We’re only a couple of weeks into 2025, but unfortunately we already know of a number of series that are either ending or have been canceled this year. Some of those are not surprises, like Stranger Things Season 5 capping off the sci-fi series, but in other cases — specifically for one Apple TV+ comedy — the situation was a bit more unexpected. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin was reportedly axed when its star didn’t return to work after Christmas.
Noel Fielding — best known as a presenter on The Great British Bake Off and for his role on The Mighty Boosh — and the rest of the cast of Dick Turpin were reportedly more than halfway through production on Season 2, which would have aired on the 2025 TV schedule, when they paused for the holidays. However, come January, Fielding never returned, and the series was canceled, reportedly due to “the illness of a key cast member.” According to a source for The Sun:
They were understandably bewildered and infuriated by the bombshell because the shoe show required millions of pounds, months of planning and hours of work. It now effectively means that they are all out of work and looking for new jobs, but they still haven’t had a full explanation. Naturally, the rumour mill is in overtime as to what has happened with Noel, but it must have been very serious to axe the whole show. In most circumstances execs will at least consider pausing filming, but for some reason they decided to throw in the towel before the situation got any worse.
That’s pretty worrisome news regarding Noel Fielding’s health, especially with a lack of information on the series’ star and the decision to end the show rather than delay production longer or find a way to work around Fieldings’ absence.
Deadline reports that the footage already filmed couldn’t be reworked into a scaled-back season and there was no hope of production starting up again. Allegedly now hundreds of people are out of work with no warning.
The site also points out that Noel Fielding has been absent from projects due to illness in the past, including missing part of The Great British Bake Off’s finale in 2022. This calls into question whether or not the co-host will be able to return for the baking competition’s 16th series this spring.
Meanwhile, Noel Fielding’s agent rejected claims that the actor had dropped out of the Apple TV+ project, saying that everyone was “hugely disappointed” in the turn of events and that:
One of the main cast members who has not been well is not recovered enough to complete the filming.
That main cast member is Noel Fielding, according to Deadline sources. Season 1 of the Apple TV+ original series also starred actors including Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, the Paddington movies) and Mark Heap (Spaced) and was set to welcome well-known names like Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter, The OA) and Natasia Demetriou (What We Do in the Shadows) for Season 2.
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin may not be returning, but be sure to check out what upcoming Apple TV+ shows you can find on the streamer.
