Image caption Reeves, Mortimer and Jonsson (l to r) have been with the show since its inception

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer's surreal TV panel show Shooting Stars has been axed by the BBC, it has been confirmed.

"In future there will be less space on BBC Two for comedy/entertainment panel shows so sadly Shooting Stars won't be returning," said a BBC spokeswoman.

"We'd like to thank Vic and Bob for everything they've brought to the channel over the years," she went on.

The mock quiz originally ran from 1993 to 1997, returning twice - first in 2002, and again in 2009.

Mark Lamarr, Ulrika Jonsson, Johnny Vegas and Will Self were among the regular panellists, while Matt Lucas kept the scores in his guise as "big baby" George Dawes.

The show's many outlandish elements included the Dove From Above round and the nonsensical phrase "uvavu".

Mortimer, whose comedy partnership with Reeves - real name Jim Moir - extends back to the 1980s, told fans of the show's cancellation on Tuesday via instant messaging site Twitter.

Many fans responded with dismay - including TV critic Caitlin Moran, who called the decision "a genuine outrage".

Referring to one of the show's many in-jokes, comedian Dave Gorman simply wrote: "Ulrika-ka-ka-katastrophe!"