Sky TV has turned down the chance to revive Shooting Stars, disappointing fans of the axed Reeves and Mortimer panel show.

The satellite broadcaster was mooted as a possible saviour of the show after the BBC pulled the plug on the series last year – after 18 years, on and off.

However, according to The Sun – part of the same News Corporation stable as Sky – TV chiefs have now decided it ‘never had a huge appeal to core Sky One viewers’.

And an official spokesman for the brodcaster confirmed: ‘We have no plans to commission Shooting Stars.’

When the show picked up best panel show at the British Comedy Awards last month, Bob Mortimer said sarcastically: ‘Thank you to the BBC.’