Death knell called on Peak Practice

Peak Practice has been dropped after ten years. ITV bosses have decided to ditch the medical drama despite viewing figures of around 6.7m in the UK for the last series which ended in January.

It will be replaced with another medical drama based in the Peak District.

The stars of the programme are said to be extremely disappointed by the news.

A spokeswoman for Carlton said the show was looking tired after 12 series and a joint decision had been taken with ITV not to recommission it.

Its replacement, Sweet Medicine, will have the same setting and the same subject matter but will be based around a family practice.

The main characters will be husband and wife GPs Nicholas and Deborah Sweet, who leave their London surgery to take over his father's practice in rural Derbyshire after his death.

The series follows their attempts to transform the sleepy practice into a cutting-edge health centre, in the face of opposition from Nicholas' formidable mother Georgina.

The spokeswoman said: "We wanted a new series but obviously people do like medical dramas and the Peak District area is a great setting."

Production will start on the new series, which is being developed by Peak Practice's executive producer Sharon Bloom, next year.