The beloved ITV detective drama McDonald and Dodds has sadly been cancelled after four seasons.
The show, which first graced our screens in 2020, starred Jason Watkins and Tala Gouveia as the enigmatic DS Dodds and ambitious DCI Lauren McDonald respectively, solving a myriad of crimes in the picturesque city of Bath.
Fans had been eagerly anticipating a fifth series, particularly after the fourth season ended with McDonald seemingly accepting her partner’s proposal, hinting at a potential wedding storyline. However, it seems these hopes have been dashed with the cancellation of the series.
The cast also included Claire Skinner as Chief Superintendent Mary Ormond, Charlie Chambers as DC Samuel Goldie, and Bhavik C Pankhania as DC Lee. The news has left fans heartbroken, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment.
One person said: “I’m so upset ITV have cancelled McDonald & Dodds”, a different account wrote: “Real shame! Enjoyed this and good shows never last these days” while another upset viewer added: “Cancelled? Good grief. A first-rate pair of actors, playful scripts and a great location. I despair at times, I really do.”
This comes as a blow for detective drama fans, especially following the recent conclusion of Vera, which ended on a poignant note with Brenda Blethyn’s final scenes, reports .
McDonald and Dodds has sadly been cancelled after four seasons (Image: ITV)
Brenda announced last year that she would be exiting her role, signalling the conclusion of the ITV hit drama after a run of over ten years. The final series wrapped up with just two episodes, culminating in the final episode titled The Dark Wives.
There had been much talk about whether Vera would die, as Brenda spoke about filming the final scenes.
She said: “It was very appropriate that the last day of filming was scheduled to take place in the police incident room where so much of the drama has happened. I think our producer Will Nicholson contrived that. You could hear a pin drop when we were filming. Then when I heard, ‘That’s a wrap.’ I was emotional.
Brenda Blethyn as Vera (Image: ITV)
“As, indeed, Vera would have been. There were a lot of people behind the cameras and at the end I thanked everybody. I said, ‘We’re all as important as one another.’ I might be the one playing the title character but it’s only an ingredient in a great big pot.
“And all of the ingredients are necessary. Everyone contributes to it. And it’s the sum of all of those parts that made Vera a success. And Vera will, of course continue to crack crime in Ann Cleeves’ books – and there will be 56 episodes available to watch on TV repeats.”
McDonald and Dodds and Vera is available to catch up on ITV1 and ITVX.