Fans of ITV’s medical drama Maternal shared their upset on Thursday after it was reported that the series had been axed.
The show, which focused on a trio of female doctors returning to the ward after maternity leave, failed to gained high enough ratings, leading to it being canned by bosses.
Following the reports on Wednesday night, fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment, branding it an ‘excellent’ show.
One fan also noted that it had been scheduled opposite Silent Witness on the rival channel BBC One, meaning it ‘didn’t stand a chance.’
‘Sorry but what the actual f**k,’ one user said in response to a tweet reporting the axe overnight.
Over! Fans of ITV’s medical drama Maternal shared their upset on Thursday after it was reported that the series had been axed
Another added: ‘Putting #maternal on against BBC’s go-to usual for past many years, January February of SIlent Witness drama gave it little chance!’
A third posted: ‘This is extremely disappointing @ITV. #Maternal was a brilliant programme with brilliant actors and storylines that felt relevant and real.’
One fan also shared: ‘Amazed to read that there will be no second series of #Maternal. Personally thought it was excellent.’
On Wednesday it was reported by The Sun that ITV had cancelled Maternal after just one series, with a source telling the publication: ‘It’s been a very difficult decision because the show was much liked at the channel and the viewers who watched it really loved it too.
‘Unfortunately, the audience didn’t come to the drama in the numbers that we’d hoped for.’
Maternal starred Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis as three female doctors returning to the ward after maternity leave.
The heartfelt show followed the women as they juggled raising their children alongside a demanding job.
The show was well-received by critics, who praised the acting, dialogue and topicality of the drama.
Sad news: The broadcaster has cancelled the medical drama after it reportedly failed to get high enough ratings
Sad news! Following the reports on Wednesday night, fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment, branding it an ‘excellent’ show
Plot: Maternal starred Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis as three female doctors returning to the ward after maternity leave
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the first episode four stars out of five, praising the depth of the three lead characters, and remarked that it had ‘grit in the storytelling oyster that produces something rather wonderful’.
While The Telegraph’s Anita Singh also gave it four stars out of five, proclaiming it as superior to fellow recent medical drama, This Is Going To Hurt.
However, viewers at home did not feel the same, and did not continue to watch the drama.
The series ran from January to February of this year, and began with an audience of 2.4million, which fell to 1.9million by the final episode on February 20.
Speaking about working on the series in January, Parminder explained that her experience on US series E.R. had helped her prepare for the role.
She said: ‘I did feel like medicine was a little bit still in there, even down to technically how to camouflage things for the camera.
‘Like when you’re intubating a patient (inserting a tube through a person’s mouth or nose and into the windpipe), you hold your hand in a certain way to mask the fact you’re not really doing it.
‘The funniest part was that some of the terminology that I got used to saying on ER, I was told, “That’s not how you say it here.” It’s pronounced differently in Britain.’
Parminder also revealed that she landed the part of paediatrician Dr Maryam Afridi through her real life best pal Lara.
Preparation: Speaking about working on the series in January, Parminder (pictured) explained that her experience on US series E.R. had helped her prepare for the role
She explained: ‘Lara Pulver and I are best mates and neighbours in LA.
‘During the pandemic we’ve been doing a lot of our audition tapes together. So when she taped her audition to play Catherine in Maternal, I read the opposite parts.
‘The following day, I got an email asking me to audition as Maryam. So we took our whole kit and caboodle to Liverpool for filming like a little family.
‘To get a chance to work alongside Lara, who I love and respect, is just fantastic.’
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