Hit BBC One comedy series to be scrapped by star-studded cast after three series

18 June 2023 , 22:43

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BBC One comedy Staged will only last for three series (Image: BBC/GCB Films/Infinity Hill)

David Tennant and Michael Sheen have announced that the third series of their hit BBC One comedy series Staged will be the last.

The former Doctor Who star David and good friend Michael, who is known for his role in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, play fictionalised versions of themselves which was initially filmed and set during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

David's wife Georgia Tennant and Michael's partner Anna Lundberg also featured in the comedic series, as did write and director Simon Evans, which was first released in June 2020.

The second series came out the following January, while the third - and final - season premiered on November 24 on BritBox.

David Tennant and Michael Sheen play fictionalised characters of themselves in the series (BBC/Staged Films Ltd/Paul Stephenson)

David told The Sun: "We’ve had a wonderful time filming the series but have no plans to do more.

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"It was a show borne out of a particular period of time – lockdown – when we were all in our houses communicating via Zoom, as our characters did in the show. We couldn’t get out.

"Now, as the characters demonstrate in some of the scenes in the new series, we can."

Several Hollywood actors have man an appearance on the comedy series, with Samuel L. Jackson and Judi Dench featuring in the first series.

Michael's partner Anna Lundberg and David's wife Georgia Tennant also feature in the comedy (BBC/Staged Films Ltd/Paul Stephenson)

Whoopi Goldberg, Christoph Waltz, Ewan McGregor, Jim Parson and Cate Blanchett appeared in series two, while Jim Broadbent, Adrian Lester, Ben Schwartz and Olivia Colman made cameos in the final series.

It is not the only show that has been axed by BBC bosses, who have scrapped the Jordan Banjo series Eat Well for Less.

The broadcaster said it was a "difficult decision" but the move was needed to "make way" for new programmes.

David announced the news on Sunday (BBC)

Eat Well for Less was originally presented by Chris Bavin and Gregg Wallace when it debuted in 2015, and helped families who were massively overspending on their weekly food shops save hundreds of pounds.

Jordan, who shot to fame after winning Britain's Got Talent with Diversity in 2009, was then hired as the show’s new co-presenter alongside Chris in 2021, after Gregg left the show to pursue other interests.

During the show, Jordan and Chris supervise what the families buy in their weekly food shops, and offer up cheaper alternatives in an effort to save them much-needed cash.

Josh Luckhurst