Special1 TV will not be returning to Setanta Sports in the immediate future, according to a Setanta Ireland representative.

The cult hit parody show featuring puppets of Jose Mourinho, Sven Goran-Eriksson and Wayne Rooney will not be returning to the airwaves in the foreseeable future unless the program is picked up by another broadcaster.

While the news is disheartening, it’s not surprising really. Special1 TV was originally titled “I”m On Setanta Sports” and was a brilliant marketing hit to promote Setanta’s launch in the United Kingdom. The show titilated the audience but also got the message across loud and clear that it was “on Setanta Sports.”

After Setanta UK established itself in the UK market, the show changed its named to Special1 TV but was still shown exclusively on Setanta Sports.

According to Special1TV on Twitter, “The Special One” jokes that ESPN, Sky, BBC and ITV have been blocking the return of Special1TV (see screenshot above). With the death of Setanta UK, the future of Special1 TV was always up in the air. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that someone will bring Special1TV to life.

To pay tribute to Special1 TV, here’s a Best Of video special: