Prison sitcom axed after one series

BBC Three has dropped its prison sitcom Crims after a single series.

The show, set in a young offenders institution, starred Elis James and Kadiff Kirwan as inmates and Cariad Lloyd as a prison officer.

Created by Adam Kay of Amateur Transplants fame and Grandma’s House co-writer Dan Swimer, the series began in January with a healthy 425,000 viewers. However audiences fell to 203,000 by the end of the six-part series, leaving an average of 250,000.

The news was accidentally broken by fellow comic John Robins on the XFM show he co-presents with James.

He teased his friend about Crims being axed – but Chortle understands that he merely meant the comments as a joke, and had no inkling that the BBC had dropped the show in reality.

But the Corporation has now confirmed to us that Crims will not be recommissioned.

A spokesperson said: ‘I can confirm it’s not returning although Elis can be soon seen in Josh on BBC Three’.

Josh Widdicombe’s eponymous sitcom co-stars James and Beattie Edmonson as his flatmates, with Jack Dee as his intrusive landlord.

Directed by David Schneider, the six-part series follows a successful pilot last August and is scheduled to air in the autumn.

Crims also featured Ricky Champ, Theo Barklem-Biggs and Tracy Ann Oberman.

-by Jay Richardson

Published: 8 May 2015