A petition calling for the BBC to reconsider its controversial decision to axe Scottish soap River City has soared past 10,000 signatures.
Earlier this month, the corporation announced that the show would come to an end in September 2026, after 23 years on air.
The broadcaster claimed that changing viewing patterns and intensifying competition had led to the decision to wrap up the long-running soap, which is set in the fictional community of Shieldinch.
The news was met with a huge backlash from River City fans, many of whom rushed to back a campaign to save it.
The petition, set up by the UK acting trade union Equity, has now reached 10,551 signatures at the time of writing.
Equity’s general secretary, Paul W Fleming, had called the move a ‘short-sighted’ one that ‘would be a disaster for Scottish television’.
He said: ‘Axing River City would have a devastating effect on acting and production roles for Scottish talent. There is simply no equivalent to a regular soap for getting your foot in the door of this notoriously cutthroat industry, especially for the many aspiring actors from working class backgrounds.
‘The regular opportunities and wages simply do not exist in other show formats.’
Leading politicians are also among those committed to keeping the show going.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie pledged the party would ‘strain every sinew to save the show’, which is filmed in her Dumbarton constituency.
Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson meanwhile said: ‘I share the concerns of many in the screen sector about recent TV commissioning for Scotland, including ending of River City.’
He added that while BBC Scotland had confirmed three new drama projects at the same time as they announced the decision to end River City, two of these new programmes would be made by London production companies.
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The BBC previously stated it will move the River City investment to boost major drama productions set across Scotland, starting with three new series Counsels, Grams and The Young Team.
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The spokesperson for the broadcaster has since said: ‘Audience patterns have shifted away from long-running serials to short-run dramas so that is where we will be moving our drama investment. This is about value for money for the audience.
‘We are not cutting our drama spend in Scotland – in fact, we will increase it to around £95 million over the next three years.
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‘The Dumbarton lease coming to an end next year is not the reason River City will cease in September 2026 – the overriding factor has been an audience-driven one.’
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