David Mitchell may be seeing success as the lead in Ludwig, but another of the actor’s BBC shows is faring far less well. Sitcom Upstart Crow has been cancelled despite a dedicated fanbase and Bafta nomination. Written by Blackadder’s Ben Elton, the comedy series starred Mitchell as William Shakespeare and follows his early career in Elizabethan London.
Liza Tarbuck also starred as Anne Hathaway with Mark Heap playing the Bard’s rival Robert Greene; the series was named after an insulting nickname that Greene had given to Shakespeare. Sir Kenneth Branagh, Lily Cole and Ben Miller were among the special guests to cameo. The BBC has now cancelled the show, making the third Christmas special, which aired in 2020, its final bow.
It won’t come as a huge surprise to many given that the series has been seemingly put on ice for quite some time, having not aired a full new season since 2018 – but still, Mitchell was left disappointed by the news. Mitchell is plenty busy elsewhere, however, with the Peep Show star currently leading the hugely anticipated second season of the broadcaster’s cosy crime drama Ludwig. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial.
Plan auto-renews until cancelled. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. In it, he reprises his role as a genius puzzle whizz looking to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of his detective twin brother.
Anna Maxwell Martin also stars as his sister-in-law, with Fleabag's Sian Clifford and Scottish actor Mark Bonnar joining the cast. Ludwig’s debut series proved a huge success for the broadcaster, attracting over 9.5 million viewers within 28 days. A third season was already greenlit ahead of the release of season two last week.
In a three-star review of the second series, The Independent’s critic wrote: “If I were tasked with solving the crime of why Ludwig remains middling despite its obvious merits, I would charge producers with time-wasting. I’m not so sure.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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