The BBC has cancelled television shows Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live At The Apollo in its latest round of cuts, as it faces “funding challenges”. The corporation said the “difficult decisions” form part of the first phase of its plan to save £500 million over the next three years.
Phased cuts target entertainment genre
The BBC previously announced plans to decommission TV shows and reduce development spending, with several Radio 4 programmes already axed. In a statement, the BBC said: “We are incredibly proud of all three of these much-loved shows and would like to thank everyone involved, both in front of and behind the camera, for bringing them to screen and making them such a success over many years.”
“Unfortunately, we have to make some really tough choices in light of our funding challenges and these savings have been identified from the entertainment genre.”
Live At The Apollo ends after 22 years
Among the axed shows is Live At The Apollo, which gave stand-up comedians a platform on TV and helped launch the careers of Michael McIntyre, Russell Howard and Jason Manford. The comedy programme, which has run for 22 years, has one more series to be broadcast.
The BBC added: “We will shortly be announcing digital plans focused on stand-up and emerging comedy talent, ensuring we continue to support the stand-up community in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive media landscape.”
Celebrity Mastermind and Blankety Blank also cut
Celebrity Mastermind, the quiz show hosted by Clive Myrie where celebrities answer questions for charity, also has an additional series to be broadcast before its cancellation. The programme first launched in 2002, following the success of the original Mastermind, which the BBC confirmed will continue.
Blankety Blank, which returned for a latest reboot in 2020 with host Bradley Walsh, is also cancelled. Walsh previously told Radio Times he could not continue hosting due to scheduling conflicts and would not return for a fourth series. The show, where contestants match fill-in-the-blank answers, originally aired from 1979 to 1990 and has seen several revivals.
