Sky axes Nick Frost drama Mr Sloane and Chris Addison comedy Trying Again

The decision not to recommission Sky Atlantic's 1970s drama Mr Sloane, which starred Frost as the hapless titular hero, has disappointed the production team led by creator and writer Bob Weide, one of the directors of the Larry David comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm.

A statement from “The ‘Mr Sloane’ Team” said on Facebook: “The thinking behind this decision is a bit baffling even to us, since Sky had been very supportive during the first series, and claims the show to have been a success for them by every measure. However, there is a new channel head at Sky who, it seems, has a new agenda for the channel that doesn’t include our pal, Sloaney. What that agenda is, we imagine, will become more evident over the coming year.

“We all had a great time bringing you the first series, and all the love and support received from the viewers (and the critics) was greatly appreciated. As for Jeremy Sloane (with an “e”), we’ll just have to leave him on Mrs. Wyndham’s couch, bringing in the 1970’s, with that silly grin on his face. If you ask us, he seemed pretty happy there, so maybe it’s all for the best."

Sky published a statement on its decision to axe the drama, which also starred Olivia Colman as Sloane's estranged wife Janet and Peter Serafinowicz as his best friend Ross.

It said: "We can confirm that Mr Sloane will not be returning to Sky Atlantic HD. We're incredibly proud of the series and would like to thank its creator Bob Weide, marvellous cast led by Nick Frost, and Big Talk Productions.

“Sky has made a huge investment in original new content but as part of that, we do still have to make difficult decisions as to which series we should bring back and where we should explore new opportunities instead. In this case, we have decided not to bring back Mr Sloane but would love to work with the team behind it again in the future.”

RadioTimes.com can also reveal that Sky Living’s Chris Addison comedy Trying Again will not be returning.

Written by Addison and The Thick of It scriptwriter Simon Blackwell, it cast the former as Matt, a likeable man working in a Lake District tourist office and struggling to mend his relationship with his girlfriend (Jo Joyner) after she had an affair.

A statement from Sky Living said: “Trying Again won't be returning to Sky Living for a second series but we'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in this critically acclaimed comedy."