Petition to save BBC’s River City soap attracts support of more than 10,000
More than 10,000 people have signed a petition urging the BBC not to axe the “iconic” Scottish soap opera River City – with leading politicians amongst those bidding to keep the show going.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie pledged they would “strain every sinew to save the show and support Scottish talent”.
The long-running show, set in the fictional community of Shieldinch, is filmed in her Dumbarton constituency.
And Ms Baillie, who visited the set along with fellow Labour MSPs Neil Bibby and Pam Duncan-Glancy, insisted that “the BBC must change its mind”.
Posting on the social media platform X, she stated: “River City is an iconic show that platforms Scottish actors while supporting Scotland’s film and TV industry.”
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.
The comments came as the petition, launched by the trade union Equity – which represents actors and others working in the creative industries – insisted the long-running programme is one of “Scotland’s most viewed and best-loved TV shows”.
And it claimed the decision by the BBC to end the drama in the autumn of 2026 is an “attack on Scottish-made TV drama, Scottish TV workers and the soap’s 500,000 loyal viewers”.
River City has been on air since 2002, but BBC Scotland said the decision to end the show reflected a change in viewing patterns, with audiences moving away from long-running series and instead opting for shows with shorter runs.
Announcing the decision earlier this month, BBC Scotland director Hayley Valentine said they would “all be sad to see it go”.
But she added: “But, as viewing patterns change, and competition intensifies, this is the right time to invest in the next generation of high-impact drama series from across Scotland showcasing storytelling across the UK.”
Equity general secretary Paul W Fleming, who visited the River City set earlier this week, said it had been important to “hear direct about the impact that losing this show would have on training, acting and creative opportunities in Scotland”.
He said: “River City is the only Scottish soap, so its closure would be devastating for local talent.
“Equity will continue to campaign and lobby to save River City, and demand that the show’s £9 million annual budget be ringfenced for continuing drama in Scotland.”
Equity Scotland official Marlene Curran added that there has been a “great outpouring of support for River City, from members of the public, politicians and those who work in the Scottish screen industry alike”.
She added: “This shows that, unlike the decision-makers at BBC Scotland, people know the value of the show and why it should be saved.
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
“Not only do long-running soaps like River City work as a training ground for those starting out in the industry, but they also offer the all-too-rare benefit of job security in an industry that is otherwise characterised by precarity and excludes those from working class backgrounds.”
A BBC Scotland spokesperson stressed that “the decision to end River City is a creative one driven by changing audience habits and declining viewing figures”.
The spokesperson 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.
“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.”
The spokesperson continued: “River City training opportunities will remain active for another year until we cease production in April 2026.
“We are actively working with BBC colleagues, the independent companies making our newly announced dramas and others in the industry on future training opportunities.
“Our new dramas are written by Scottish writers, they will employ a wide range of Scottish-based talent and will be made by producers with bases in Scotland – just like River City.”
