Doc Martin star Martin Clunes believes sitcom Warren was canned because the BBC “didn’t like” the show’s viewership.
According to the Sunday Express, Martin – who found telly fame in the 1990s alongside Neil Morrissey in Men Behaving Badly – reckons the audience for the show in which he played an irascible driving instructor was ‘too working class’ for the Beeb.
The 57-year-old comedy favourite also seemed to suggest that telly bosses found the programme’s core demographic was “too old”.
It was confirmed in May that no further episodes of Warren would be produced following transmission of the six made for the series’ first – and last – run that aired earlier this year on BBC One.
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Warren received mixed reviews from critics but pulled in 3.8 million viewers for the first episode.
Those viewing figures are thought to have fallen by two million by the end of the series.
Martin apparently responded to the Express’ suggestion that sitcoms take a couple of series to bed in while filming the ninth run of Doc Martin for ITV in Cornwall.
He is quoted as saying: “From what I could make out they [the BBC] didn’t like the people who were watching it.
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“Too old and too blue-collar.”
A BBC spokesperson did not comment on the newspaper’s claims but told the Express there are “no plans for a further series of Warren”.
The Beeb has recently been under fire for the manner in which it treats the elderly following the controversial decision to scrap free TV licences for the over-75s.
Medical drama Doc Martin – also starring Caroline Cats, Joe Absolom and Eileen Atkins – is expected to air before the end of 2019.
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