The Witchfinder starring Daisy May Cooper and Reece Shearsmith is AXED after just one series

The Witchfinder which starred Daisy May Cooper and Reece Shearsmith has been cancelled after just one series.

The BBC2 sitcom – which had Steve Coogan on board as an executive producer – hasn’t been renewed for another run after hitting the small screen for six episodes in March 2022.

The series was set in 1645 during the English Civil War, with This Country star Daisy playing a suspected sorceress who is being taken across East Anglia for her trial. 

A BBC spokeswoman told The Sun: ‘Sometimes we have to make difficult choices and sadly The Witchfinder won’t be returning.

‘We thank everyone involved in the show.’ 

Over: The BBC2 sitcom – which had Steve Coogan on board as an executive producer – hasn’t been renewed for another run after hitting the small screen for six episodes in March 2022 (Tim Key and Reece Shearsmith pictured) 

Plot: The series was set in 1645 during the English Civil War, with This Country star Daisy playing a suspected sorceress who is being taken across East Anglia for her trial

Tim Key – who has worked on Coogan projects before as Alan Partridge’s sidekick Simon and other roles – played witchfinder Gideon Bannister, while Jessica Hynes and Ricky Tomlinson were also part of the stellar cast.

The show was written penned by brothers Neil and Rob Gibbons, who had also created and directed This Time With Alan Partridge.

However, an insider said: ‘The Witchfinder’ kicked off with decent ratings but quickly plunged to a level where execs just couldn’t justify giving it a second season.

‘It’s fair to say the concept was fairly niche so it was always going to be tricky finding an audience, even on BBC Two.

‘But although it won’t be coming back, its departure does make way for new comedy projects on the Beeb.’

Daisy previously opened up about filming the show and admitted her biggest challenge was keeping her character’s horse Bram under control.

She said: ‘There is a horse called Bram and he is a little, well I’m swearing, he’s a little b*****d. 

Axed: A BBC spokeswoman told The Sun: ‘Sometimes we have to make difficult choices and sadly The Witchfinder won’t be returning’

Cast: Tim Key (left) – who has worked on Coogan projects before as Alan Partridge’s sidekick Simon and other roles – played witchfinder Gideon Bannister

Episodes: The show was written penned by brothers Neil and Rob Gibbons, who had also created and directed This Time With Alan Partridge

‘Basically, he’s so intelligent this horse that I have to ride. 

‘Between takes he goes to eat the grass and the trainers will say, ‘No Bram, just wait until we’ve finished the scene then you can eat the grass.’

‘This horse pretends to itch his leg and then last minute will just like go and grab a bit of grass. That blows my mind. 

‘And he knows that I’m an amateur rider because I had never ridden horses until this show and he knows it, so he’ll start playing up and start being a bit of a bugger, cause they’re just so bloody intelligent. The biggest a******e in this cast is a horse.’