BBC axes Sheridan Smith's 'The Cage' after one series despite three million viewers and perfect Rotten Tomatoes score

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026 · last updated 2 October 2026.

The BBC has cancelled crime drama 'The Cage' after a single five-part run, despite the Liverpool-set thriller pulling in over three million viewers and earning a rare 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha starred as casino workers who discover they are both stealing from the same safe, only to be plunged into a collision with gangsters and police. The axe falls amid the BBC's drive to cut roughly half a billion pounds from its budget. Writer Tony Schumacher, who also created Martin Freeman's hit 'The Responder', reportedly has more projects in the pipeline.

Viewers had reportedly become invested in the show, though not everything can become a long-runner at the BBC.

Critics called it 'British drama at its best', praising its portrayal of working-class life as sharp and free of 'tick-box political fashions'.

The BBC's own statement described the show as 'powerful and poignant' — making the cancellation all the more striking.