Sky History not renewing Russell Kane and Al Murray series
- Evil Genius With Russell Kane and Al Murray's Why Does Everyone Hate ... series will not be returning
- "We don't currently have a plan to recommission those shows," a Sky History spokesperson said
- It is also unclear whether Evil Genius will be returning as a Radio 4 podcast
Sky History will not be renewing either Evil Genius With Russell Kane or Al Murray's Why Does Everyone Hate... series, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
A spokesperson for the channel told BCG that "we don't currently have a plan to recommission those shows".
Made by BBC Studios, Evil Genius was an adaptation of Kane's long-running Radio 4 podcast of the same name, in which he and fellow comedians debated whether famous historical figures ought to be considered evil or a genius.
The show ran for five episodes from November, with the characters of Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Pablo Escobar, Coco Chanel and Richard Nixon assessed by panels that included Charlie Higson, Tom Allen, Kerry Godliman, Miles Jupp, Jon Richardson, Judi Love, Rachel Parris and Geoff Norcott, among others.
There are eight series and 102 episodes of the Radio 4 version currently available on BBC Sounds, with the last instalment on George Harrison airing in April. The corporation declined to comment on whether the audio series will continue.
Murray, meanwhile, has made three instalments of his Why Does Everyone Hate... series, appearing as both himself and his Pub Landlord alter-ego: 2018's Why Does Everyone Hate The English?, also featuring Antoine de Caunes, Elis James, Andrew Maxwell, Fred MacAulay and Henning Wehn as representatives of their nations; 2021's Why Do The Brits Win Every War?, with Wehn, Sanjeev Kohli, John Thomson, Reginald D Hunter and Bruno Tonioli; and last year's Why Does Everyone Hate The British Empire?, featuring Anuvab Pal, Loyiso Gola, Chris Daley and Kevin Kropinyeri.
Both Kane and Murray have books imminent, with Kane's children's offering Pet Selector!: A Hilarious Guide To All The Usual And Unusual Household Pets, published on 5th September. Murray's second factual history tome, Arnhem: Black Tuesday, is out on 12th September, a week before the 80th anniversary of the battle.
Kane continues his Hyperactive stand-up tour at the Thameside Theatre in Grays tonight, while the Pub Landlord's Guv Island tour begins on 14th June at the City Hall in Hull. Murray is currently in France for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.