Being Human axed

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/07/being-human-axed-bbc

Gutted.

Bollocks.

It seems that BBC Three is really beginning to feel the budget cuts now, and this is it’s latest (and, in my eyes, most tragic) victim.

More here from broadcast news:

“The current series of BBC3’s Being Human will be the last as the channel’s drama budget cuts begin to bite.

Controller Zai Bennet said the fifth series of Touchpaper Television’s supernatural drama has been created as its swansong and that the time is right to find a new returnable brand.

“It’s the final series of Being Human. It’s been made that way and written that way,” Bennett told Broadcast. “Shows can’t live forever on BBC3.”

Created by Toby Whithouse, the programme has built a devoted following over its five series. It launched on BBC3 in February 2008 with a cast led by Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey and Lenora Crichlow, and has attracted audiences of up to 1.61m (5.73%).

Recent series have seen Being Human’s main characters change and the final series, which launched on Sunday 3 February, features an entirely fresh line-up of ghouls.

Touchpaper’s managing director Rob Pursey said he was sad that the show was ending. “It was always full of fresh ideas and we’re proud to have kept it strong with new actors, for five series.”

He would not reveal any spoilers about the show’s finale, but said it was one of his creative highlights from the whole five series. He added: “I’m proud of the ending, it’s reflects the true spirit of the show, mixing the fantastical with the very real.”

BBC3’s budget was cut by 20% to under £60m as part of the Delivering Quality First savings initiative, meaning Bennett will now only be able to commission one drama series a year from 2014.

He is currently examining developments for this opening, including one from Touchpaper, but a supernatural theme is not necessarily on his shopping list.

“Drama was the biggest change [in DQF] and that’s a shame. One a year doesn’t feel like a drama strategy. If there is reinvestment in BBC I will be banging the drum and saying I would love to have three dramas a year,” Bennett said.”