ITV’s ‘worst sitcom ever cancelled’ after being hit with Ofcom complaints

ITV has reportedly axed its divisive police comedy Piglets after two seasons.

From the team behind the surreal Channel 4 comedy Green Wing, the show premiered on ITV2 in 2024 and followed a crop of coppers new on the job and very much figuring it out as they went. 

The show returned for a second season in January, with Mark Heap and Sarah Parish again starring as the no-nonsense higher-ups at the imbecile-adjacent police training college. 

Yet the show courted controversy from the off, particularly over its name, and ITV has now confirmed there are currently ‘no plans’ for a third season. 

The broadcaster said in a statement to Metro: ‘We would like to thank all the cast and crew for their hard work in bringing these unforgettable characters and stories alive on screen. 

‘Viewers can watch the adventures from series one and two by streaming all episodes on ITVX.’

A source told The Sun that there had been ‘hope’ for Piglets when it debuted two years ago, but that the second series had reportedly proved less successful. 

The source said: ‘There was great hope for Piglets when it was first released and even though the response to the debut series was mixed, bosses believed it deserved a follow-up.

‘But unfortunately, the second series didn’t set the world alight – which made it even harder for ITV to give it another chance.’

Piglets – which currently holds a 43% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes – was beset with criticism from viewers, who labelled it an all-time bad sitcom. 

Before the show had even been broadcast, the Police Federation complained that the title of the show was ‘disgusting’ and ‘highly offensive’, given that the word ‘pig’ is a derogatory term for police officers.

Tiffany Lynch, Acting National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said at the time: ‘It is a disgusting choice of language to use for the title of a TV programme. I find it incredulous that this has passed through checks and balances at an organisation made up of people who at any time have or may need the support and assistance of the police.

‘Our colleagues are working hard and keeping people safe under relentless negative pressure at the moment, insulting our new in-service officers is unhelpful.

‘The name of this show is also inflammatory against a landscape of rising threats and violence against officers. We should not be put at further risk for viewing numbers, our officers deserve respect not humiliation for the job they are undertaking.

‘It is actually incredibly dangerous to incite more negativity and misinformation against a public sector service that’s already under so much pressure.’

The CEO of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Mukund Krishna, also said at the time that the group planned to write to Ofcom and ITV regarding their complaints.

Their sentiment was echoed by members of the public, as the watchdog later reported it had received 106 complaints for Piglets.

Piglets is available to watch on ITVX.

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