End of the line for long-running shows Give My Head Peace and The Blame Game

The BBC has axed two long-running Northern Irish comedy shows: Give My Head Peace and The Blame Game.

Sitcom Give My Head Peace first aired on TV in 1995 while panel show The Blame Game broadcast its 23rd series last year.

A BBC spokesperson said that while they ‘recognise the significant contribution' both programmes have made,  the corporation is ‘facing real financial challenges at this time and will need to make some difficult decisions in order to manage them, ,whilst also protecting the distinctiveness and impact of the service we provide.’

The broadcaster is trying to save £500million over two years amid rising production costs and a downturn in the number of people paying for their TV licence. 

Give My Head Peace starred the Hole in the Wall Gang, comprising  Tim McGarry, Damon Quinn, Marty Reid and Michael McDowell,.

Poking fun at political parties, paramilitary groups and the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland, it started with the pilot episode Two Ceasefires And A Wedding and ran from the late 1990s to 2007 The show was then revived in 2016 and a total of 99 episodes have been made. 

The Blame Game was hosted by Tim McGarry and featured regular panellists such as Colin Murphy, Diona Doherty, Neil Delamere and Jake O’Kane, who left in 2023.

The news comes 18 months after the BBC held its comedy festival in Belfast, pledging a £500,000 funding to produce local comedy shows.

Published: 6 Oct 2026