 2,250 episodes.
The last episode of the long-running soap, launched in March 1997, will be broadcast at the end of the year.

"This was a very difficult decision but we felt the series had come to the end of its natural lifespan," said Five's director of programmes, Dan Chambers.

The former BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey, CEO of the show's production company Talkback Thames, said she was "disappointed" by the announcement.

"I respect the decision and understand the reasons behind it," she said.

"However, I'm disappointed as I felt we had bright new plans for the show, including some strong new actors."

The cast were told the news on Monday night at the show's studios in Merton, south London.

Family Affairs has told controversial stories with power and integrity

Johnathan Young, Talkback Thames
"I'd like to thank every single member of the cast and crew for their tremendous hard work and creativity over the last eight years," said Mr Chambers.

"We remain committed to original drama and will be using the budget allocated to Family Affairs to fund a range of programming, including several new primetime drama projects."

The end of the show will provide Five with an estimated £10m to invest in other projects.

Family Affairs was the first British soap to regularly transmit five days a week, and also the first to offer viewers the opportunity to determine the outcome of a storyline.

Set in the fictional London suburb of Charnham, the show won two British Soap Awards earlier this year.


In a recent storyline Trish (Gabrielle Glaister) has become a mother
The show originally focused on a single family, the Harts, but was revamped after they all perished in a freak boating accident.

"Family Affairs has told controversial stories with power and integrity," said Johnathan Young, head of drama at Talkback Thames.

"I know there will be many disappointed by the news, but we must move forward and I'm excited about working with Five on new projects."

The show will continue in production until the end of October, with the final episode broadcast in December.

Last week the show attracted an average audience of 900,000 viewers.

[Luna]

I stopped watching it when they Killed off the Hart family. I refused to watch it after that boat blew up

[Treacle]

I saw that boat explosion and the very first episode but I was already dedictaed to Brookside, EastEnders, Corrie and Emmerdale so I couldn't fit it in regularly. Heard it's tackled lots of good issues though.

[Luna]

I remember getting quite excitied about watching it as it was going to be something shown on a brand new channel

[Treacle]

Yep that's how I got started with Brookside, when Channel Four launched in November 1982 I remember watching it all day. I was only young but I can remember the first episode of Brookie.