The Peep show duo's show about a pair of hapless British civil servants trapped in the fictional central Asian state of Tazbekistan will not be recommissioned by BBC2 as a comedy. But it could come back in a more serious incarnation

The Ambassadors will not be recommissioned by BBC2, the Radio Times reported this week, but the show could still return, reformatted as a drama. The show was one of the underrated gems of 2013 – and it would be a shame not to see more of David Mitchell as British Ambassador Keith Davis, his wife Jennifer (Keeley Hawes) or cynical Foreign Office staffer Neil Tilly (Mitchell's Peep Show partner Robert Webb) dealing with the machinations of fictional central Asian country Tazbekistan.

But it was in some ways an odd proposition – it is hard not to expect more laughs from Mitchell and Webb. Even though The Ambassadors was funny, it showcased a subtler, more understated comedy than viewers have come to expect from them. A short run of three, one-hour episodes didn't help either. The show didn't have a chance to find the audience it deserved.

The idea of repurposing The Ambassadors as a drama is interesting – there were some strong storylines that proved that both Mitchell and Webb have the chops to pull off more serious moments (Tilly's local girlfriend, state corruption, the difficulty of dealing with an oil-rich dictator who is not that bothered by small matters such as human rights). And it still feels as if there is a lot more mileage to be had from the "diplomats abroad" setup.

But could The Ambassadors lose some of its charm in the transition? The Tazbek surveillance duo who spent their time monitoring the bumbling British staff were a real highlight (it was as if they were listening to their own personal soap opera), as were the diplomats' regular video conference calls back home to their Foreign Office boss, the "Prince of Darkness" (Matthew Macfadyen). I'd love to see Tom Hollander's minor royal Prince Mark of Bath make a return visit to Tazbekistan. It would be a shame to lose the balance that the goofier comedy moments gave the show.

In the US, notable shows have gone the other way. Enlightened, Californication and Nurse Jackie have all used the half-hour sitcom format to good effect, packing some dark laughs into what are essentially dramas with ongoing narratives. (Is there a better name for these hybrids than "dramedy"?) In the UK, Fresh Meat has successfully flipped between the two poles of comedy and drama, finding a good middle ground where it is possible to sneak in some very moving moments (usually involving the students' parents – Vod's mum, JP's dad) among the comedy stories.

What other shows do you think could be reclassified? Does the distinction between comedy and drama really matter to anyone other than TV commissioners or the people who work out which Netflix category to file shows under? Would you like to see a more serious version of The Ambassadors?