The latest episode of Inspector George Gently proved to be bittersweet for viewers, who said they are “raging” that it is coming to an end.
The BBC police drama starring Martin Shaw is being wrapped up after 10 years.
The penultimate instalment, entitled Gently Liberated, saw the inspector investigating an old case of a woman convicted of her husband’s murder.
It went down a storm with viewers on social media who declared the series to be “the real deal”.
Wow! Some outstanding acting in #InspectorGeorgeGently tonight! Fantastic!
— Karen E Coles (@KEColeswriting) May 21, 2017
@MovieTheatrGoer @BBC I LOVE #InspectorGeorgeGently so much I am “obsessed” !!!! Why must all things good and great come to an end?! 😥
— ArCr (@pavalover) May 20, 2017
Many were upset to think Gently’s days are numbered.
Superb episode of #InspectorGeorgeGently tonight. My absolute favourite detective drama. Raging the last episode is on later in the year.
— Helen Carrick (@CarrickHelen) May 21, 2017
@leeingleby #InspectorGeorgeGently so glad to see this back, gutted its only for two more – but I’ll take what I can get
— Jennifer Whitelaw (@WhitelawJen) May 21, 2017
The announcement that the final episode will not air until later this year also triggered some upset online.
Oh come on @BBCOne . Making us wait until “later this year” for final #InspectorGeorgeGently ep is just mean 😣
— Amanda Pickering (@ajpickering) May 21, 2017
What!!!???? The last George Gently #InspectorGeorgeGently isn’t next week, it’s later this year!? Come on #BBCOne that’s not on!
— Dawn Rigby (@dawnrigby) May 21, 2017
The series, created by Peter Flannery and based on the Alan Hunter novels, also stars Lee Ingleby as John Bacchus and Lisa McGrillis as Rachel Coles.
It has followed the trio of investigators on varied cases around Durham and the North East during the 1960s.
Actor Martin Shaw, however, says he has no hard feelings about the end of his long-running alter-ego George Gently.
BBC1 police drama Inspector George Gently is being wrapped up after 10 years.
Martin, 72, former star of The Professionals, told Radio Times magazine that he is “not in the slightest” bit angry about the BBC’s decision to axe the show, but he was emotional after filming its ending.
“I think it’s absolutely the perfect time to do it,” the former Judge John Deed star told the magazine.
“It feels completely appropriate. I had no difficulty in letting go of the role, because it makes space for something else.
“All through the last day of filming, people were saying ‘are you going to be emotional?’ I said ‘no, not at all’.
“It’s a fact of life. Things come to an end. And then, after the last shot, I started to make a little speech… and I was gone. Bang! So I did get emotional, after all.”