ˈiːən dˈeɪvɪdsən klˈeɪmz ðætðə bˌiːbˌiːsˈiː lˈɔst ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn mˌeɪkɪŋ fˈɜːðɚ sˈɪɹiz wɛn dʒˈɔːɹdʒ kˈoʊl dᵻklˈaɪnd tʊ ɐpˈɪɹ ɪn ɐ sˈɛkənd sˈɪɹiz, wˌaɪl pˈiːɾɚ vˈɪnsənt sˈɛz ðætðə ɹˈaɪz tə pˈaʊɚɹ ʌv mˈɪkaɪl ɡˈoːɹbɐʃˌɛv ɪnðə sˈoʊviət jˈuːniən ɹˈɛndɚd ðə ʃˈoʊz sˈʌbdʒɛkt mˈæɾɚɹ ɪɹˈɛlᵻvənt.
Ian Davidson claims that the BBC lost interest in making further series when George Cole declined to appear in a second series, while Peter Vincent says that the rise to power of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union rendered the show's subject matter irrelevant.