The BBC has axed Upstart Crow, David Mitchell has revealed.

Mitchell, who has played William Shakespeare in all three series of Ben Elton's BBC Two period comedy about the playwright, and in both runs of its stage play spin-off, told Lorraine Kelly on her ITV morning show that he would "love" to make more episodes.

"But at the moment we lack a broadcast partner" he added. "At the moment, no-one's saying they'll pay to make it so we can make some more.

"I'm not pointing the finger at the BBC, there are other broadcasters. They could all get in touch."

A BBC spokesperson confirmed to British Comedy Guide that it would not be recommissioning Upstart Crow but declined to comment further.

Co-starring Liza Tarbuck, Harry Enfield, Gemma Whelan, Rob Rouse, Tim Downie, Helen Monks and Mark Heap, Upstart Crow ran from 2016 on television, with the third Christmas special, broadcast in December 2020, the most recent episode.

Stage play The Upstart Crow, which writer Elton has called "an entirely original excursion, not a 'TV adaptation'", briefly opened in February 2020 in London's Gielgud Theatre but closed shortly afterwards because of Covid restrictions. It reopened at the Apollo Theatre for a ten week season from September last year, with Mitchell and Whelan reprising their roles as Shakespeare and wannabe actor Kate.

"Upstart Crow was a beautiful part of my life" Elton told the Daily Mail in May. "I loved working on a sitcom with David Mitchell. It was a success critically and in popularity."

Reviews for the sitcom were indeed mostly strong and generally became more appreciative over the three series, with the once lukewarm Telegraph calling the final regular episode "farcically funny, but with a bittersweet twist".

The Guardian felt "Blackadder this ain't by a long stretch, but it's likeable and often clever in its satire of the bard's times. The cast is also excellent."

Mitchell was appearing on Lorraine to promote his latest book, Unruly: A History Of England's Kings And Queens.