ITV axes The Tower after three seasons as they make sad announcement

ITV has announced the cancellation of its popular crime drama series, The Tower.

Though the show, which ran for three gripping seasons, concluded with an intense four-night event last September, it will not return to screens. Based on the novel 'Gallowstree Lane' by Kate London, The Tower consistently captivated audiences, drawing in between three and six million viewers per episode.

However, despite its initial popularity, ITV has decided not to renew The Tower, as the audience figures for the most recent season didn't meet expectations.

"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," said a spokesperson for ITV.

Boasting a talented cast including Gemma Whelan, Emmett J Scanlan, Tamzin Outhwaite, and Jimmy Akingbola, the series was set in London's picturesque southeast, though primarily filmed in Liverpool and Manchester.

In the third and now final season, viewers watched Gemma Whelan's character Detective Sarah Collins unravel the circumstances of a teen stabbing, wrestling with how it affected both her work and personal life. While there were plans to develop a fourth season, with scripts being drafted, these narratives will no longer come to fruition.

The creator of 'The Tower', Patrick Harbinson, had been upbeat about the potential for a fourth series. Speaking to The Sun's TV Mag back in August he disclosed: "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."

Despite his enthusiasm and preparations, there won't be a joyful outcome, as it seems that ITV chiefs have resolved to axe the drama. It originally aired in 2021, gaining favourable nods from critics who saw echoes of 'Line of Duty' in its narrative.