Fans are furious at BBC bosses’ plans to kill off one of its most beloved shows.
Crimewatch has been a staple of the schedules for 33 years, but a drop in ratings has led to it being shockingly cancelled.
The Beeb is apparently planning on spending the money on producing dramas instead.
Despite recent investment – including a studio revamp and new presenters in the form of Jeremy Vine and Tina Daheley – the ratings just weren’t enough to keep the show alive.
A spokesperson for the BBC told the Mirror: “We believe the successful Crimewatch Roadshow format in daytime is the best fit for the brand going forward and we will increase the number of episodes to make two series a year.
“We are incredibly proud of Crimewatch and the great work it has done over the years and the work Crimewatch Roadshow will continue to do, and this move will also allow us to create room for new innovative programmes in peak time on BBC One.”
However, an inside source told The Sun: “Everyone is really shocked.”
The show’s accurate reconstructions of crime scenes had led to police solving many cases, famously in 1993 when Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were caught after being identified as the two boys who kidnapped James Bulger on CCTV.
Read more: Liar star teases offshoot for series two of the gripping drama
Fans of the show took to Twitter to voice their displeasure, with one attempting to start the hashtag #savecrimewatch
And another pointing out that the show should be more focused on solving crimes than chasing ratings.
A third sadly noted that it’s “Always about money with the BBC.”
Read more: Fans rush to support Ryan Thomas after he shares emotional Instagram post
We hope that the show gets the sendoff it deserves as one of the BBC’s flagship programmes.