Blackadder was nearly axed after its first season because BBC didn’t realise potential, study reveals

Blackadder was nearly cancelled after its first season because the BBC didn’t realise its potential, it was claimed yesterday.

The show’s producer John Lloyd urged TV bosses to give more series a second chance, arguing creative programmes rarely ‘get it right first time’.

Mr Lloyd, who also worked on Spitting Image and Not The Nine O’Clock News, said broadcasters had become too afraid to say ‘have another go’ – instead binning shows that aren’t an immediate hit.

Mr Lloyd, 72, revealed Blackadder’s budget was cut ‘to the bones’ to avoid it being scrapped. 

The first series won an international Emmy but the second was briefly cancelled by Michael Grade – then BBC One controller – who said it had not attracted enough domestic viewers.

The show’s producer John Lloyd urged TV bosses to give more series a second chance

But the BBC boss was convinced to give the show a second chance after costs were stripped back. Mr Lloyd said more TV chiefs should allow creators the chance to make such tweaks.

He said: ‘Michael Grade was going through the figures and said ‘I’ve seen it, I know it won an Emmy and everything but I didn’t think it was very funny’. We were way, way over budget. So he cancelled it.’

The team then set about removing costly elements of the show – ‘horses, guards, dogs, a huge castle – so everything was cut down to the bones,’ Mr Lloyd told the Rob Brydon podcast.

‘I wish I could persuade broadcasters to do what they used to do and give you another go.

The first series won an international Emmy award but the second was briefly cancelled by then BBC controller Michael Grade

‘That’s the thing about creativity – you’re very unlikely to get it right the first time. But [executives] would look and go ‘you know what, the casting is wrong or you need more music’ or whatever, and say ‘go on, have another go’ and you’d learn from your mistakes.

‘The second series of Blackadder is better than the first, the same for Spitting Image, and certainly Not The Nine O’Clock News,’ Mr Lloyd said.

Blackadder, widely regarded as one of the greatest British TV shows, had four series between 1983 and 1989. It was revitalised in the second series when Ben Elton joined as a script-writer, and made household names of its stars including Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.