Acclaimed BBC One drama The Cage, which stars Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha, will not return for a second series, the broadcaster has confirmed.
The five-part thriller, created and written by BAFTA-nominated The Responder writer Tony Schumacher, drew around 3 million viewers and warm reviews during its run. However, the BBC has opted not to commission more.
A BBC spokesperson thanked Schumacher, production company Element Pictures and the cast and crew, confirming the decision while stopping short of giving a specific reason for ending the story after one series.
"We loved bringing Leanne and Matty's story to BBC viewers and send our heartfelt thanks to Tony Schumacher, Element Pictures and all the cast and crew who worked on this powerful and poignant series," the spokesperson told The Sun.
Set in and around a Liverpool casino, The Cage followed Leanne (Smith), a cashier facing the loss of her family home, who secretly starts taking money from the safe. When she discovers that her colleague Matty (Socha) is stealing too, the pair become reluctant partners, drawn into danger from the gangster whose money they have taken and from the police closing in around them.
Fans of the show will know that things did wrap up on a pretty final note by the end of season 1, with Leanne and her kids living with Nancy and Matty serving time in prison, having taken the blame for both him and Leanne's actions. Whilst some fans may have appreciated further episodes, it did serve its purpose as a limited series and ended definitively.
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Alongside Smith and Socha, the cast featured Barry Sloane as Gary Packer, Geraldine James as Nancy Packer, Freya Jones as Emily Flynn and Sophie Mensah as Detective Sergeant Fen Ning. The series premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in April 2026.
Schumacher had spoken previously about the deeply personal roots of the drama, telling the BBC that he wrote The Cage partly to better understand his brother's addiction.
The cancellation marks another drama axed after a single run for Smith, one of Britain's most garlanded television actors. Element Pictures, meanwhile, has further BBC projects in development, including a second series of Nightsleeper and the new drama You Are Here.
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The Cage is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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