The Mash Report is getting a new name and a new channel (Picture: BBC)
TV channel Dave has picked up Nish Kumar’s The Mash Report after it was axed by the BBC.
The satirical news show ran for four series on BBC Two between 2017 and 2020, and while ratings were modest, the show was more popular on BBC iPlayer and frequently went viral with clips shared to social media.
Now, Dave has announced that the channel will be hosting a version of the series, now called Late Night Mash, after fans of the show begged the channel to pick up the show.
In a video titled ‘Breaking news’ shared by the broadcaster, Kumar, 35, said: ‘We’re coming back on Dave? Really? Alright, fine, I guess.’
The comedian shared the video on his own Twitter account and added: ‘We’re back baby.’
The BBC confirmed back in March that The Mash Report was not being recommissioned for a fifth series, with a statement reading: ‘We are very proud of The Mash Report but in order to make room for new comedy shows we sometimes have to make difficult decisions and it won’t be returning.
‘We would like to thank all those involved in four brilliant series and hope to work with Nish Kumar, Rachel Parris and the team in the future.’
It was reported that the satirical show’s cancellation was part of a crackdown on the BBC’s ‘perceived left-wing bias’, following the introduction of new director-general Tim Davie.
In April, Kumar said that he privately asked if the show’s stance led to its cancellation, but has yet to receive a response.
He told The New York Times: ‘I want the BBC to clarify it, not for my sake, either way, I’m getting fired. But for the health of the corporation.
‘They need to make a definitive statement that it was not a political decision. Because what precedent does that set otherwise?’
The comedian’s show was reportedly axed due to ‘perceived left wing bias’ (Picture: BBC)
Kumar added that he would not host a political show on the BBC again, saying: ‘Why would I put myself back in that position if, when push comes to it, they’re not going to back me?’
The Mash Report, which featured Kumar and comedian Rachel Parrish, was a spin-off of the satirical website The Daily Mash, and clips from the show like ‘How to not sexually harass someone’ went viral on social media throughout its time on air.
However, the show attracted much criticism from conservative figures, with Andrew Neil – who has since jumped ship from the BBC to host a show on GB News – calling The Mash Report ‘self-satisfied, self-adulatory, unchallenged left-wing propaganda’.
Defenders of the show, though, noted that conservative comedian Geoff Norcott often featured on The Mash Report.
The Telegraph last year reported that Tim Davie was considering cancelling left-wing comedy shows to tackle bias and restore the public’s ‘trust and confidence’ in the corporation.
While Davie dismissed the report as ‘nonsense’, he told staff: ‘What I do think though, is the same as my framework for overall impartiality. The BBC should not come from a platform from when there’s an assumed point of view. It’s not just about left and right, it’s different people.’
Credit: Original article published here.You can read this post on My Celebrity Life.