ITV medical drama Maternal will not be returning for a second series, with the “difficult decision” having come following lower viewing figures for the show than expected.

The show followed three medics as they returned to work at a hospital following their maternity leave. The six-part series had been set after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first series consisted of six episodes which aired earlier this year, broadcast between January 16 and February 20. The episodes were also available to stream on ITVX.

It has now been confirmed that Maternal won’t be returning for a second series though. And a source has attributed the “very difficult decision” to the show’s viewing figures.

A source told the Mirror: “It was a very difficult decision as we really wanted to commission another series of Maternal, but unfortunately the audience didn’t come to the drama in the numbers that we’d hoped for.”

They further commented: “Everyone who watched the series really loved it, and for that reason we’re really disappointed we can’t make another series happen.”

We understand that Maternal launched with an audience of 2.4 million, though the viewing figures later fell to 1.9 million for the final episode, which was broadcast last month.

The show had centred on the characters Dr Maryam Afridi (played by Parminder Nagra ), Catherine MacDiarmid (Lara Pulver) and Dr Helen Cavendish (Lisa McGrillis).

A synopsis for the Maternal teased that it tells the story of the three medics “as they each attempt to balance their increasingly demanding jobs in post-pandemic frontline medicine with their lives as new mothers”.

Other cast members who featured in the show – which was written by Jacqui Honess-Martin – included Raza Jaffrey, Julie Graham, Oliver Chris and Joe Thomas.

The show – which is said to have partly based on the lives of two medics – had been described by ITV as a “love letter to women on the NHS frontline who are holding it together”.

The show’s writer, Jacqui, described the story as “funny, warm and quietly political” ahead of its release. She had further commented that it had been “humbling” to have the opportunity to hear the stories of doctors in the NHS.

The first series of Maternal is available on ITVX.

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