Will Holby City return? Other soaps that have returned from the dead...

Holby City legend Jac.
Will Holby City return one day? We hope so and there is hope... (Image credit: BBC)

Will Holby City return? It's the question every Holby fan wants to be answered. 

At the moment the BBC has no plans for a revival, but that far from means the show will never come back.

Soaps have returned from the dead before. Waterloo Road is a perfect example. Waterloo Road originally aired between 2006 and 2015, boasting a great cast including Jill Halfpenny, Neil Morrissey and Angela Griffin.

Waterloo Road season 11 - image shows the teaching staff from the previous season of Waterloo Road

Waterloo Road is making a comeback. (Image credit: BBC)

However, it looked doomed to never return until the BBC made the shock announcement in 2021 that it would be back. Now Waterloo Road fans can look forward to Waterloo Road season 11 later in 2022.

In a press release, the BBC said at the time: "The spotlight on education in the UK is more intense now than ever before, with awareness of the challenges that teachers, parents and pupils face even more pronounced amidst the ongoing pandemic. 

"Waterloo Road will use its rich history of telling entertaining and gripping human stories while tackling the important issues of the day."

And Waterloo Road isn’t the only soap to return. Does anyone remember ITV favourite Crossroads?!

If you thought everyone was stunned when the BBC decided to bring back Waterloo Road, it's nothing compared to the shock when ITV resurrected Crossroads!

Crossroads

(Image credit: ITV)

Crossroads originally ran on ITV from 1964 to 1988 and was famous for its wobbly sets. Set in a Midlands motel — yep, really — it seemed to have been long past its best when ITV suddenly brought it back in 2001. The idea was to glam it up but it didn’t work and was axed again after only two years.

However, unlike Crossroads, Holby City hasn’t dated…

Will Holby City return? If so how?

Well, the most likely way is that viewer pressure will make the BBC perform a U-turn. If the BBC struggles to match the ratings it was getting for Holby it might take the decision to bring it back. 

Another broadcaster could also step in and make the show. While it’s very expensive to make a soap, the loyal audience could tempt a broadcaster.

We imagine that Neighbours fans, who are also seeing their favourite soap axed, will likewise hope for a reprieve.

Neighbours cast.

Neighbours has also been axed. (Image credit: Channel 5)

Are there any other soaps that could be brought back?

The Bill springs to mind. While, like Waterloo Road perhaps more of a drama than a soap, The Bill was certainly long-running and hugely popular. Like Holby, the subject matter doesn’t date and there must be plenty of plotlines for a show set around the police. ITV ran The Bill from 1983 to 2010, but alas there’s no sign of it ever returning despite still having a strong fan base.

Brookside is another soap many would also like to see make a comeback, but perhaps not Eldorado?! Or Triangle?! Triangle was a series set onboard a North Sea Ferry! We wonder why that didn’t last!!

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!