'Hurt' Maternal creator breaks silence on ITV axe in emotional post as she pays tribute to fans
MATERNAL creator Jacqui Honess-Martin has admitted it really "hurts" that the show was cancelled by ITV.
The medical drama - which stars Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis among others - aired in January 2023 but was not renewed for a second series after disappointing ratings.
Jacqui has now taken to Twitter to share her disappointment about the axe falling, admitting she had much more planned for the characters going forward.
She tweeted: “We had a lot more to say. The show needed a high number of viewers for @ITV to sell advertising to break even. Maternal didn’t get that number.
“It hurts that it ends here but I am incredibly proud of the show, grateful and bit amazed that we got to do it all.”
Lisa - who portrayed acute medicine physician Helen Cavendish - remarked they were “all devastated”, while her co-stars Parminda and Lara - who played Dr Maryam Afridi and surgeon Catherine MacDiarmid - retweeted support from sad fans.
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Lisa said: “We are all devastated, it feels like such a waste of wonderful and important stories.”
Edith Bowman joined in the chorus of let-down fans, tagging ITV on her Twitter account and calling their decision to axe the show “poor form”.
Commenting on the cancellation, an ITV source said: "It was a very difficult decision as we really wanted to commission another series of 'Maternal', but unfortunately the audience didn't come to the drama in the numbers that we'd hoped for.
"Everyone who watched the series really loved it, and for that reason we're really disappointed we can't make another series happen."
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The series, which ran in January and February of this year, began with an audience of 2.4million but it fell to 1.31million by the final episode on February 20.
Fans of the series took to Twitter to share their hopes that ITV would reconsider at some point.
One wrote: "I really enjoyed this series. Definitely think they should make another."
Another added: "Loved the portrayal of strong working women, hopefully they will reconsider."
A third tweeted: "Brilliant show! Absolutely should be another series @ITV…"
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