Huge BBC drama cancelled after two series in major blow for top television actress

Alibi UK crime comedy Annka has been axed after just two series. The series followed Nicola Walker as DI Annika Strandhed as the lead of the new Marine Homicide Unit and the second run of episodes became a record-breaker for Alibi UK when it premiered on there in August 2021, but now it has been revealed that the programme will no longer be produced.

Series two of the show recently landed on BBC iPlayer, with the drama first airing on BBC One in May 2023. A spokesperson told RadioTimes.com: "We are incredibly proud of the success of Annika on U+Alibi, but there are no current plans for a third series." One of the unique aspects of the show was that Annika breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly as each story progressed.

And at the time, Nicola, who is also known for her roles in Spooks, Unforgotten and The Split, said of the bold move and indeed her Norwegian character: "When he started discussing the television adaptation, my initial concern was how to bring to life a world that had previously existed solely within Annika's imagination." It comes after Richard Osman reveals why Destination X has 'missed the mark' after viewer complaints.

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The series was based on the BBC Radio 4 drama of the same name, and most of the episodes were written Nick Walker, who previously explained that the difference between the original concept and what ended up on screen would ultimately end up with viewers becoming a sort of 'sidekick' to the detective herself.

He declared: 'We're going to break the fourth wall! So, she still has Norwegian heritage, she is still an outsider, and she still has a different way of coping with life and work, but the hook is the fact that this is the only detective series where the audience is the silent sidekick. We are in cahoots with her."

While the hit series was still in production, Nicola admitted that one of the things that stood out to her about the role was that there was 'no subtext' to the character because that came as a result of addressing the audience directly.

She said: "With most characters there is so much subtext. But there is no subtext with Annika because the subtext is her talking directly to you and telling you what she feels. By the end, we are going to know her as well as she knows herself.

"On the first day, I kept stopping and laughing. It felt so wrong. But by the end, I was so into it, I was flicking looks at the camera all the time. I’m very worried about my next job now – 'Why does she keep looking down the lens?' It might have ruined me for the future!"

Nicola has become one of British TV's most familiar actresses thanks to her roles in a series of gritty dramas. She made her debut back in the early 1990s but it was as she starred in A Mother's Son in 2012 and then played a main part in Sally Wainwright's Last Tango In Halifax over a period of eight years that things really started to take off.

Guest appearances in Scott & Bailey and Prisoner's Wives followed and then she landed the main part in the first four series of Unforgotten, which explored the unravelling of of DCI Cassie Stuart's personal life. Annika came along in 2021,and she was joined in the cast by Jamie Sives and Katie Leung amongst others before former Doctor Who actress Varada Sethu joined for what became the show's second and final series.

But for Nicola, the cancellation comes just months after it was confirmed that she would be starring in a comedy series for Disney+ titled Alice and Steve. In the new programme, which has been penned by Sophie Goodhart, Nicola will play Alice and the series will explore what happens when her long-standing friendship with Steve (Jemaine Clement) is tested as he strikes up a relationship with her daughter.

Speaking about her new project, which is thought to be aiming for a 2026 release on the streaming giant, Nicola said: “I’m thrilled to be stepping into the fabulous world of friendship, motherhood, marriage frantic revenge and fierce love that Sophie Goodhart has created, and to be doing it with Jemaine Clement is completely joyful!"

Jemaine Clement added: "I really relate to Steve – he’s classy, stylish and an all-round good guy – except for when he isn’t. I’m excited to be working with the wonderful Nicola Walker and seeing how Steve and Alice’s relationship descends into absolute chaos!"

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