A BUS service has launched a marketing campaign to promote its routes to fans of a TV drama series, despite the show having been axed over disappointing viewing figures.

Less than three weeks after ITV announced it would not make a second series of the Yorkshire Dales drama Jericho, DalesBus, supported by the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said it wanted to give visitors a chance to explore the setting which inspired the programme.

The show was based around the building of the Ribblehead Viaduct and dubbed Britain's first Western, and starred Call The Midwife's Jessica Raine as penniless widow Annie Quaintain, who moves to the fictional town of Jericho in Yorkshire for work.

Its opening episode drew 3.3 million viewers, according to overnight figures, but lost around 700,000 viewers by the end of the eight-part series.

Free guided walks are also being provided on May 8 and 29 and June 12 and 19 led by experienced voluntary guides from the Friends and DalesBus Ramblers.

On Sundays only, there will be an opportunity to leave the bus at Ribblehead for a train ride past where there were shanty towns of navvies in the 19th century, to Dent and Garsdale stations.

The Cautley Flyer minibus will take passengers to Dent village, Sedbergh and Cautley to explore the Howgills or the historic settlements of Dent and Sedbergh.

For details of DalesBus timetables, visit dalesbus.org or call Traveline on 0871-200-2233.