The BBC has chopped a trio of entertainment shows under plans to save £500 million ($664M) over the coming years amid a funding crisis at the UK broadcaster.
Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind, and Live At The Apollo have all been canceled by the BBC, in what the corporation described as “difficult decisions.”
“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,” the BBC said.
“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.”
Blankety Blank first launched on British television in 1979, but was revived by the BBC in 2021 with Bradley Walsh on hosting duties. It is produced by Fremantle-owned Thames.
Celebrity Mastermind is a spin-off of the iconic Mastermind quiz show. It first landed on the BBC as a special in 2002, before going on to air across 24 seasons.
The format is owned by the BBC, but is produced on a contract by Hat Trick Productions, with Clive Myrie hosting. Celebrity Mastermind still has a series left to broadcast before it leaves the screen.
Live at the Apollo is a 22-year-old stand-up comedy institution on the BBC. Launched in 2004, it has helped boost the careers of comics including Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr. The show is produced by Open Mike Productions and still has a series left to air on the BBC.
The cuts form part of savings target of £100M for the BBC’s content division, which feeds into the wider £500M savings goal as fewer people pay the licence fee.
The bigger picture behind the cuts is that 94% of the UK population use the BBC every month, but fewer than 80% pay the £180 annual licence fee. The BBC is attempting to bridge this gap.
