BBC have decided to drop its primetime police drama, Holby Blue, after only two series.

The series never lived up to the ratings of its sister show, Holby City and though the second series opened in March to a respectable 5.6 million viewers, by May that had dropped to just 2.5 million.

According to Claire Phillips, the producer at Red Planet, the drama had “set new standards for 8 pm dramas in terms of production values, storytelling and casting”.

And she said she hoped other shows made by her company would “live up to those high standards set out on Holby Blue”.