Late Night Mash dropped after two series
- Late Night Mash will not return for a third series
- Dave has opted not to renew the topical comedy format, hosted by Nish Kumar and Rachel Parris
- It had been picked up by the digital broadcaster after initial cancellation by BBC Two in 2020
Dave has cancelled Late Night Mash after two series, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Initially airing on BBC Two from 2017 to 2020, the weekly, topical satire was initially cancelled by the BBC after four series amidst low ratings.
With minor tweaks to its format, the show - made by production company Zeppotron and inspired by spoof news website The Daily Mash - was picked up by Dave, where it ran for two further series, fronted initially by Nish Kumar and latterly by Rachel Parris.
The channel confirmed: "We are all immensely proud of the show and it has been a pleasure being able to bring it to the Dave audience, however, we can confirm that Late Night Mash will not return for another series."
In a statement, they explained: "We are hugely grateful to Rachel Parris, who made history as the first solo female host of a satirical news programme and who masterfully captained the cast of outstanding comics through the most recent series. And a massive thanks to Zeppotron for bringing Mash to us, we'd like to thank everyone involved in the show and we look forward to finding new ways to work together again in the future."
Kumar had hosted all four series of the original incarnation of the format on BBC Two but stepped down after the first series for Dave, explaining that as he hadn't created the show "it just felt like it was time for me to strike out on my own". Rachel Parris, a regular in-studio contributor since its inception in 2017 took on the host's role in Series 2.
Other regular contributors included stand-up comedian Geoff Norcott as the show's right-wing voice, Steve N Allen and Ellie Taylor as spoof newsreaders, plus Michael Spicer, Jason Forbes, Tom Bell, Greig Johnson, Freya Parker and Travis Jay.
BBC Two's last news-based panel show, Mock The Week, aired its twenty-first and final series in the run-up to Christmas, also cancelled by the broadcaster amidst declining ratings. Meanwhile, topical comedies Have I Got News For You and The Last Leg continue on BBC One and Channel 4, respectively, and Frankie Boyle's New World Order is expected to return later this year.