The Tower on ITV 'axed after three series' as bosses pull plug on crime drama

According to reports, the crime drama series The Tower has been axed by ITV. Despite its initial popularity, drawing in viewers numbering from three to six million, the show's final series—inspired by Kate London's novel Gallowstree Lane—saw a decline in audience numbers following its broadcast over four consecutive nights in September.

"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 stated, as per The Sun. The cast included Gemma Whelan, Emmett J Scanlan, Tamzin Outhwaite, and Jimmy Akingbola.

Most of the filming took place in the Northwest, despite the setting being southeast London, with locations in Liverpool and Manchester. Whelan portrayed police officer Sarah Collins in series three, delving into the stabbing of a teenager while dealing with the challenges of motherhood.

Despite preparations for a fourth series, it has now been scrapped.

Writer Patrick Harbinson, who adapted the novels for television, had expressed optimism about a fourth series. In an interview with The Sun's TV Mag in August, he said: "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," reports the Mirror.

However, it appears his hopes have been crushed, as ITV executives have reportedly cancelled the drama, which premiered in 2021 to positive reviews, drawing comparisons to the popular police corruption series Line of Duty, with Whelan's performance, a Leeds native, being a notable highlight.