The second season of an acclaimed Apple TV+ series has been cancelled despite almost finishing production.
The Independent can confirm that The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, starring Noel Fielding, has ceased filming.
Season two was midway through its shoot before production ground to a halt. An official reason for the cancellation is yet to be provided.
Rather than push ahead with the remainder of the season, Apple has scrapped the show altogether, meaning everything that was filmed so far will not see the light of day.
According to reports from Deadline andThe Sun, the axing occurred after Fielding “failed to return to work” after production resumed following the Christmas break.
The Mighty Boosh comedy star, who also hosts The Great British Bake Off, has declined to comment. The Independent has contacted Apple.
Created by Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin became a low-key hit for the service after debuting in March 2024, and a follow-up season was commissioned in July.
Season two of the absurdist historical comedy, a retelling of the life of the 18th-century highwayman, was set to welcome back cast members including Hugh Bonneville, Mark Heap, Ellie White and Dolly Wells.
New episodes were set to include “a host of great British comedy talent” following season one cameos from Greg Davies, Diane Morgan and Jessica Hynes.
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Speaking about the show with Vulture, Fielding revealed the writing team’s inspirations included Blackadder, The Princess Bride, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
He also said that the arrival of Our Flag Means Death, another cancelled show set in the 18th-century that bears a similar absurdist tone to Dick Turpin’s, led to concerns during the show’s prepping stage.
“We felt like we were going, ‘There aren’t really any shows like this,’ and then Our Flag Means Death came along and we were absolutely distraught,” Fielding said.
He added: “But we did watch it – we made ourselves – and we thought, ‘This is different enough.’ You have to have blinkers on when you’re making stuff.”
The first season of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is available to stream on Apple TV+ now.
