The Completely Composed Adventures of Dick Turpin Apple TV+ has been a quality outlet for Britain’s best comedy talent, but there’s nothing whimsical about the series’ hiatus this week.
Production has been halted on the second season of Big Talk Studios’ series about an 18th-century highway robber, leaving a cast and crew of hundreds with nothing to show for their efforts. The footage cannot be turned into an abbreviated season and there is no hope of getting the show back on the road, according to three sources familiar with the matter Dick Turpin demise.
At the center of this highly unusual situation is Noel Fielding, the comic’s titular character, also known to American viewers as the co-host of The Great British Baking Show. The star who rose to fame in surreal comedy in the 2000s The mighty Bushfailed to return to the set after the festive break, throwing the production into chaos. The sun The newspaper that first revealed this Dick Turpin He said Fielding was in France, and a production source told us he left the UK over Christmas. Apple TV+ and Big Talk declined to comment.
Created by Claire Downes, Stuart Lane, and Ian Jarvis, Dick Turpin He leaned into Fielding’s sense of mischief and his eye for absurdity. The character allowed him to play an arrogant showman (not quite) amid a supporting cast of top British talent, including Hugh Bonneville, Mark Heap, Tamsin Greig, Asim Choudhury, Dolly Wells and Jessica Hines.
Production insiders said that Fielding was unavailable to make it to the scheduled and rescheduled Season 2 filming dates, meaning he effectively pulled out of filming and the series “went off the road.” Fielding’s agent in PBJ’s management denied dropping out. The actor said “one of the main cast members who was unwell did not recover enough to complete filming” and it was “extremely disappointing” for everyone involved. People close by Dick Turpin He said the “key cast member” was Fielding.
Season 1 co-stars Hugh Bonneville
There were rumors of issues with Fielding’s availability during the first season, but a source said the series was renewed because he was fully committed to the project. He received full writing credit on the second season after serving as a script consultant on the first season, while other accommodations were made to ensure he was comfortable on set, including carefully designed shooting schedules and other supports.
His exit from Season 2 came about three-quarters of the way into filming. Big Talk is currently picking up parts of the multi-million dollar shutdown, including informing a group of British acting talent that their shows are unlikely to be seen on Apple TV+. Deadline can reveal that the stars signed up for Season 2 include Jason Isaacs, Don French, Miranda Richardson, and Jamie and Natasia Demetriou.
Sources said Apple and Big Talk are working to ensure there is no significant loss in earnings for cast and crew, although pay packages are likely to be affected. It is understood that Big Talk was unable to secure insurance for the issue which led to filming being halted. Fielding is expected to be paid for services rendered but there are questions over whether he will receive his full salary for the second season due to force majeure clauses set out in the Equity Union’s contracts. The closure is also likely to have a knock-on effect on post-production, with companies like Lola Post Production at risk of losing business.
Dick Turpin It was greenlit by Jay Hunt, creative director of Apple TV+ in Europe. She has been a long-time supporter of Fielding, installing him as a presenter on the programme Great British Bread (as it is known in the UK) during her time as Channel 4’s head of content. Two sources said she worked with Big Talk to find solutions.
“The Great British Bread”
Produce love
Questions now arise about whether Fielding will be able to continue his duties Great British Breada Love Productions series that is usually filmed from late April. A source close to the cooking competition said that it was not affected by the issues related to it Dick Turpinbut did not respond to questions about Fielding’s future as co-host alongside Alison Hammond in season sixteen. He has missed filming in the past, including from some programmes. Bake Final in 2022 due to illness. Fielding also works as team leader on the Sky comedy panel show Buzzcocks doesn’t matter. Sky has not confirmed whether the show will return for a fifth season this year.
As for the ITV Studios-backed Big Talk, sources hope Completely crafted adventures… The brand could continue with another historical figure at some point in the future. Escape from Dick Turpin It came to an abrupt halt, but that may not be the end of the road for this concept.