ITV has decided to axe the popular crime drama series The Tower.
The police drama, which aired for three riveting series, delivered its last season in a gripping four-night event this past September. Adapted from Kate London’s acclaimed novel Gallowstree Lane, the show consistently roped in an impressive three to six million viewers each episode.
Despite its initial success, it seems The Tower has taken its final bow, following the understanding that ITV will not pursue any new seasons due to the last series’ viewership falling below anticipated targets.
“The Tower was much loved by the audience who watched the drama, but the viewing figures for the last series did not reach expectations, so sadly, we won’t be recommissioning,” an ITV spokesperson said.
The series had a star-studded lineup, including Gemma Whelan, Emmett J Scanlan, Tamzin Outhwaite, and Jimmy Akingbola. Set in the charming southeast of London, it was mainly shot up north in Liverpool and Manchester, reports the Mirror.
The third series saw Whelan’s character, Detective Sarah Collins, delve into a teenager’s stabbing, a case intertwining her professional challenge with personal turmoil as she struggled to balance her life as a detective and mother. Despite the third instalment’s release in autumn and plans for scripting a fourth series, it now appears those scripts will remain unwritten.
The creator of The Tower, Patrick Harbinson, had expressed optimism about a fourth series. In an interview with The Sun’s TV Mag in August, he revealed: “I’m already writing the first episode of The Tower four just to show to ITV that we’re ready to go, because Kate [London] has already written a brilliant fourth novel, The Misper, on which the new series would be based. There are more brilliant stories to tell involving Gemma Whelan’s character, DS Sarah Collins, and PC Lizzie Adama, played by Tahirah Sharif.”
However, his efforts have been in vain, as ITV bosses have reportedly decided to cancel the drama. It debuted in 2021 to positive reviews, with some critics drawing favourable comparisons to Line of Duty and praising Whelan’s performance.